How to Create Great Content as a Writer
Creating engaging content is an artful balance of blending good storytelling with providing useful information. For business-to-business (B2B) writing, the approach is different from journalistic feature articles, but the two share similarities. Both aim to reach a target audience and provide meaningful material that resonates in a certain way, and both rely on a few principle elements. As a content writer, you can use both to your advantage.
Going Beyond Standard B2B
While B2B writing focuses on building brand awareness for a business, there is always a person behind each article. Your readers will click on your article because they want to learn more about the product or service you’re highlighting. The goal of B2B writing is to clarify any questions a potential consumer might have about a product or service. This sort of writing can be dry, and at times feel robotic.
By interviewing an owner or founder of a featured establishment or business, you can add a personal touch to your article. People love to hear from the source, and they love a good story. While rewarding, owning a business comes with its challenges and obstacles. And business owners are busy, often making them hard to track down for an interview. Reach out to your interview subject as early as possible. Finding time to arrange an interview can be difficult and time-consuming, so it becomes imperative that you are flexible since you will be working on someone else’s time.
Tips on Conducting an Interview
Asking good questions can seem simple, but it is not always true. Taking the time to think of good questions becomes as valuable as the writing process itself. The key to writing good questions is by doing quality research. By researching the person or establishment beforehand, you gain an immediate edge in writing good questions. Using someone’s background or personal story as a starting point can be effective in an interview. There is always a story behind the ‘why’? This can be unlocked with one or two good questions.
Business owners start businesses because they want to be of service or see a need that can be fulfilled more effectively. Often, their previous experiences in life are what shape those ambitions. While it can seem intimidating to sit down with someone in charge of a multi-million dollar operation, they are people just like us. There are different ways to break the ice, too. Sometimes, just one question or answer can generate more questions in an interview. Since this can be an organic process, it’s best not to force a topic or question in an interview. Allow your subject to elaborate as much as they feel necessary, but don’t be afraid to return to something they said if it seems valuable to the article.
Try to stick to the script, though. Lapses in conversation can occur in an interview, and without a good set of questions, you can get derailed. When asking questions, it’s always best to phrase them in an open-ended manner. You are not looking for yes or no answers but ones that answer the ‘why’ and ‘how’ of what your story is about.
Focus on the Brand
At the end of the day, writing quality B2B content comes down to effectively promoting a business or service. It is your job to lead a potential consumer down the right path to acquiring more information on a brand. Without providing information like rates, locations, and terms of service, B2B writing is ineffective. Determining your audience is also a key component of writing great content. This requires research and brainstorming before conducting an interview or writing an article. Identifying your audience can make or break the success of your article.
Put in the time to research the demographic of your audience, and you’ll reach more readers. This means identifying the best keywords and key phrases to incorporate in your article. Today, there are plenty of tools for researching keywords and key phrases. This app is highly effective for enhancing your SEO outreach. While these resources can cost money, they are worth implementing in your content writing strategies.
