Copywriter on Content. Part 3. Problem Solving? Or Entertainment?
/Or both?
I often hear from potential clients: "Can you write B2B copy?" The answer is "Yes. I write B2B copy." The answer is also, "In direct response, there's not much difference between B2B and B2C." However, there can be a slight difference when it comes to content.
- In B2B, companies are often solving a problem. "My air conditioning costs have skyrocketed."
- In B2C, the product might be a luxury--providing fun. A cruise ship vacation.
Content comes in two flavors:
- Entertainment.
- Problem solving.
Content for problem solving companies needs to be educational and informational. Case studies work especially well. If you want to see a website with superb case studies, go here. Testimonials are fine, but case studies are exponentially better. If you're in a problem solving business, crank up your case studies immediately.
I like to ski and I used to climb mountains. Aspen Skiing Company has four blogs and they're all good but one is particularly excellent. A local skier writes it and it's superbly entertaining. Take a look here. This blog alone makes me want to visit Aspen for skiing. The author has an attitude and the attitude is "I'm here and you're not. You SHOULD be here." The content makes me want to get in my car and drive the 1700 miles from my front door to the gondola at the base of Aspen Mountain.
Part of me would like to spend every day in the mountains. Ted Mahon, one of America's most accomplished mountaineers, writes a blog and while Ted isn't trying to sell anything, it's another great example of excellent content. Ted takes the trip of a lifetime every weekend and I'm always along for the ride.
If you're selling entertainment or a luxury, organize your content around selling happiness.
If you're in the problem solving business, organize your content around how you solve problems and how good you are at solving the problems you solve--using proof in the form of case studies.
In the next content blog, I'm going to detail how to put together case studies and in part 5 of this blog series, I'll show you how to sell happiness through content.
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I'm a direct response copywriter based in Charlotte, North Carolina. I specialize in providing copy and content for the direct marketing environment for clients around the world. Enter your info to the right for my free series: Seven Steps to High Converting Copy. Or contact me here for a direct response copywriting quote.
