B2B Copywriting that Persuades and Converts

B2B Copywriting that Persuades and Converts

Instructor: Rey VillarChicago Online Marketing Group Copywriting WorkshopAugust 25, 2009

Content is King

Writers are a dime a dozen!

Good copywriters are worth their weight in gold!

Reynaldo Villar, 2009 | LinkedIn: #reynaldovillar | Twitter: @reyvillar

I. Price

Does NOT matter!

¨ Price is a crutch¨ Price is a trap¨ It’s about the value¨ Value: what you get in excess of the price


II. Purpose

Sell!

¨ Close doesn’t count¨ Not a popularity content¨ Copywriting doesn’t just move or persuade¨ Copywriting gets people to act


II. Purpose

Copywriters are sellers

Like successful sales pros, top copywriters have overcome the biggest obstacle to success – their fear of rejection


III. Product

Believe in your Product!

¨ Understand its many benefits¨ Understand its value¨ Embrace its shortcomings¨ Work to improve it¨ Write like the owner!


III. Product

Benefits vs. Features

¨ Promote the feature, but sell the benefit¨ Passion vs. logic¨ To find the benefit, keep asking “So What”¨ Homework: 12 benefits for each product


III. Product

Your Unique Selling Proposition

¨ The USP is Your Most Powerful Weapon¨ When in Doubt, Fall Back on Your USP

¨ USP = Your Biggest Benefit + Strong Unique Aspect of Your Business


III. Product

B2B marketers promote 2 products

¨ Our own products¨ Our clients’ products


IV. Profile

Know Your Customers

¨ Don’t pigeonhole your audience¨ Relevancy: precision targeting of message¨ Have a customer in mind when you write¨ Remember the 4 Dominant Personalities


IV. ProfilePersonality 1: Mel Brooks¨ Character: Friendly, Creative, Impatient; Fun;

Entertaining; Sensitive; Changes Mind A Lot; Spontaneous

¨ Likes: Face-to-Face; Experiencing Things; Personal Affirmation; To Know What Others are Doing

¨ Query: what’s your solution to my problem?


IV. ProfilePersonality 1: Mel Brooks¨ Buying Needs: Testimonials; Personalized

Facts; Emphasize Loyalty; Build & Maintain Relationships

¨ Avoid: Uncreative; Moving Too Fast; Uncaring; Selfish; Emotional

¨ Our approach is personalized to meet your needs.


IV. ProfilePersonality 1: Mel Brooks¨ Keywords: Experience; Clever; Considerate;

Flexible; Playful; Performer; Fun; Helpful; Down-to-Earth; Do It!

¨ Approach: Address Values; Provide Assurances & Credible Options

¨ Focus on language that answer WHY


IV. ProfilePersonality 2: Mr. Spock¨ Characteristic: Need to be Organized to Act;

Analytical; Conservative; Well-Educated; Methodical

¨ Likes: Organization & Planning¨ Dislikes: Surprises & Abstract¨ Query: what’s the solution to the problem?


IV. ProfilePersonality 2: Mr. Spock¨ Buying Needs: Hard Evidence; Data & Facts;

Superior Service; Time to Review; Wants Education

¨ Avoid: Illogical; Careless; Defensive; Unprepared; Large-Scale Changes

¨ Your results are guaranteed. Explore our methodology to see why our clients…


IV. ProfilePersonality 2: Mr. Spock¨ Keywords: Practical; Organized; Analytical;

Logical; Procedures; Tradition; Thorough¨ Approach: Provide Hard Evidence &

Superior Service

¨ Focus on language that answer HOW


IV. ProfilePersonality 3: Oprah¨ Characteristic: Warm, Friendly, Flexible,

Open; Creative, Idealistic; Humanistic¨ Likes: Big Picture; Giving; Harmony;

Personal Affirmation¨ Query: Who has used your solution to solve

my problem?


IV. ProfilePersonality 3: Oprah¨ Buying Needs: Testimonials; Follow a

Rational Train of Though; Use Personalized Possibilities; Paint a Picture with Words

¨ Avoid: Uncreative; Dull; Simple; Selfish; Stupid; Little

¨ Discover how thousands of clients like you have been satisfied…


IV. ProfilePersonality 3: Oprah¨ Keywords: Creative; Charismatic; Caring;

People Person; Possibilities; Communicator; Flexible; Unique

¨ Approach: Offer Testimonials & Incentives

¨ Focus on language that answer WHO


IV. ProfilePersonality 4: Bill Gates¨ Characteristic: Full of Ideas; Independent;

Enthusiastic; Controlling; Risk-Taking; Competitor

¨ Likes: Challenges; Autonomy; Possibilities; Achieving Goals; Uniqueness

¨ Hates: Incompetence ¨ Query: what can your solution do for me?


IV. ProfilePersonality 4: Bill Gates¨ Buying Needs: Competence; Knowledge-

Driven; Project into Future; Big Picture; Pros and Cons; Involve Customer in Decision

¨ Avoid: Uncreative; Simplistic; Feelings; Incompetence; Emotional

¨ The Bottom Line is that Your Results are Guaranteed.


IV. ProfilePersonality 4: Bill Gates¨ Keywords: Logical; Possibilities;

Complexity; Improvisation; Competence; Skeptical; Entrepreneur

¨ Approach: Provide Options, Probabilities; Challenges

¨ Focus on language that answer WHAT


V. Pain

Understand your client’s pain

¨ Fears¨ Wants and Desires¨ Daily hassles and challenges¨ Why do they do it?¨ Homework: interview agents you know


VI. Pull

Your Content is Worthless… Unless You Get Prospects to Read

¨ Rule 1: Relate to their Pain – Immediately¨ Rule 2: Remove Obstacles¨ Rule 3: Guide Your Readers¨ Rule 4: ABC – Always Be Closing


VI. Pull

Immediately Be Relevant

¨ Subject lines¨ Headlines¨ Page title and description tags¨ Sender information


VI. Pull

Subject Line Tips

¨ Relevancy rules – W.I.I.F.M?¨ There is NO formula – so tests are crucial¨ Urgency can drive action¨ Lead – but don’t mislead¨ Watch the spam filters


VI. Pull

Headline Tips¨ Boring is boring!¨ Leave them wanting more¨ Ask an urgent question¨ Promise to solve a problem¨ Expose a secret (or offer exclusivity)¨ Homework: create a 100-sample swipe list


VI. Pull

Remove Obstacles!¨ Paragraphs must be short – especially 1st

¨ Be positive!¨ Stick to the point: sell¨ Kill the fluff and hype¨ Edit: if you can take it out, then take it out!


VI. Pull

Guide Your Readers¨ Write for skimmers¨ Sub-headers¨ Eye-catchers: dashes, ellipses, symbols,

numbers, italics, underlines¨ Bullets can be beautiful¨ Give it air!


VI. Pull

Guide Your Readers¨ Start each paragraph with a bang!¨ Vary paragraph & sentence lengths.¨ Their time is important – stop wasting it!¨ Avoid jargons¨ Are you a sexist, ageist chauvinist?¨ Design & graphics must help not hurt


VI. Pull

Always Be Closing¨ Ask for It!¨ The Ask is Crucial – but Often Overlooked¨ Be Relevant¨ Give Them Choices¨ Support the Call to Action


VII. Pace

It’s Face-to-Face Sales, But on Paper¨ Conversational¨ Simplify your language¨ Positive tone: you solve problems¨ Know the rules – then bend them¨ Would you buy from a clown?¨ Saturate with benefits¨ Use joints


VIII. Promise

What Are You Offering?

¨ The “Tah Dah” Effect¨ Sell your freebies¨ Make your guarantee sell¨ Value and Benefits


IX. Produce

Deliver on Your Promises

¨ People love promises; they just hate it when they’re broken

¨ Avoid the hype¨ Keep reassuring prospects through the sale¨ Testimonials are powerful


X. Practice

Practice Makes Permanent

¨ Use Spell-checkers – but don’t rely on them¨ Writing is ECE: Edit, Cut and Edit again¨ Remember your purpose¨ Walk with your customer¨ Test! Test! Test!


The 10 Ps1. Price

2. Purpose

3. Product

4. Profile

5. Pain

6. Pull

7. Pace

8. Promise

9. Produce

10. Practice


SEO Copywriting

Operating in the Shadows¨ Keywords¨ Tags: Title, H1, H2, Emphasize¨ First and Last paragraph¨ It’s not about keyword density!¨ Keyword variation on a theme¨ Your primary purpose is still to sell!


B2B Copywriting that Persuades and Converts

Instructor: Rey VillarChicago Online Marketing Group Copywriting WorkshopAugust 25, 2009

B2B Copywriting that Persuades and Converts

Marketing

reynaldovillar twitter

product reynaldo villar

price reynaldo villar

business reynaldo villar

profile personality

product benefits

usp usp

value value