Why copywriting for distributors? Isn't distribution about product sales? Imagine having a salesforce that never stops working. They never go to sleep, and when called upon, they consistently deliver quality information to customers and prospects. They even carry on multiple conversations with both prospects and customers at one time without being rude.
While this might seem like something straight out of Stepford, what I'm talking about is far more practical. The salesforce I'm talking about is your content marketing.
Think of your content marketing as well-written, well-placed, and well-timed B2B copywriting infused with the qualities of the salesforce mentioned above. To do it well, it requires a knowledge of your business, knowledge about your customers' businesses, and, most importantly, knowledge about your customers' needs and wants.
Quality content-marketing campaigns require a relatively small investment of time (or money, if you're hiring a professional) for the value they provide. Here are some examples where an upfront investment (again, time or money) in quality copywriting for distributors will benefit your company over time:
- A well-written product page can practically sell an item by itself while answering hundreds or thousands of prospects' and customers' questions.
- A well-crafted automated email sequence can be repurposed again and again for years with just minor touch-ups to tailor it to various prospects or customers or situations.
- A company blog can provide cumulative value over time, turning into a well-structured library of information that positions your company as leaders or experts in your industry while improving your site's SEO.
Of course, no matter what sort of content marketing campaigns your company puts in place, the cornerstone of any good campaign starts with quality copywriting. With that in mind, and to get you started down the right path, here are Three Top Tips to keep in mind.
Write Customer-focused Copy
Always keep the reader front and center. Other than the "About Us" page on your website, everything else you produce should address your customers' needs and should be written with their benefit in mind. Hint: To do this, you have to know who the reader, your audience is. Don't forget to define your audience!
Ditch your ego, and refrain from telling your reader how great you or your products are. Instead, tell readers how you and your products will make life better for them. Eliminate sentences in your copy that start with or contain the words "we," "us", and "our." Those sentences should instead contain the words "you" and "your". If you can't rewrite a sentence to make it about the reader, ditch that sentence, too.
Write about Benefits, not Features
Most copywriting for distributors that I've seen is focused on features, not benefits. This is an easy fix. Your audience, for the most part, wants to know how your information can benefit them. Therefore, if a product has a useful feature, be clear about how the feature helps the reader. For example, if you're your product can do something faster than a competing product, clearly state that 'it will save time.' Never assume your audience can draw the conclusions you'd expect.
Write Well (or hire someone who can)
Effectiveness is the cornerstone of great copywriting. Be clear and concise, especially since research has shown that peoples' attention spans are shrinking. In an age where so many things are vying for a person's attention, stay on message.
Likewise, the quality of your writing is essential. Spelling errors, grammatical mistakes, and content organization issues can seriously undermine your credibility. If people see errors in your writing, they may assume that you're equally prone to operational errors as well.
Copywriting for distributors can be treated as a group effort. Ask someone you trust to review your copy, checking for typos you may have missed and identify areas that require additional clarity. That second pair of eyes, especially if those eyes belong to a seasoned salesperson, can be invaluable.
Good copy can invigorate your sales and marketing process, or it can shoot you in the foot. It's not the place to cut corners. An investment in a good copywriter and strong Content Marketing campaigns truly is an investment in your company's future.
Let's do this ... Together!
Rather than struggle alone with decisions about what to change, where to invest, and what will work, bring in a team to support you. Together, we will discover the answers you need and teach you and your team to do it on your own. Our goal is to work ourselves out of a job so you can be self-sufficient!
Now is the time to take charge of your company's marketing efforts. I can help. Just give me a call, and let's discuss the best options for moving forward.
We'll define metrics, set goals, and measure KPIs going forward. You'll watch Marketing transform into a revenue-generating department that you can tie directly to a positive impact on your bottom line.
