Direct Response Copywriter on the AWAI Bootcamp. Part 3. B2B Copywriting

One of the more interesting sessions at the AWAI Bootcamp was about B2B copywriting. The speaker was Steve Slaunwhite, a copywriter who specializes in B2B copy. Steve's also an author and consultant.

As a direct response copywriter, I've written plenty of B2B copy although the bulk of my work today is B2C. Perhaps my biggest B2B success comes from my own website, which routinely persuades business decisions makers to contact me.

Some marketers, especially those on the branding side, believe B2B is a totally different animal. I'm on the direct response side and I believe, like Dan Kennedy, that the core fundamentals of B2C direct response marketing apply to B2B. The main difference is time and the gestation period. A business decision maker who buys toner cartridges will not take much time to buy toner cartridges. But when a distribution company needs 50 fork lift trucks costing hundreds of thousands, they will take their time before signing a contract.

So it's not so much the product but the cost of the product and the ramifications of the decision that determine buying habits...and copy approaches. And Steve Slaunwhite essentially buttressed all this. Many B2B companies need to spend more time in front of potential clients. Some clients will make a quick decision while others will move slowly. A major B2B buying decision is not an impulse buy. This places a premium on premium content...newsletters, press releases, infographics, white papers, and more...a B2B company needs to massage potential clients with outstanding content.

However, a major B2B buying decision places a premium on long-form direct response copy. The decision maker is making a huge decision and will want as much information as possible before making that potentially multi-million dollar decision. And, as every direct response copywriter will attest, it's important to appeal to the key emotional triggers...whatever the product.

Yes -- Steve Slaunwhite gave an excellent presentation about B2B copywriting and its nuances. Ultimately, direct response copywriting is direct response copywriting...the core elements remain the same whatever the product, category, or niche.

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I'm a direct response copywriter. I specialize in providing direct response copy for the direct marketing environment for clients around the planet. I specialize in sales page copy, landing page copy and copy that persuades readers to pull out their credit card and buy. Enter your info to the right for my free series: Seven Steps to High Converting Copy. Or contact me here if you have a project you'd like me to quote.

I'm also a Dan Kennedy Certified Copywriter for Info-Marketers.

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Disclaimer for the above.

The Dan Kennedy Copywriter for Info-Marketers Certification is awarded to professional copywriters who have successfully completed a course of study of preparation for such copywriting.  This Certification has not been provided by an accredited education institution.  It does not constitute endorsement of or liability for any individual copywriter by Mr. Kennedy or any companies or organizations affiliated with Mr. Kennedy. The client's relationship is solely with the individual copywriter retained via any agreement.