Writing for Business Like a Master

Producing Great Written Content

It doesn’t matter whether you are part of a start-up, a well-established family business, or a corporate. It is no surprise to hear creating appropriate written content for marketing purposes is a challenge for most businesses.

When writing for business there are a number of relevant questions;

1. Firstly, what is ‘appropriate’ business content?
2. How do you bring in new customers whilst still retaining your long-standing clients?
3. How do businesses stay competitive by incorporating social media marketing and search engine optimisation (SEO) into the business strategy?

To be able to answer the above questions, there are four key areas to focus on when writing for content marketing in any industry;

1. Know and understand your audience and target market,
2. Strike the right balance between technical and non-technical content,
3. Know your product, and
4. Stay genuine.

We’ll take a closer look at each of the key areas below.

Knowing and understanding your audience

A decision has been made on what the target audience or market is. The next important step when writing for business is to understand the audience.

• What are the challenges or pain points experienced by your target market?
• Do the products or services you offer provide a welcome relief or a solution?
• Do you have a good understanding on what makes the target audience tick?
• What is it that gives your business a distinct advantage over your competitors?

Unsure where to start?

Begin by collating feedback and responses from concerns and issues raised by potential customers. Look in blog posts, forums and on social media platforms relative to your sector.

If you have good relationships with existing clients, reach out to your key players for honest feedback on how or if your existing offerings meet their needs. Your clients will feel valued and understand their opinions are being heard and considered.

In the fast-paced society which we currently live, it is rare indeed for any person let alone a customer to be heard. You may also find by leveraging these relationships you could have the workings of a future product or service! When it comes to understanding your audience, it best to avoid creating content simply to cover all bases and hope for the best…you cannot please everyone!

Striking the right balance of content

Written content must be able to capture the attention of the audience and hold it, to the very end. This is done by incorporating a suitable level of both technical and non-technical language.

It is important to remember when writing for business that every piece of content doesn’t need to engage every viewer. Pick your target audience for each piece of writing and engage with them.

If your audience is likely to be more technically competent, feel free to use more jargon. If your target audience are to be a more general consumer then ensure that jargon is kept to a minimum.

A simple example would be a jeweller who wrote a highly technical article about the 5 Cs of diamond quality. (For those unaware of the 5Cs of diamond quality they are, Cut, Colour, Clarity, Carat and Certification. A must know for gift buying!). Showcasing one’s technical expertise is great, but this should not be at the expense of your existing and potential customers. Adding a short explanatory sentence about each could both educate the client whilst showcasing your knowledge.

Knowing your product

This sounds like a no-brainer doesn’t it?

You’ve researched the industry, created a product or service which is timely and relevant. It meets the needs of your target audience. Of course you know your own product!

This may be a shock for most businesses, but the product or services you offer may not be easily identifiable to a customer. How the business displays both written and visual content, whether on the web, social media or in print is vital. It should always convey what the business offers, and the values and principles that underpin the business and its products.

When writing for business marketing a third party can provide the perspective you need to properly communicate to prospective customers. If there is ever a time when professional advice, customer reviews, and feedback should be considered it would be here.

I am sure many reading this article now, like myself have enthusiastically visited a web page to make a last-minute gift purchase only to be confused with what the company offer. Having an external entity or agency help with writing can provide clarity to your communications.

Staying genuine with your business writing

Like the key areas listed above, a business should always stay genuine to its core values.

There are many businesses who have become movers and shakers in their respective industries, expanded and gone global (aussieBum anyone?). This is fantastic, and their success should be celebrated, though should your business follow suit?

Put in another way, if your business is well placed in a rural landscape, do you expand and branch out into an urban setting? What does your intuition or your gut say? If you feel any uncertainty, be discerning and do a bit of research before a decision is made.

Similarly with written content. If the business has a corporate presence, creating content with laid back feel may run the risk of customers feeling the business has lost its professional shine. The same would apply for small business creating content which sounds too formal and out of touch with existing customers.

Last thoughts when writing for business

There is a school of thought amongst many marketers whereby a business should post regular and frequent posts. Posts go out sometimes multiple times a day no matter the content, just get a message out there.

Unfortunately this can be counter-productive as what customers are looking for (and search engines judging) is quality content. A well written article targeted at a specific audience will get a greater return a large volume of poor content. Similarly being strategic with the content you post can gain a much better result than a general shotgun approach.

Here at Content Creative Agency we focus not only on the frequency, but more importantly the quality of the message your business wants to communicate. We work with businesses to create an actionable marketing plan in line with your ongoing business strategy and initiatives. We also provide your business with the right tools to continue to create and develop quality written content yourself, whilst providing support and guidance should you need it.