Are you looking to hire a B2B copywriter? This guide is for you.
This guide describes everything you need to know to find, select, hire, work with and pay a business-to-business copywriter. It tells you what to do right, outlines mistakes to avoid, explains how to protect your interests, and leads you step by step through the process of successfully hiring a B2B copywriter.
Introduction to B2B copywriters
Let’s start by getting our terms, straight. If you are looking for a B2B copywriter, you are looking for two things:
- someone who understands B2B
- someone who writes copy
B2B stands for business-to-business: There are three main groups of buyers of products and services: consumers, businesses and governments. Companies that market their products and services to consumers are in the business-to-consumer market, or B2C market. Businesses that sell products and services to businesses are in the business-to-business market, or B2B market. And businesses that sell products and services to governments are in the business-to-government market, or B2G market.
Copywriter means a writer who writes promotional copy: A writer who promotes products and services is called a copywriter. In the worlds of publishing and advertising, text on a page or on a screen is called copy. At a newspaper, for example, journalists write copy. They submit their copy to their copy editor. In marketing, a copywriter writes copy, the words that advertise or market or promote a product or service. Copywriting is the act of writing copy.
All of this is to say that a B2B copywriter is an individual who writes words that help businesses promote a product or service to other businesses. A B2B copywriter, in other words, is someone who helps businesses sell their products and services to other businesses using the written word (print and online) and spoken word (radio, television and video).
What does a B2B copywriter write?
B2B copywriters write five types of copy. Here they are, arranged from most common to least common:
- Online: Words that appear on the internet:
- web pages
- cold emails
- case studies
- lead follow-up emails
- autoresponder emails
- sales letters
- white papers
- buying guides
- landing pages
- pillar pages
- e-books
- special reports
- banner ads
- pay-per-click ads
- social media ads
- e-commerce product pages
- blog posts
- Print: Words that appear on a sheet of paper, such as:
- newspaper ads
- case studies
- trade publication ads
- brochures
- catalogs
- factsheets
- sales collateral
- product packaging
- direct mail packages
- promotional postcards
- point-of-purchase displays
- mobile ads
- Outdoor: Words that appear on:
- billboards
- bus shelters
- sides of buses
- in subways
- Broadcast: Words that are heard rather than read, such as:
- radio commercials
- TV commercials
- podcast commercials
- video scripts
- Branding: Words that brand an organization, product, service or event, such as:
- company names
- names for products and services
- slogans & taglines
- themes for conferences
What other services do B2B copywriters offer?
The best B2B copywriters offer more than just words. A good copywriter in the business-to-business space helps you understand your buyer, differentiate your brand, improve your SEO and more. Here are some services that senior B2B copywriters offer.
Buyer persona development
A buyer persona is a semi-fictional representation of your ideal customer based on market research and real data about your existing customers. When creating your buyer persona(s), consider including customer demographics, behavior patterns, motivations, and goals. The more detailed you are, the better. (HubSpot)
In most B2B transactions, there are multiple people who sit on the buying committee. According to Gartner, “the typical buying group for a complex B2B solution involves 6 to 10 decision makers.” Each one of these people has differing levels of needs and buying power. You may need to approach each of these influencers in a unique way.
Which means you may need to create a unique buyer persona for each unique buyer. Some B2B copywriters help you craft these buyer personas. They lead you through a discovery exercise that uncovers the goals, challenges, motivations, buying questions, objections and other things that each buyer persona has. Then they craft their findings into buyer personas that help you created targeted marketing messages that resonate with each buyer persona.
Buyer journey mapping
The buyer journey is the process buyers go through to become aware of, consider and evaluate, and decide to purchase a new product or service. In its simplest form, the buyer journey consists of a three-stage process:
- Awareness: The buyer realizes they have a problem.
- Consideration: The buyer defines their problem and researches options to solve it.
- Decision: The buyer chooses a solution.
Some B2B copywriters help your business map out your buyer’s journey. They help you understand the concerns, pains, questions, objections and other considerations that your buyers face at each stage of their buyer journey. Then the copywriter diagrams the buyer journey so that you see how and why leads enter your funnel, how they move down the funnel, and what typically has to take place at each stage of the buyer journey for buyers to move to the next stage.
Keyword research
Every business-to-business copywriter must understand search engine optimization (SEO). A primary copywriter goal, after all, is to drive traffic to your website. And copywriters can only do that if they understand the fundamentals of on-page SEO.
A small number of copywriters in the B2B space also offer keyword research. They not only write copy that’s optimized for search. They also help you uncover the keywords that your business has a decent chance of ranking for at the top of search results.
Sales enablement content
If your business is typical, you don’t have a lead-generation problem. You have a lead-nurture problem. That’s because, according to Salesforce, 58% of pipelines stall because sales reps don’t add value. And yet sales teams that engage and challenge prospects are twice as likely to hit quota.
To do that effectively, they need content. And that’s why a small number of B2B copywriters offer sales enablement content-writing services. They craft the lead follow-up email sequences and sales enablement content that educates, differentiates and adds value throughout your pipeline.
When to hire a B2B copywriter
Copywriting has been called “salesmanship in print.” That’s an outdated metaphor, of course. many copywriters are women. And copy appears in more channels than just print. But the sentiment holds true. A copywriter is a salesperson with a keyboard.
This means you should hire a B2B copywriter when you need to sales. Content writers inform. Technical writers explain. But copywriters sell. Here are the top-four times when you should hire a B2B copywriter.
1. When you need to drive website traffic
In the online world, everything starts with traffic to your website. You may have the most beautifully designed website, you may have the most compelling unique selling proposition, you may even have the best product or service, but unless you drive traffic to your website, you are sunk.
An effective B2B copywriter write blog posts, pillar pages, articles, landing pages, service pages, product pages, FAQ pages and other web pages that rank at the top of search results for the keywords you are targeting. The pages that appear at the top of search results generate the most traffic.
2. When you need to generate leads
The goal of driving traffic to your website isn’t just to increase your number of monthly unique visitors. You don’t want traffic for traffic’s sake. You want sales. And sales in the B2B space, typically start with a lead.
Very few B2B buyers visit a website for the first time and make a purchase during that visit. The majority of business-to-businesses sales cycles involve multiple people, require extensive research, consist of multiple steps and are spread out over weeks or months. This means your goal with all website traffic that you attract is not to make a sale but to acquire a lead.
Good B2B copywriters help you turn website visitors into leads. They write buyer-focused copy that answers buyer questions and addresses buyer concerns. They craft offers, lead magnets and landing pages that persuade visitors to give their names and email addresses in exchange for valuable content.
3. When you need to nurture leads
Only 2% of sales happen at the first meeting. Sixty-three percent of people requesting information on your company today will not purchase for at least three months. Another 20% will take more than 12 months to buy.
Because 50% of sales happen after the 5th touch (InsideSales.com), what you need is a way to follow up with leads, nurturing them until they are ready to meet. This is a service that B2B copywriters provide. They give you a proven, systematic method of staying in touch with leads over time in a way that educates, answers questions, addresses concerns, adds value and moves them along your pipeline towards a sales conversation.
Typically, this involves writing a series of follow-up, lead-nurturing emails. These emails feature helpful, educational, differentiated content that educates buyers and adds value. In other words, lead-nurturing content that moves them to the next step in your pipeline. Every touch in the lead-nurturing campaign includes an offer of new information or resources (such as a downloadable white paper or case study).
4. When you need to enable your sales reps
When sales people deliver the right content to the right prospects at the right time, they generate 50% more sales-ready leads at 33% of the cost (Forrester). Hire a B2B copywriter when you need buyer-facing and internal-facing sales enablement content that educates leads, engages prospects and wins deals.
This sales enablement content includes:
- PowerPoint sales decks
- sales scripts
- leave-behinds
- brochures
- buying guides
- white papers
- product sell sheets
- service sell sheets
- answers to buyers’ frequently asked questions
- lead-nurture emails
- one-pagers
- battle cards
- objection-handling scripts
- competitor comparisons
Where to find a B2B copywriter
You have multiple options at your disposal for finding a B2B copywriter to work on your project. Here are the top methods.
At the top of the list is Google, the most popular search engine. A simple search turns up dozens of B2B copywriters in the first few pages of search results. Here are some tips for finding the type of specialist you want.
Add an industry keyword: If you want to find a B2B copywriter who specializes in your industry, add your industry to your search term, like this: “B2B software copywriter,” “B2B insurance copywriter,” “B2B medical copywriter”
Drop the “B2B” if it’s redundant: Some industries by their nature are business-to-business. Mining, for example, doesn’t have a B2C audience. Every copywriter who works in the mining vertical is, by definition, a B2B copywriter. Same goes for aerospace, oil & gas, industrial maintenance and heavy manufacturing. Which means you don’t have to put “B2B” in your search query. Simply type “{{industry}} copywriter,” like this: “mining copywriter,” “aerospace copywriter,” “Oil and gas copywriter”
Add your city: If finding a local B2B copywriter is important to you, add your city to your search query, like this: “B2B copywriter San Francisco”
Search by tactic: If you need a copywriter who specializes in a particular type of B2B marketing tactic, add that to your search query, like this: “white paper copywriter,” “case study copywriter,” “LinkedIn copywriter”
Search by outcome: If you are looking for a particular result or KPI, add the method or outcome to your search, like this: “B2B conversion copywriter,” “B2B SEO copywriter,” “direct response copywriter”
Upwork
Upwork, formerly Elance-oDesk, is a global freelancing platform where businesses and independent professionals connect and collaborate remotely. In 2015, Elance-oDesk was rebranded as Upwork. It is based in Santa Clara and San Francisco, California.
Upwork is a great place to find B2B copywriters because it lets you narrow your search in ways that you can’t do with Google searches. If you search for “B2B copywriter,” for example, Upwork returns hundreds of results. If you have the time and energy to wade through hundreds of candidates, go for it.
But if you prefer to use your time more productively, narrow your search using the filters that Upwork supplies. With every search you make for a business-to-business copywriter, you can filter by:
- Country: A single country, such as Canada, or multiple countries, such as Canada, United States, United Kingdom.
- Talent Type: Filter search results to include just freelancers, just agencies, or both.
- Hourly Rate: $10 and below, $10 – $30, $30 – $60, $60 and above, or any hourly rate
- Job Success: Upwork uses an algorithm to assign each freelancer on its platform a score for Job Success. A freelancer’s Job Success Score measures their clients’ satisfaction with their overall work history on Upwork. It reflects their clients’ satisfaction as shown by relationships, feedback and job outcomes over time. A high for Job Success Score helps freelancers stand out in the Upwork marketplace.
- Earned Amount: Some freelance B2B copywriters distinguish themselves by being prolific on the platform. You can find these copywriters by filtering for copywriters who have earned $1 or more, $100 or more, $1,000 or more, $10,000 or more, any amount, or nothing earned to date
- Hours Billed: Another way to find productive, busy and popular B2B copywriters on Upwork is to filter by the numbers of hours they have billed using the platform. Filter by 1 hour or more, 100 hours or more, 1,000 hours or more, or any number of hours
- English Level: Upwork helps you find freelance B2B copywriters who have the level of English proficiency you are looking for. Filter by “Basic,” “Conversational,” “Fluent” or “Native or Bilingual”
The other way to find a B2B copywriter on Upwork is to post a gig. Like all job boards, Upwork lets you advertise for the type of writer you are looking for or the type of content you need written. A typical posts looks like this:
As you can see, you can specify in your headline that you are looking for a copywriter to write a B2B piece of content (in this example, a website). You can also give a range for the hourly rate you are willing to pay, the amount of time the project involves.
The advantage of posting a gig rather than browsing for a B2B copywriter is that your post will reach copywriters who are actively searching for gigs right now. You can post a gig and start receiving proposals from freelance copywriters within minutes.
There are plenty of other sites like Upwork. Here are the most popular ones.
Fiverr
Another place to find a copywriter who specializes in business-to-business copy is Fiverr. Unlike other job boars for freelancers, Fiverr is arranged by gigs. You don’t go onto Fiverr looking for a copywriter as much as you go to find a copywriter who can write a particular type of deliverable.
For example, if you need to hire a business-to-business copywriter to write a white paper, you don’t search Fiverr for “B2B copywriter.” You search for “B2B white paper.” Your search results will like like this:
Here you can see five gigs being offered by five copywriters (three of the five gigs are not for white paper writing, clearly a fault with Fiverr’s algorithm). Each gig shows you the screen name of the freelancer, the gig being offered, the starting price and the freelancer’s average rating and number of reviews.
Fiverr is a good place to go if you need a B2B copywriter who offers a particular type of B2B writing (white papers, sales scripts, follow-up emails, landing pages). The site is notorious for attracting freelancers who work for low rates. It got its name by originally letting freelancers offer their expertise for just five dollars (a fiverr). But today you can find professional copywriters who offer business-to-business copywriting.
How to choose a B2B copywriter
The good thing about hunting for a B2B copywriter online is that you will find many of them. The bad thing about hunting for a B2B copywriter online is that you will find many of them. Your search will likely uncover dozens if not hundreds of candidates. So here are some criteria you should use when choosing your copywriter for your B2B project.
Hard skills to look for
- Writing: Hard as it may be to comprehend, not all copywriters who hang out their shingle online can write well. Look for a writer who crafts sentences that are clear, simple and well-constructed.
- Persuasion: Copywriting is selling with words. Look for a copywriter whose writing is clearly persuasive, writing that encourages readers to take a desired action, such as download a white paper, complete a form, sign up for a webinar or request a consultation.
- B2B: Selling to businesses is not like selling to consumers. Writing copy for business buyers is not like writing copy for consumers. Look for a copywriter who understands B2B buyers, B2B sales cycles, B2B pipelines and B2B sales processes.
- Translation: A technical specifications sheet is full is features. A sell sheet for the same product is full of benefits. Technical writers craft spec sheets. Copywriters craft sell sheets. In your search, look for a copywriter who knows how to translate features into benefits.
Soft skills to look for
- Interviewing: An effective B2B copywriter knows the right questions to ask and knows how to ask them. Whether they are interviewing a CEO or a software engineer, good copywriters in the business-to-space are adept at putting their interview subjects at ease, asking questions that elicit the information they need, maintaining momentum during the interview and plenty more.
- Creativity: In the world of business-to-business sales and marketing, there is always more than one way to reach a target audience, communicate a value proposition and engage a potential buyer. Avoid copywriters who are one-trick ponies. And copywriters who use cliches like “one-trick pony.” Instead, look for a copywriter who generates plenty of creative approaches for how, when, where and why to reach out to potential buyers.
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