WriteSpark Tech Marcom Insights

How Services Firms Grow with Online Marketing (Guest Post)

A note from Janice:

Professional services for activities such as infrastructure assessments, deployment planning, and outsourced IT operations are a significant revenue stream for many technology companies. However, these services aren't often the focus of guidance for effective marketing.

In this guest post, Hinge Marketing, which specializes in professional services firms, presents interesting data about online marketing strategies that can benefit any company offering technology services.

How Services Firms Grow with Online Marketing

by Sylvia Montgomery

Our research team, Hinge Research Institute, reviewed findings from our survey on 500 CEOs, executives and marketers from professional services firms for the book Online Marketing for Professional Services.

We wondered how three groups of professionals use 15 common online marketing tools in order to discover what tools work best when marketing professional service firms. The three groups of professionals we surveyed included average growth firms, high growth firms, and a panel of experts. We were interested in answering a few key questions:

• How do average firms use these tools differently than high growth firms?
• How do average and high growth firms judge the tools’ effectiveness?
• How does a panel of experts evaluate the tools’ effectiveness?

Focus on Online Tools

We asked both average growth and high growth firms to rate the relative focus they placed on each online tool. A rating of 0 meant they didn’t use the tool at all, while 10 meant it was used significantly.

We found a significant difference in the focus between high growth and average growth firms. For example, high growth firms focus more on blogging (with a rating over 7), where average growth firms focus on blogging about half as much (with a rating about a 3). High growth firms also use email marketing and web analytics more often in their marketing.

Figure 1 – Focus Rating: High Growth vs. Average Growth Firms

Overall, high growth firms seem to use online marketing tools more aggressively. There is one exception, however: both average and high growth firms focus equally on sending company newsletters, a popular tool that has been around for quite some time. It’s interesting to note how social media platforms, such as LinkedIn and Twitter, account for some of the most used tools by average growth firms. However, that does not necessarily mean these tools are being used effectively.

Effectiveness of Online Tools

This brings us to the next section we looked at: effectiveness rating. We asked firms to rate how effective these online tools were at helping them meet their business objectives. For almost all the tools, high growth firms found them to be more effective than average firms did. Only newsletters and webinars were rated similarly. Social media tools, although used widely, did not seem to be as effective and generally tend to be overused.

Figure 2 – Effectiveness Rating: High Growth vs. Average Growth Firms

Opinions from Experts

The third step in our research was gaining insight from a panel of experts on the 15 online marketing tools. How do experts rate their effectiveness? What tools should firms be focusing on even more? We wanted to uncover any untapped potential in using these tools, beyond what high growth firms already experienced.

Figure 3 – Effectiveness Ratings: Experts vs. High Growth vs. Average Growth Firms

In most cases, the experts found the set of online marketing tools to be even more effective than high growth firms. SEO and web analytics were among the techniques experts use most and rated the most effective, with blogging and usability testing not far behind. Surprisingly, the experts found Facebook and banner ads to be less effective than the high growth firms did.

For the most part, we found that professional services firms are not realizing online marketing tools’ full potential, particularly in regards to the effectiveness of SEO, blogging, and web analytics. If firms start to determine which online marketing tools are right for them and begin to focus more on these tools, firms will begin to reap the benefits. This means increasing web traffic, building web authority, and gaining more inbound leads – goals every professional services firm should strive to achieve.

To learn more ways online marketing can help your firm, download the Hinge Marketing report Online Marketing for Professional Services.

About the Author: Sylvia Montgomery, CPSM, Senior Partner & Account Director at Hinge, brings 20 years of experience and perspective to the Hinge team. Other recent leadership positions include Director of Marketing at one of the Mid-Atlantic’s fastest-growing engineering firms, Bowman Consulting and Director of Marketing Communications at Rubbermaid Commercial Products.  Sylvia holds a BA from Trinity College, an MFA from George Washington University, and an MBA from University of Maryland, University College.

 

 

Murphy's Laws of High Tech Copywriting

Although April Fool's Day was last week, its mischievous spirit is active year-round in technology marketing projects. And this mischief often reflects the proverbial Murphy's Law, that "whatever can go wrong, will."

So, with tongue firmly in cheek, here are my top 12 ways that Murphy's Law applies to technical copywriting projects.

1. The product feature for which you have written the cleverest messages won't be ready when the product ships.
2. If you come up with a new buzzword, readers will think it means the exact opposite of your definition.
3. Spell-check will not point out a misspelled acronym, and this misspelling will have an embarrassing meaning or pronunciation.
4. Your technical guru will reject as "too salesy" a headline that your marketing VP loves. Corollary: Your marketing people will automatically dismiss anything written by your engineers.
5. Your company president will suddenly become an expert copywriter, but only when the brochure is already at the printer or posted on the website.
6. A blogger will trip you up with questions about capabilities in a product that you never even knew existed.
7. A document that you think will appeal only to a very limited audience will turn out to be the most requested material ever produced by your company.
8. The subject matter expert who rejects a first draft secretly wants to write the document. Corollary: Anything written by this expert will be entirely incomprehensible to anyone else.
9. Many of the keywords that a product manager insists must be used to describe a product will in fact turn out to be irrelevant for customer searches.
10. Just as you're planning a new content campaign, you will see a competitor's microsite with the same concept.
11. A customer will give you a great case study, but then never get back to you with approval to publish it. Corollary: The customer who eagerly wants to be in a case study has a boring story to tell.
12. The product manager who wants an "objective" white paper will also want to see the most mentions possible of his or her product.

What are the Murphy's laws that you have encountered in your technical marketing projects?

Copyright(c) 2013, Janice King. Source: http://writinghightech.typepad.com/writespark/2013/02/murphys-laws-of-high-tech-copywriting.html

Do You Want a Case Study or Just Feedback?

A prime customer has just agreed to participate in a case study for your product--great news!

But it can be tempting to turn what should be a focused case study interview call into an extended grilling of the customer for every bit of product feedback you can get.

That's update mistake for two reasons:

1. The customer may lose patience with the process and back-out of the case study. The result: you lose the much higher marketing value of a full case study for just a few more data points that could be better collected in an online survey or a separate customer satisfaction call.
2. It may be harder for the writer to get the big-picture, business-focused story during the interview if the questions continually prompt a customer to discuss details of the product implementation or your company's support activity.

I know it can be very hard to get a customer on the phone for an interview, so you want to maximize the information you get during that call.

The best way to do this is to work from a predefined list of questions and let the writer guide the interview. A good case study writer will keep one ear to the conversation and one eye on the clock to make sure all of the information needed to write a complete case study is gathered during the allotted interview time.

Yet a good writer will also probe for the examples, data points, decision factors, implementation plans, etc. that add depth and interest to the case study. And it's likely this information will give you the useful customer insights and product feedback that you seek.

If time is still available after the writer has gone through the standard question list, then you can ask the customer for any other details or if they would be willing to participate in a separate feedback call or online survey.

By remembering what delivers the highest value for your company, a case study interview call can produce both effective marketing content and useful information for improving your product.

 

Four Tips to Guarantee Freelancer Websites Deliver Great Results (Guest Post)

A note from Janice:

I know that not every technology company has the budget to hire a freelance technical copywriter with my depth of subject knowledge, writing skill, and marketing savvy. For these companies, the freelance marketplace sites can be a good way to find writers for less-demanding content projects. But using these sites can be overwhelming and nonproductive if not approached carefully.

In this helpful guest post, marcom manager Christine Farrier offers practical advice on finding the right freelance writer on the marketplace sites. Her tips also apply to finding writers through a LinkedIn or Google search. 

Four Tips to Guarantee Freelancer Websites Deliver Great Results
By Christine Farrier 

The current stable of freelancing and crowdsourcing sites offer a compelling solution for the staff-poor and most likely budget-poor marketing leaders who are increasingly called on to do more with less, while still attempting to uphold their personal and corporate standards of professionalism and effectiveness. The challenge is to make certain that the job or projects you identify as suitable for virtual outsourcing won’t bounce back to your mile-long checklist as an item you end up doing yourself. That would sort of defeat the point.

In the beginning, there was the creative brief . . .

Just as in the offline world, preparation is key. Taking the necessary time to organize your thoughts and to clearly identify the outcome that you want to achieve will save you hours of frustration—hours that could be better spent on those tasks that truly make the best use of your time and talents. One of my first posts on a freelancing site yielded so many proposals that I yanked the listing in a panic, realizing that I would never be able to weed through the hundreds of vendor responses in the one hour that I had optimistically allotted to the task.

A few posts later, both the websites and I had become a lot smarter. All the established sites (e.g., Elance) now require much more complete project descriptions to make the selection process more efficient for everyone involved. [Editor's note: an experienced, independent freelancer will also ask for complete project information before giving you a cost estimate for accepting the project.] And while the design marketplace 99designs is the only site that actually calls their task description a creative brief, in preparing your project requirements, this is the perfect approach to take. Be ultraclear. Be superspecific. Be ridiculously concise. Pretend you are talking to your 17-year-old nephew, because for coding or SEO jobs, you very well might be.

Key Elements

1. Who are you? This is not the time to cut and paste your three-page mission statement, value proposition, brand DNA, or Big Hairy Audacious Goals. Think more along the lines of your firm’s elevator pitch or press release boilerplate. If you are masking your company’s identity (no sense in alerting the competition that you lack in-house AdWords expertise), you might mention that you are a company “similar to” the biggest player in your space. The 600-pound gorillas are likely to be more easily recognized to a wider audience of freelancers and provide the appropriate context, tone, and connotation for your project.

2. Who are you looking for? Aim high—it can’t hurt, and it will certainly help. If your ideal provider is a Hedge Fund SME (subject matter expert) and Chicago Manual of Style-freak who dabbles in social media, works in your time zone, and can turn around edits within two hours of receiving your draft comments, say so. Someone (or a team) in Istanbul, Rio de Janiero, or Brooklyn has the skills that you require at the ready.

3. What EXACTLY do you need done? If you don’t know the answer to this question, you aren’t ready to outsource, and you especially aren’t ready to crowdsource. Work through breakfast, lunch, and dinner (again), and do it yourself. You might get a headache, but you will save yourself a migraine. Imagine every question that a clamoring throng of freelancers might ask and answer it in advance.

For example, do you need a thought leadership piece, a case study, or an advertorial? How many words does it need to be? Is it a part of a larger campaign? What goals do you hope the piece will achieve? Where will the document be published? Your website, a trade pub? Who is the target audience? Are complementary components required like a client email announcing the availability of the material or a concurrent social media push? Do you have a sample of something similar that you love? Something you hate? How long will you use it for? How long have projects like this taken in the past? What’s the normal review process? You get the idea. I have found that the clearer your job description, the higher the quality of the response you will receive and typically an end product that is achieved faster and closer (or even better) to what you originally had in mind.

4. Use a trap door to help with vetting. The best freelancers are conscientious and pay attention to the details. It is what truly separates them from the crowd. Plant a booby trap in your task description that will help you quickly identify providers who have actually read the brief that you have put valuable time and effort into versus the trigger fingers who apply for every job that appears in their highlighted category. Mention that you can only consider freelancers who provide a link to their latest project or send you a private message with a knock-knock joke. Not only will this help you select resources that are going to give you exactly what you need, but you also might actually smile during the process.

About the Author: Christine Farrier is a Marketing Communications Manager at a financial services firm that specializes in cloud-based risk and portfolio management solutions for the alternative investment industry. She can be reached though her LinkedIn profile.

Refresh Your Best Marketing Content

At the beginning of the year, your content marketing plans are likely focused on new, new, new: New white papers, sales brochures, Web articles, and customer case studies. But equally valuable marketing opportunities may await you in the old--through a relatively simple, fast, and inexpensive refresh of your best existing materials.

For example, look at white papers and ebooks where the core content is still relevant, but information such as market statistics, application examples, and messaging about your products needs updating.

Some years ago, I wrote a tutorial guide which my client used as the primary piece for attracting sales leads. This 36-page booklet became a perennial favorite among prospects and sales reps, prompting the client to make annual revisions for eight editions.

The yearly cost of my services for researching and writing the updates was negligible compared to the revenue attributable to this one promotional piece, especially over time. Has any piece of marketing content in your library had the same ROI?

If no, it's time to go looking for current materials that could continue to deliver value if only given the chance. And it's time to add "content refresh" as an essential task in your regular marcom planning.

What factors are you considering in your marcom plans for 2013?

2012 B2B Content Marketing Benchmarks, Budgets and Trends [Research Report]

WriteSpark: Best Blog Posts about Content Marketing

This month's list focuses on my best posts and recommended resources for content marketing as it applies to technology products, services, and companies.

If you are involved in producing any type of technical sales or promotional materials, you'll find these posts helpful:

• What does the content tell you? How to look beyond the standard collateral list to create fresh ideas for marketing content.

• Decision makers like details. When product specifications and other technical details can be critical for encouraging a favorable buying decision.

• Content tips for e-books. Ideas you may not have considered for writing long-form e-books or print books.

These two books capture the best industry thinking about content marketing:

• eMarketing Strategies for the Complex Sale by Ardath Albee. Great insights for copywriters about how readers view and respond to any type of marketing content.

• The Content Rules by Ann Handley & CC Chapman. A good overview of current thought about content marketing.

On the Web, the Content Marketing Institute blog is my daily reading and go-to source for valuable marketing insights and helpful writing and promotional techniques.

Read more best tips:

• Best blog posts about case studies
• Best blog posts about white papers

WriteSpark: Best Blog Posts about White Papers

This month's list focuses on my best posts and recommended resources for white papers.

If you are a white paper writer or you manage white paper writing projects, you'll want to read these posts:

• Is your topic worthy of a white paper? Guidance for choosing which topics are really worth the expense and effort of a white paper.

• Top 10 ways to be a good SME. Tips to pass along to your engineers and product managers for providing helpful input for a white paper project.

• Set the purchasing agenda with white papers. Techniques for structuring white paper content to frame a buyer's evaluation factors in your favor.

I consider these two books to be essential if you want to learn or improve your white paper writing skills:

Writing White Papers by Michael Stelzner. A complete and in-depth guide to writing white papers.

Crafting White Paper 2.0 by Jonathan Kantor. This book presents a good overview of  writing and design techniques to use in white papers and other promotional documents to attract and engage readers.

On the Web, I read Jonathan Kantor's White Paper Pundit blog; the Content Marketing Institute blog occasionally includes articles on writing and promoting white papers.

Read more best tips:

• Best blog posts about case studies
• Best blog posts about content marketing (coming in December 2012)

WriteSpark: Best Blog Posts about Case Studies

In this blog, I frequently write about case studies, white papers, and content marketing for technical products and technology companies. Over the next few months, I'll list what I consider to be my very best posts on these topics, along with a few "must have" books and other resources to further your knowledge.

If you are involved in writing or managing customer case studies for high-tech marketing, you'll find useful ideas in these posts:

• Does your team know what makes a good case study? Tips for saving time and identifying the best candidates when searching for case study prospects.

• What to do with a "not quite ready" case study. How to find and use whatever positive information you get in a case study interview.

• Case study or testimonial? Guidance for determing whether you have enough content to justify a full case study.

And, you'll want to read these excellent books and share them with your team:

Bill Lee's The Hidden Wealth of Customers, a thoughtful guide for justifying a full-fledged customer reference program to your company executives.

Casey Hibbard's Stories That Sell, a thorough and practical guide for writing case studies and managing a case study program.

On the Web, I find the most useful discussions in this Linkedin group:

Customer Reference Knowledge Sharing Network

What resources do you find useful for writing and marketing case studies?

 

 

Justifying the Cost of an Experienced Freelance Writer

"How long have you been freelancing?" is a question I rarely hear when I am discussing my copywriting services with a potential client.

But it's a question you will want to ask any freelance copywriter you hire. The reason? A writer who is experienced in running a business and managing projects as a freelancer can save you time, money, and headaches through more effective project activity and relationships.

The factors below show the often-overlooked value to be gained by working with a long-established freelance writer.

Value Area	Experienced Freelance Copywriters …
Project Management	Know how to productively manage a very dynamic workload and help keep your project on target, on schedule, and on budget.
Project Focus	Deliver high quality for your materials by focusing only on project types where they can produce their best work.
Fresh Insights	Offer ideas and perspectives, gained from working with multiple clients, that can improve your materials.
Communication Mastery	Know how to powerfully convey a story or marketing message.
Customer and SME Relationships	Interact with customers and subject experts, including high-level executives, in a way that maintains a positive perception of your company and the marcom department.
Project Politics	Keep an appropriate objectivity during project discussions and alert you about issues that need your intervention.
Work Quality	Deliver complete, well-written drafts with strong attention to detail, reducing the time and amount of edits in the review process.

By considering these value factors when you evaluate potential freelance copywriters, you can find one who offers the project savvy and business commitment to be the long-term resource for your marcom needs.

Case Studies: Does Your Team Know What Makes a Good Success Story?

One of your sales reps sends a breathless e-mail: "XYZ company just signed a contract. They'd make a great success story!" Or, you're preparing to launch a new product and you know that a strong customer case study would be very helpful for substantiating your marketing messages. So, you ask the product manager whether any of the customers involved in beta testing or early product release would be good candidates.

In both cases, what input do you receive? Most likely, just a customer name and contact details, with little if any information on the story itself. And so you must spend the time and effort pursuing these customers to determine whether their stories are good fit for your needs. And in doing so, you may place your company in an awkward position if the customer is unwilling, is contacted too early, or doesn't have the hoped-for positive experience with your product.

You can avoid these unproductive situations by educating your team about the types of customers and stories that make a good case study. This education effort can be as easy as asking a few key questions in a phone call or e-mail:

1. Why are you recommending this customer? Example answers: It's a well known company, the customer is in a target industry or market segment or has an interesting product application.
2. Has the customer agreed to participate in the case study? If so, can we name the company or must they remain anonymous?
3. Is the product deployment or testing complete and has the customer seen valid and significant results? In other words, is this customer story ready to tell now or will it be a better story later? 
4. What would our prospects find interesting in this customer's story?

The answers to these questions can be brief, just enough for you to determine whether this is a case study you want to pursue. For your colleagues, these questions will help them give you the suitable and contact-ready customer names that contribute to a successful case study program.

White Papers: Too Much Fat, Not Enough Meat

It's easy to overload technology white papers with content that is irrelevant and poorly structured for the reader's interest. These bloated documents can mean not only diminished marketing results, but also a missed opportunity for delivering the information prospects seek.

According to an Eccolo Media survey of IT buyers, "... white papers that don't contain enough technical information are more likely to disappoint than those that possess too much."

The ideas below will help you avoid this problem by trimming the "fat"--unnecessary or excessive content--from your technical white papers.

Avoid throat-clearing text. Many documents begin with a history review, basic definitions, personal reflections, or company positioning statements. This content may seem like necessary stage-setting or a way to ease into the main text. But unless it's essential for understanding the document's topic, throat-clearing text can quickly lose the reader's interest in the rest of the material.

A good white paper writer will look at the introductory text with the questions: How can we get to the point faster? If I was a reader, would this white paper capture my interest right away and would I be willing to read further?

Tailor the corporate boilerplate text. Basic information about your company isn't the place to drone on about your company's mission, historical achievements, information about individual products, commitment to providing outstanding customer support, blah, blah, blah. Instead, create one short paragraph with a link to an About Us page on your website that contains more detail.

Segment lengthy content. Are you trying to cram too much content into one white paper? Instead, segment and sequence that content into multiple papers, including cross-reference links where appropriate.

Narrative text. Instead of complete sentences and full paragraphs, some types of information can be presented more clearly and concisely in bullet lists, tables, infographics, and links to other content.

Now, with the "fat" out of the document, you can look at adding more "meat"--the substantive content that is directly related to the white paper's topic.

Remember: "The writer does the most who gives his reader the most knowledge and takes from him the least time." Charles Caleb Colton

Do you have other techniques for making content more relevant readers interests?

Missing Technical Details May Turn Away Buyers

What can a catalog about sewing threads teach a technology marketer about writing effective sales content? A lot about missed opportunities for engaging prospects and motivating them to make a purchase.

I create art quilts as a hobby and at a recent trade show I eagerly picked up a catalog from a well-regarded specialty thread manufacturer. With hundreds of threads on the market, I was looking for detailed guidance about the qualities of each thread, its best application in terms of projects and fabrics, and which needle size to use for best results.

What I got was a lot of pictures of thread colors, but an inconsistent mish-mash of specifications for each thread family. Although a product selection guide was somewhat helpful in narrowing the list of threads that might suit my needs, I put down the catalog feeling more overwhelmed and confused than when I started.

Could this scenario described your printed sales literature and web content? Can prospects easily find the technical information they need to even consider your product as a candidate for purchase?

Two tips will help you present technical details in a useful way:

• Identify the types of technical details buyers want to know for your products. For example, buyers typically seek information about specifications such as size, capacity, and speed as well as target applications. If you sell products (like threads) that have common characteristics, present a consistent set of details. For a diverse product set, define relevant details for each product or family.

• Create a standard structure for presenting product details. A table of specifications is a common element in data sheets and product web pages. A consistent format for this table helps readers find information quickly, especially when they are comparing details for multiple products.

For more ideas on structuring content and describing technical specifications, see my book Copywriting That Sells High-Tech.

Do You Need a Specialty Copywriter?

It's easy to understand that not every freelance writer is a good match for every marketing project. Yet, how can you recognize when you need a specialty writer and identify what kind of writer to seek? These ideas can help your search.

You need a writer with specific technical or subject knowledge. Teaching a generalist writer about your products, customers, and applications probably isn't a good use of time--for yourself or your subject experts. A specialty writer, such as a technical copywriter, brings strong knowledge to your projects. And this experience makes a difference in producing on-target content quickly and with minimal guidance or management throughout the writing and review processes.

Your project requires a specific writing style. Advertising, direct mail, and speeches are project types I routinely decline because I don't have the talents for those specialized writing styles. instead, I recommend that clients find a writer whose focuses on this kind of work.

Your company has a particular market focus. A writer with experience primarily in B2B marketing may not be able to write effective copy for a B2C promotional effort and vice versa. Additionally, your content may need a writer with knowledge of the trends and issues in a particular vertical market, such as green energy or healthcare.

You have a mix of short-form and long-form projects. Writing and managing short-form social media content has become a specialty for some writers. Other freelance copywriters focus on long-form projects such as white papers, case studies, and sales materials. Additionally, some writers may know how to work with producers on video and podcast scripts, while others may not have the visual and auditory thinking skills required by these projects. Ask your writers to indicate which projects are truly their strengths, then consider whether you need specialty freelance writers to handle certain project types.

It may seem that you'll add to your workload if you start managing a stable of writers. But if you choose the right writers--and use them for projects where they can work most effectively--you'll likely ease your project burden and receive better content as well.

 

White Papers: Does Your Writer Have an Eye for Detail?

An obvious typo. A usage that shows a clear misunderstanding of the word's meaning or proper use. A statement of quantitative results where the math doesn't add up. A missing or incorrect source citation.

These errors seem small on their own, but when they appear multiple times within your materials, they diminish your credibility in a reader's mind. Worse yet, even a simple spelling error can result in a large loss of online sales.

Given that a white paper is usually a showcase marketing piece for your product and company, you have every right to expect that the writer has done the detail work to create a quality draft. But what are the details the writer (and you, when reviewing) should be looking for? Adapt the following list for your projects:

• All words are spelled and punctuated correctly and are used in a form that is correct for the context. Look out especially for homonyms that have different meanings (e.g., their, there, they're). Common words also may have specific meanings when used in technology marketing (see one frequent mistake in this post about the word premises).

• Source citations are complete and appropriate and all Web links lead to the correct page.

• Statistics and other quantitative information are presented correctly and in a way that fairly represents the meaning conveyed in the source. Relationships and dependencies in the data are presented clearly and in a way that allows the reader to verify calculations if appropriate.

• Product names are stated correctly, especially if a particular form is needed for trademark protection. The relevant trademark symbols are noted with the first appearance of a trademarked name or phrase in the document.

• The text complies with all other standards specified in your corporate style guide or writing guidelines. (A good resource for creating these guidelines is the Yahoo Style Guide.)

• Diagrams and infographics contain the correct text labels and captions.

• Product specifications have been checked against a datasheet or other authoritative document.

Whew! This list can seem like a lot of nit-picky busywork, but it's not. A professional writer will understand that checking for these details can avoid the negative impression left by a sloppy white paper-- and perhaps the bigger problem of a legal issue or lost sale.

Case Studies: Ask Short, Clear Questions

When you ask questions during a case study interview, do you talk too much?

If you're getting answers that are lackluster, confusing, or less complete or enthusiastic than you expect, the problem may be how you asked the questions.

Common symptoms:

• Using more than two sentences for a question.
• Asking for too much information in a single question.
• Feeling the temptation to explain a topic or share a story of your experience after you state the question, but before you allow the customer to answer. This explanation or story may guide the customer's response in a different  direction because they misunderstand what you're really asking  or assume you want a certain answer.

Talking too much as an interviewer may come from a lack of awareness about your own habits or a misplaced belief that direct questions are intimidating or impolite. You can alleviate concerns by sending the question list and setting the customer's expectation for the process before the scheduled interview time.

Consider that asking short, to-the-point questions in a case study interview:

• Makes it easier for the customer to understand the question. This is especially true for customers who are not fluent in your language.
• Forces you to focus on one topic at a time. This alone helps the customer give you relevant answers.
• Keeps the interview on track so you can get all the information you need. If you're talking too much when you ask the early questions, you may run out of time before you get to the later (and perhaps most important) questions on your list.
• Allows you to conduct interviews by e-mail for customers who prefer to work that way or when their spoken language skills may make a telephone interview a difficult experience.

For your next case study interview, write down questions with the exact wording you'll use on the call. Then, stick to it and see if you notice a difference in the quality of the customer's replies.

After all, in a case study interview, the customer should do most of the talking, not you.

Great Ideas and Resources for Technology Content Marketing

As the new year begins, you likely have plans for a long list of content marketing projects. Or maybe you're not sure about the best types and formats for content that will best fit your marketing challenges, budgets, and needs.

Whatever your situation, you'll find great ideas and resources for B2B and technical content marketing in the Content Marketing Institute site.

The site is full of useful information, templates, and tips--all written and presented clearly and professionally by a broad range of contributors.

Highly recommended; this is one of the very few sites on my regular reading list.

 

http://www.contentmarketinginstitute.com/

Content Tips for E-Books

E-books have become a popular form of collateral for technology marketing because they can present complex, dry technical topics in an appealing format.

If you haven't considered adding e-books to your sales materials, then learn more about e-book advantages and drawbacks.

But if you're ready to develop an e-book, the following tips will help you create more engaging and effective content.

Plan for longevity. An e-book will likely have a longer useful life than other marketing collateral, so plan for refresh cycles from the start of the project. For example, I wrote a primer on wide-area networking for a client that was so popular, we revised it annually for six editions until the topic became too large to handle in just one document. Depending on the topic of your e-book, a review and update of the content every 6-12 months will likely be appropriate.

Create an information design. Choose a page layout and graphical elements that are suitable for your audience and topic, and that comply with corporate branding standards. To increase the visual appeal of an e-book, the temptation is to be too clever with illustrations, color schemes, fonts, and other design elements. But an overly-cute design can distract from your information and perhaps even cause readers to overlook your book because it doesn't appear to be serious or credible.

Avoid the kitchen sink syndrome. Just because an e-book can be longer than a white paper doesn't mean it should contain every bit of information or every possible topic on the subject matter. Solution: Link to content such as other e-books or white papers that are targeted by topic, audience (e.g., business decision maker vs. technical decision maker), or vertical market.

Find the right writer. Not every writer can create the right type of content, with the right style, for an e-book. An e-book writer needs to understand  how a more visual presentation affects the reader's attention and understanding, particularly for technical content. A technical e-book writer with information design skills can help you create engaging e-book content.

Outline with storyboards. An e-book page usually covers just one topic because the reader's attention shifts when they load the next page. This also means you need to watch for transitions and continuity of ideas from one page to another, which is easier to see in storyboards than traditional written outlines.

Highlight key content on each page. Use formatting and visual elements such as callouts and sidebar boxes to serve skimmers. The e-book format encourages reading online, so you need to make sure the key messages and content on each page will catch the reader's attention.

Add interactivity. Within the e-book, embed or link to multimedia content such as a customer testimonial video, webinar recording, or an interactive product demo. These elements will encourage the reader to explore more of your information, and to look through the entire e-book for other opportunities to interact.

Create a "real" book. Consider using a print-on-demand service to offer a bound, printed book as an option for site visitors to request or for use as a leave-behind piece on sales calls. Of course, this choice should be in addition to allowing the customer to print the e-book as a PDF file downloaded from your site.

What types of content, information design, or copywriting techniques have you used in e-books?

 

Is Your Topic Worthy of a White Paper?

Because white papers have such high levels of proven marketing value, it's tempting to consider every potential topic about a product to be worthy of a white paper. But of course, not every topic is suitable...or even best presented in a white paper format.

How do you choose which topics should be covered in a technical white paper? The following criteria can help you decide; consider a white paper for a topic that:

• Explains the design, implementation, or application concepts built into the product or technology.

• Discusses market or industry factors that impact a customer's need for the product.

• Presents in-depth analysis of factors for the business decision, such as how to calculate the potential ROI and payback period for a typical implementation, or how to evaluate qualitative value points.

• Recommends evaluation factors for a technical decision-maker. For example, a common white paper topic for many technical products is a discussion of the product architecture. This topic is of keen interest to technical decision makers, who want to know how the product works and how it will integrate within their technical environments before they will seriously consider it as a candidate for purchase.

For topics that don't meet these criteria, other types of marketing materials may be a good choice:

• An article on the company website or submitted to online or print publications that covers the relevant technology, industry, or customer base.

• A technical note or application note is an especially good choice for topics that would be of interest only to very specific groups of customers. The 1-2 page typical length for a note can present individual topics when the amount of information or discussion isn't enough to fill a typical 6-8 page white paper.

• A blog post for even shorter topics. 

A good white paper writer can help you choose which document type is best for a topic and can identify effective ways to present the topic in your other content marketing efforts.

How do you decide which topics are worth the expense and effort of a white paper?

What's Wrong with Saying You're the Best?

You know you've got a good product, one that is much better than the offerings of your competitors.

You know that your company has hired very skilled and knowledgeable employees who will do their best to support your customers and make your product fulfill their needs.

You know that your product and company is truly the best choice for customers ... so why can't you say so in your sales materials?

If your marketing content goes through a legal review before it's published, you have probably learned that lawyers really don't like two types of words:

• Superlatives: Adjectives like "best," "leading," and "unrivaled" can cause problems because they may be in breach of advertising laws about creating a false impression in the mind of a potential buyer. In addition, new actions by competitors could quickly invalidate these claims.

• Absolutes: Words and phrases such as "only," "always," "in any situation" are problems because they create an implied warranty that likely can't be fulfilled by the product or company.

Have you noticed that the largest technology companies rarely (if ever) use superlatives and absolutes in their marketing language? They understand the potential legal ramifications and as a result, have established writing rules about acceptable words and phrases.

But if you can't use superlatives and absolutes, how will you stand out from the competition and attract the interest of prospects? It can be done, but it means being careful about the copywriting in your promotional content.

The following tips and techniques can help your copywriters develop marketing copy that captures a prospect's attention and may help you avoid potential legal concerns:

• Use strong adjectives, but not superlatives. Look at the book Words That Sell to find many compelling (and more believable) alternatives to "best."

• Substitute terms such as "many" and "most" for "every "and "all." Look for words that will convey a sense of broad coverage or applicability, without using a word that conveys a sense of "complete."

• Avoid "ensure" and "assure" because these words convey an absolute meaning. A slight adjustment in wording -- "help to ensure" -- conveys the strength of your product capability or commitment, without creating an implied warranty that your company won't be able to meet.

You might also want to read the in-depth discussion of legal issues that affect copywriting presented in my book, Copywriting That Sells High-Tech.

Are your sales materials subject to other legal concerns or restrictions?

 

 

 

PRSA T3PR Conference at a Discounted Rate

The Public Relations Society of America sent this special offer for the PRSA Technology Section’s upcoming annual T3PR Technology Section conference, which will be held in New York on September 16. 

Attendees can use the registration code TECHSEPT11 to get a discounted member rate. This represents a $160.00 savings for non-members, as well as complimentary membership in PRSA’s Technology Section for the balance of this year, representing an additional savings of $60.

T3PR Technology Section Conference
Date: Friday, September 16, 2011
Time: 8:30 a.m. Eastern – 5 pm
Location: Microsoft Corporation, New York City Offices
1290 Avenue of the Americas, Sixth Floor
New York, NY 10104
Registration: http://www.prsa.org/learning/seminars/view/760/t3pr

Topics include the impact of cloud computing on high-tech public relations practices, PR and marketing techniques for promoting the world’s first electric passenger automobile, best practices for developing and implementing multinational communications programs, and hi-tech crisis communications strategies and practices.

The Value of Qualitative Results in a Case Study

There are times when you have what seems to be an ideal case study: a happy, willing, and talkative customer; a prestigious company name; a story for an application or industry that you want to target.

All is well until you get into the interview and discover one significant shortcoming: The customer hasn't measured quantitative results, isn't willing to disclose them, or the results are weak.

What to do? Instead of turning down a willing customer, you can focus the case study on qualitative results and value. Indeed, you may find that a qualitative success story may be a more interesting read and prompt more interesting dialogue between your sales reps and prospects than a case study that focuses more on the numbers.

For example, the case study can show your understanding of special implementation, management, and support factors that are specific to that type of customer or industry. If you tell the story well, prospects will recognize the implications for their own circumstances.

A good case study writer will know how to elicit both quantitative results and interesting, qualitative value points from the customer during the interview. Then, a good writer will apply both storytelling skill and knowledge of which information and messages will resonate with your prospects to create a case study that delivers value for your product sales activity.

How do you handle case studies that present only (or mostly) qualitative results?

How a Freelance Writer Can Help Solve Marcom Project Issues

As a marketing communications manager, you probably spend much of your workday trying to resolve common issues that arise in your projects such as:

• Endless debates over the project plan or document outline.
• Project delays or dissatisfaction with the drafts that have been developed so far.
• A review process that only seems to sidetrack the project instead of moving it forward.
• Text that seems stale and ineffective for reaching your target audiences.

Have you considered how a freelance writer can help resolve some of these issues? For example, the writer can:

• Bring a fresh set of eyes and insights from working with other companies to project plans and outlines.

• Help with certain project activities, such as following up with slow reviewers or those who have made conflicting or confusing commentson the draft.

• Identify when a project is not ready for a writer, which saves both your budget and everyone's frustration.

• Get away from corporate and internal verbiage to help you create messages that will be understandable and appealing to your customers.

Of course, some issues involve confidential or politically sensitive discussions that shouldn't be conducted by an outsider. But by looking for ways to leverage a freelance copywriter's perspective and experience, you may find your marcom project issues easier to resolve.

How has a writer or other external creative resource helped you in managing project issues?

Get More Value from Your Content

"Whew, I'm glad that content project is finally done!"

Now, how do you get the most value from all the time, money, and effort you've invested in it?

Check the good ideas for promoting content on pages 40 & 41 in "The B2B Content Marketing Workbook" from Velocity Partners, a UK marketing agency. You'll need to register to download this PDF, but the information is worth it.

Then, how do you keep all of these content promotion ideas from becoming another burden on your to-do list? By planning for them as you begin the project, and including the repurposing tasks in the writer's assignment.

When you want to create, say, a series of blog posts from a white paper, a writer can watch for suitable information during the interviewing and writing stages. Writing the posts then becomes a relatively small amount of work, because the writer has gathered the input and knows which text in the white paper to adapt.

Compare this ease and speed to what you would need to do if you simply started with the white paper text and tried to write the posts yourself.

For your next content project, consider how you can expand a freelance writer's assignment a little -- and get a lot more value in return.

 

Good Writers: You Can Never Know Too Many

You may be perfectly happy with your current in-house and freelance resources for writing. If so, great!

But not all writers can write everything well, in spite of their optimistic willingness to try. And it's always good to know another copy writer is available, just for those times when:

• Your current writers are too busy
• A new product launch needs several writers working in parallel
• A project needs a copywriter with highly technical knowledge
• You need a writer with experience in certain project types, vertical industries, or writing styles
• You want fresh ideas or a new approach for your materials

How can you find those writers? And how can you easily keep a writers list so you can quickly find contact information when you need it?

For ideas on finding and evaluating potential writers, follow the tips in these articles:

• How to Find a Technical Copywriter

• How to Find a Good Freelance Writer on LinkedIn

LinkedIn is also a good tool for maintaining your resource lists of freelance writers and other creative professionals such as graphic designers and web developers. Just follow these steps:

• If the copywriter you have in mind isn't already part of your LinkedIn network, send an invitation to connect.

• On your connections list, use the tags function to classify your contacts into a writers list.

• When you need to find a resource, just click on the appropriate tag in the box to the left of the connection list display.

• The person's contact information is usually displayed as part of the mini profile in this view, or click on the name to look at the complete profile.

Almost every week I receive an e-mail or call from a prospective client who is desperately trying to find a good writer for their sales materials or web site. You can avoid this last-minute scramble by building your resource list now.

Do you use other techniques or resources for finding freelance writing and creative professionals?

What To Do With a "Not Quite Ready" Technology Case Study

One of your company's sales reps e-mails you in breathless excitement: "We just signed a contract with XYZ company and they are willing to say great things about us. Can we get the writer to do a case study?"

Of course, it's not everyday that a customer actually volunteers to give a positive testimonial about your product or company.

Yet this situation presents a dilemma: you know a technical case study now won't be as strong as it will be in a few months, after the technology solution has been fully implemented.

Or maybe the product implementation has just been completed, but the customer hasn't yet seen specific, measurable results.

In either case, you don't want to risk losing the customer's willingness to participate by postponing the case study for too long.

So how do you proceed in a way that handles customer's interest gracefully and gives you useful promotional content?

Consider these ideas for developing and using a technical case study that's not quite ready to be told:

• Ask for a testimonial statement, not a full case study. A few sentences or 1-2 paragraphs may be enough to convey the customer's satisfaction for now. But be sure to reach agreement with the customer about working on a full case study in the future, when the outcome of the complete implementation and results achieved are known.

• Write a "deployment-in-progress" case study that describes the implementation and results to date, as well as expected benefits and planned next steps.
  

• Write a press release to announce the new customer and include the customer's testimonial statement.

• Write a technical application note based on the customer's planned deployment.  

Of course, other promotional avenues may be appropriate, depending on the customer and the marketing opportunity. An experienced case study writer can help you make the best use of whatever customer story is ready to tell, now or later.

Have you encountered this situation? How did you handle it?

 

 

Your SMEs are tasked with more writing, but should they actually do it?

Whether they like it or not, whether they feel capable or not, many technical subject matter experts (SMEs) are now expected to be a white paper writer, a web content writer, and a blog post writer.

However, in most cases, these writing assignments aren't getting done--which is frustrating to both the SMEs and the marcom managers who oversee these projects.

The question becomes: Should SMEs write technical sales materials? Use the criteria below to guide the decision within your marketing environment.

Time and workload demands. The expectation that your SMEs should become prolific writers is added to their already full task list for their real jobs of managing product development, supporting customers, or designing new technologies.

So, it's no surprise that, in spite of an SME's interest or good intentions, a new writing assignment quickly falls to the bottom of the priority list. Besides, it's important to ask, is writing a blog post or white paper draft really the best use of time for a highly-paid technical employee?

Lack of writing skill and training. Most SMEs didn't expect to become marketing writers in their professional careers. They may lack the knowledge and skill necessary to be confident, efficient, and effective when writing marketing content.

Second-language writers and readers. Language factors are a concern given that much marketing content for technology products is written in English, but many readers have a different native language. Indeed, your subject experts may speak English as a second language themselves. Or, they may not understand how to write for readers who have a limited understanding of English, which means their content may cause reader confusion or image problems for your company.

Writing for search engines. SMEs probably don’t know how to write for search engine optimization (SEO), using the right keywords in appropriate ways to get good search rankings and attract more prospects to your content.

Limited understanding of restrictions and requirements for promotional text. Your SMEs may not know about the problems that can be created by certain language and claims in their content. Additionally, a SME may not know about marketing language requirements that help your company protect its brand.

Copywriting Help for SMEs

A cost-effective solution to these challenges is using an experienced technical copywriter to help your SMEs develop their blog posts, white papers, technical articles, and Web content.

The writer frees a significant amount of time and brain space for the SME, who only needs to provide useful, clear input and later, clear comments when reviewing the writer's draft.

Does your company expect SMEs to do sales writing? If so, how do you work with them to develop good content?

 

Of particular concern, there is the danger that someone may include problematic language and claims in their content. This is text that wouldn’t pass legal review and would automatically  be excluded by a marketing writer, but may not be obvious to someone who doesn’t know about legal and liability constraints on marketing language

Content Marketing Insights for Technology Companies

A study conducted by the Content Marketing Institute about content marketing efforts in the computing and software industry presents interesting data on how technology marketers use different promotional techniques and their perceptions of the effectiveness for each.

Yet the report shows that marketers give middling ratings for the effectiveness of much of this content. As a possible reason for this rating, the report concludes that the content produced by tech companies is not matched to the different information needs of buyers at different stages of their decision cycle.

That's a good point, however, the report doesn't offer any ideas or resources for how to make that match. For those ideas, look to the following surveys of buyers for a broad range of IT products:

• Eccolo Media 2010 B2B Technology Collateral Survey Report: Includes clear and helpful data on the use of different types of print and multimedia collateral during the buying process.

• Tech Target Global IT Buyer Media Consumption Report: Focuses on the differences in information access and preferences in different parts of of the world; valuable insights for reaching prospects in key technology markets outside of North America.

Additionally, my book Copywriting That Sells High-Tech describes a typical buying cycle for technology products and suggests materials for each stage.

Has your company made this analysis? If so, how has it influenced your decisions about which types of marketing content you produce, and how you promote and distribute it?

Great Tips for White Paper Writers

Connect the Docs is a terrific blog on content marketing, with a special focus on effective strategies and techniques for white papers. I've contributed ideas as a guest expert for two posts:

• Killer questions to ask before starting a white paper project (selected as one of the top 5 posts on this blog for 2010)

• Know thy audience: business and technical white papers (should you write separate white papers for each?)

Thanks to blogger Ambal Balakrishnan for the invitation to contribute and for developing such a thoughtful and useful resource.

Justifying the Cost of a Professional Copy Writer

A new year typically means a long list of new marketing communications and public relations projects.

You know you'll need the services of a professional copywriter for some of these projects, yet how can you justify the expense?

The answer can often be found in a combination of project, time, and revenue factors.

Project Factors

A professional freelance writer can be a cost-effective resource for project and workload challenges such as:

• Writing powerful content for high-value documents e.g., a technology white paper that is intended to generate leads and advance the sales cycle.
• A project that started as a simple idea ("let's post a Web page about this topic"), but turns out to not to be as small and easy as it seems.
• A long list of materials to prepare, such as for product launch, user conference, or promotional campaign.
• A draft may have been written for a document, but you feel it could benefit from the fresh, objective perspective of an outside writer.

Schedule Factors

Time is often overlooked as a cost factor for marcom projects. Consider the cost savings that can be realized by engaging a freelance writer in these scenarios:

• The project has a short deadlines. Bringing in a freelance writer who can focus on just this project may make more sense than trying to adjust the workload of an in-house writer.
• In-house and agency writers are already fully booked on other, equally important projects.
• The project keeps getting postponed because you don't have time to manage it. Especially if you have developed a good working relationship with a copywriter over multiple projects, consider asking him or her to take on appropriate project management tasks.
• Availability and costs of other employees (e.g., subject matter experts) who might be tapped to work on this project. Most likely, writing a document isn't the highest value use of their time.

Revenue Factors

Perhaps the easiest justification for engaging an external copywriter is to view the expense as an appropriate investment for generating revenue. Examples of these factors include:

• The project is directly tied to revenue generation, e.g., an email campaign designed to attract prospects or a Web page for making a direct product sale.
• Documents that serve a multi-stage sales cycle, e.g., a product selection guide. Especially for technology products, a skilled technical copywriter can help you create the best content for addressing both business and technology buyers throughout their complex purchasing decisions.
• High-visibility projects that position your company, such as case studies that showcase your success to prospects and support loyalty from current customers.

Do you use other factors when justifying a budget allocation for outside copywriting services?

Learn More

For information that may support your arguments for hiring a freelance copywriter, see the articles under the heading How to Find A ... listed in the righthand column of this blog. 

The Value of LTRs with Freelance Copywriters

One thing that makes me the most proud about my business as a freelance technology writer is the long-term relationships or LTRs I have developed with many clients.

Month after month, year after year, they come back to me with new assignments. And over time, they have come to trust me with the most highly visible and sensitive marketing communications.

I’m certainly grateful for this trust and these long-time client connections. And I believe that similar LTRs with freelance writers can bring many benefits to you:

• Knowledge of your corporate vocabulary and writing style means no dissonance among your marketing materials.
• Insights into your company’s culture helps the writer work appropriately and effectively with your subject experts and customers.
• Ideas from the writer’s broad experience can improve your sales materials and marketing messages.
• An understanding of your preferences simplifies work tools and processes, frequency of contact, how to handle issues that come up in the project, etc.

Once you have found the right freelance writer, here are some of the ways you can cultivate a sustained relationship.

• Consider your favorite writer not only for new projects, but also recurring projects such as case studies, blog posts, and email newsletters that always seem to be “lost in the shuffle” of more immediate tasks and deadlines.
• Develop the writer’s subject focus—such as technologies, issues, audiences—and leverage that focus over multiple projects.
• Give the writer new types of projects as a way to maximize your investment. For example, a technical copywriter who has not previously written a video script, but who knows your products and company, may be a better choice than an experienced but generalist scriptwriter who lacks the technology knowledge.

And perhaps the greatest benefits of a LTR: Cost-effective projects, faster schedules, and easier reviews as the writer needs to spend less time in developing your content and can apply knowledge across multiple documents and media.

Like any relationship, working with a freelance copywriter takes time, open communication, and a receptiveness to new ideas. But the reward of this effort will be great marcom and PR materials and a productive, reliable copywriter you can work with on many projects, for many years to come.

What do you think makes for a successful long-term relationship between a freelance writer and a client?

Is It "Use It or Lose It" Time For Your Marketing Budget?

The end of a calendar year is often the time to review marketing budgets. And for many marcom managers, it may be time to use any remaining funds so they aren't taking away during the next budgeting cycle.

Whenever you have "use it or lose it" funds to commit, here are a few ideas for spending them effectively:

• Invest in marketing documents with long-term value, such as an e-book, product selection guide, or product architecture white paper.
• Identify small, quick-return marcom projects, for example, a series of blog posts or Web articles with the bylines of your company's topic experts. 
• Refresh existing documents. Brochures, white papers, and case studies can often be updated more quickly and economically than producing a new document to address the same marketing need. 
• Look at the projects in your marketing communications plan that haven't yet been started. Could one or two of them turn your unused budget funds into a value-producing investment?

Don't let short-notice, small, or refresh projects give you any concern about finding freelance copywriters or agencies who will accept that work. Most will be happy to help, and will give the document the same level of care and creativity as higher-profile material. 

How a Freelance Copywriter Can Help You Manage Marketing Projects

“When is the submission deadline for that new web content?”

“Did the team leader send back comments on the new draft?”

“Did I remember to send the final text to the designer for layout?”

As a marketing communications manager, you know that sales collateral projects involve dozens of details, multiple players, and often rapidly changing information and deadlines.

It’s part of your job to keep on top of everything, but have you ever called in reinforcements? Probably not.

After all, won’t tasks be forgotten, wires crossed, deadlines slip if you’re not managing every project detail? Maybe not.

An experienced freelance writer can likely help you with certain project management tasks, making the work simpler for you and others involved in the project.

Consider how you can use your writers to lighten more of your load:

• Following up with reviewers who haven’t yet provided comments on drafts
• Coordinating with graphic designers on document layouts and changes
• Publishing project schedules and updating project tracking systems

How else have you used writers and other freelancers to help with managing your marketing and PR projects?

What Does the Content Tell You?

Many marketing communications departments have a list of standard documents and other content they produce for a new product launch, new version release, and other common marketing activities.

These standards are useful for ensuring that essential product information is always created, in a consistent and familiar form.

But such a list can mean you overlook opportunities for creating other powerful forms of content. These content opportunities are easy to discover, if you simply ask the right questions and go looking for them.

As you are reading source materials and getting input from subject experts, ask questions such as:

• In simple language, what is the product, really, and what does it actually do?
• Who will really care about this product and why? What difference will it make to them in their work or lives?
• What additional stories, applications, benefits, and elements of interests are in this product or the way it is sold or used?

The answers to these questions will likely spark new ideas for creating additional valuable marketing content such as application notes, blog posts, Web articles, or market-specific brochures.

Have you given your content a look with fresh eyes today?

Insist on the Right Copywriter

If your primary source of outside help for marketing communications and public relations projects is a marketing or advertising agency, you have probably worked with whichever copywriter the agency assigns to your account.

But is that writer really the best choice for your projects?

You may be better served by bringing in your own freelance writer to work with the agency, especially for certain situations and projects.

The project needs a writer with specialized subject knowledge or writing skills. Don't automatically accept the agency's assurances of "Oh, we can handle that." Ask for samples and interview the staff writer the agency wants to assign to the project.

You prefer to work with a writer who has more experience and business savvy than the junior-level staffers that often receive all writing assignments at some agencies.

The agency's writer and account manager is one and the same. This combination may work if it is a small agency and you are assigning only a few, small, easily managed projects. But in a large agency that is handling many complex projects for your company, combining these roles simply will not produce the best work.

Enabling a Constructive Relationship Between Freelance Writers and Agencies

Because I am a freelance copywriter, it may seem that I don't like agencies and am trying to elbow them out of the way. Not at all.

I have worked happily in a cooperative relationship with agencies because we kept our joint focus on meeting the client's needs.

But some agencies may be reluctant to work with your preferred freelancer, so set the groundwork that will make everyone's working relationships easier. Then respect the boundaries of the relationship and the agency's authority in working with the writer, especially if the agency is managing the writer's contract.

It is your prerogative as the client to insist that the agency work with the best writer for your project, whether that writer is already on the agency's staff or freelancers list, or an independent freelance writer of your own choosing. And by encouraging positive communications and collaboration, you can help this relationship be successful for everyone. 

Who Are Your Thought Leaders, Really?

Standard corporate line: "We are the thought leaders in (fill in topic/technology/industry)."

Reader reaction: "Oh yeah? Who is doing the thinking and what makes them so smart?"

You can create more credibility for thought leader positioning by showcasing the people behind your content and messages. 

A few techniques:

• Give a byline for key content to your technical experts, even if they receive writing help from a copywriter.
• Include an author's profile, with information about the person's job role, industry experience, education, awards, and other credentials.
• Link to blog posts and social media accounts to allow readers to easily see each expert's other discussion and insights.

Do you use other techniques for showcasing the people behind your thought leadership content? 

Are you still selling after the customer has been sold?

I was in a committee meeting where a consultant came to help our group with a strategic planning exercise. Of the 90 minutes allocated to this activity, the consultant used the first 30 minutes to talk about all the great work she had done for other clients, the next 30 to show her expertise by expounding upon general trends in our market, and the final 30 minutes leading the group in the actual exercise ... the work she had already been hired to do.

Consider another scenario. You order a product and when the package arrives, you eagerly open the box, looking for the instruction sheet or manual so you can begin assembly or use. But this valuable information is buried under flyers, a cover letter, another copy of the product brochure, perhaps even sales materials for other products or companies. If it's a software product, starting the installation procedure may display even more lists of features and benefits, testimonials from happy users, and other promotional text. 

"Enough already," you grumble. "Just let me get on with it!"   

As these examples show, there is a time for selling and a time for delivering and supporting.  And the same flow from selling to delivering should be represented in your marketing materials.

Yes, it is fine to use part of a white paper to showcase the expertise of your company or the credentials of the paper's author. It's fine for a letter or screen display to present a thank you message and to reinforce the customer's purchase decision. It's also fine to promote service programs, user communities, accessory products, and other resources for customer support and loyalty.

But once a customer has purchased your technology product or technical service, they no longer need to be sold. You just need to get out of their way and let them discover the positive experience you have promised.

Write a White Paper for Business or Technical Readers?

I was invited recently to contribute a guest post on the question of writing for business decision-makers versus technical buyers.

My conclusion: the answer to this question is shifting, in a way that is important for technology marketers to know.

Read my advice for writing technical white papers today.

This post appears on the excellent Connect the Docs blog, developed by marketing expert Ambal Balakrishnan.

Is Your Marketing Project Ready for a Writer?

Looking at your marketing plan, you see a project coming up that you'll want to outsource to a freelance copywriter.

But is that project really ready?

You will save project time and writing costs by checking these factors before you engage a writer to begin work:

• Does it still makes sense to produce this project? The marketing plan was likely developed months ago and the current product status, market conditions, and promotional opportunities may have changed since then.

• How much background and source material exists and will it be up-to-date and useful for the writer? The truism "the better the input, the better the output" applies here. But good source material will also save you money because the writer will need less time for research and interviewing tasks.

• Are the marketing messages clearly defined and agreed upon by all the key players? Using multiple drafts of a brochure or white paper isn't the most constructive or cost-effective way for a product team to hash out the product's vision, target markets, and positioning. (Sound familiar?)

• Have you identified the right subject matter experts and secured their agreement for interviews by the writer?

Sometimes all it takes is a few days and a few calls or emails to make the project truly writer-ready. But that small effort will yield a high payback in terms of a faster project schedule, good drafts, and reduced costs.

How to Tell When You Have a Good Freelance Copywriter

Given the ever-changing economy, outsourcing of marketing functions, and personal desires for a flexible lifestyle, more people are promoting themselves as freelance copywriters.

With so many freelancers to consider, how can you tell when you have found a good one, especially a freelance technical copywriter? Consider the factors below.

Quality of the work. Of course, the first factor is whether the writer is delivering the quality of writing skill and messaging needed for each project. Here's an easy way to evaluate: how much rewriting of the writer's work is necessary, especially after the second draft?

The "gets it" factor. Most experienced copywriters with basic skills can produce a document that is adequate for its purpose and audience. However, that document will be more effective if the writer truly understands your subject matter, your market, your audiences, and your communications challenges. This factor is especially important for tech marketing, where a technical copywriter can elicit better input from subject experts, then present complex information and concepts with greater clarity and impact.

Service professionalism. The quality of the writer's interactions with you and others is just as important as the quality of the writer's text. Consider these service factors:

• Timeliness of response to your phone calls and emails.
• Positive, sensitive, and professional interactions with you, your colleagues and customers.
• The writer always meets deadlines. If the due date is in danger, the writer gives you a warning as soon as possible, explains why, and offers options for proceeding.
• The writer understands, respects, and maintains the boundaries between being a "part of the team" and being an outside service provider. The writer doesn't become engaged in office politics and does not try to solve issues or negotiate changes that instead should be referred to you for resolution.

These questions can help you gauge service professionalism: Do you feel like you need to participate in all phone calls and be copied on all emails between the freelance writer and your colleagues and customers because you fear embarrassment to you or your company? Or, do you feel comfortable in turning the writer loose on a project to make contacts as needed and just give you updates?

Adaptability. A good writer will respond calmly and constructively to projects with start-and-stop activity, changing project directions, or drafts that come back with extensive comments and new input. (Of course, you should be prepared to receive a higher estimate on the project fee to account for the additional time necessary to accommodate these changes.)

Independence. The writer can work independently, but knows when to ask for your help in gathering information, contacting input providers, or refereeing comments and input from document reviewers.

Offers new ideas as appropriate. One benefit of working with freelance copywriters is the fresh perspective and broad experience they can bring to your projects. But a good copywriter won't be a "show-off" with these ideas -- instead offering suggestions only when they can advance your project.

Finally, perhaps the factor that is most telling about whether you have found a good freelance copywriter is this: Are you willing to recommend him or her to someone else?

Which qualities do you look for in a freelance writer?

Learn More

• How to Find a Technical Copywriter

Is It a Case Study or Just a Testimonial?

You're excited to have a well-known customer who is happy with your product and ready to talk for case study.

Yet after the interview, that excitement fizzles because the story seems less substantive and interesting than what you expected.

Several factors can contribute to this scenario:

A reluctant customer. Although the interview may have been agreed upon weeks ago, when it actually happens the customer may prove reluctant to talk. Typical reasons include changes in the customer's situation or satisfaction with your product, concern about disclosing too much information, or poor preparation of the customer before the interview. Or, the customer may simply be someone who is not a real talker and will give only basic answers to your questions.

An overly optimistic view of the story's potential. This factor can arise from your salesperson's enthusiasm for promoting the account, a desire to get the customer name, to get that particular type of story, or indeed any story at all.

The story may not be ready to tell. The interview may be premature, especially if the product implementation isn't yet finished or hasn't had enough time to produce useful results. In this case, complete as much of the interview as you can, especially for gaining testimonial statements that may be usable before the full case study can be produced. But also get the customer's agreement for a more in-depth interview when the story is indeed ready to tell.

Skill of the interviewer. Check your question list and the way those questions are asked. Are they open-ended questions that encourage storytelling? Do you probe for details when the customer gives a short or basic answer?

A good story is there…if you know how to find it

How can you salvage a weak story? Here are some options to consider:

• Write a shorter case study. If your standard is two pages, accept one page.
• Use the brief story as the sidebar for a brochure or white paper, or as an element in an email campaign or Web content.
• Pull-out whatever customer quotes you can, even if only one or two, and use these quotes as testimonial statements in a variety of content and social media forms.

A talented copywriter can help you find good, usable, and relevant content from any interview. The writer also can keep you from wasting budget on stories that aren't yet ready for prime time, where there simply isn't enough substance to make it a story worth telling.

It can be disappointing to find a weak story where you were hoping for a strong case study. But by using the interview as a source for testimonials and other small content elements, everyone's time, efforts, and hopes for promotional value won't be wasted.

Learn More About Case Study Interviews

Are you interviewing or just chatting?

Are your questions leading or asking?

Why the Best Writer is a Busy Writer

You have a project that is due next week and you need a writer who can start work on it immediately.

You search for a freelance writer, but so many are busy.

You finally assign the project to the first writer who says “yes” to the schedule, cross your fingers and hope that person will produce acceptable work.

In the meantime, you forget about those other writers who declined the project because they’re too busy.

Perhaps you get lucky and find a good writer to add to your freelancer list. But don’t miss the chance to add the busy writers to your list as well. It’s easy to recognize that a busy writer is likely a good writer, one you’ll want to contact for future projects.

This is particularly true when you need a writer who has specialized knowledge or skills. For example, many freelancers promote themselves as technical copywriters, but not all of them will have knowledge of your specific technology. And a writer who can produce a strong technical white paper may not have the creative flair to craft edgy advertising copy.

Keeping a contact list of different freelance writers for different project types is a success secret for any marketing communications or PR manager.   

PS: Don’t hesitate to contact any freelance copywriter about a short-deadline project. Even the writers who always seem to be fully booked sometimes have sudden openings in their schedule and may be able to accept your project without the usual lead time.

Top 10 Ways To Be a Good SME

As a technical copywriter, I greatly enjoy working with engineers and other subject-matter experts (SMEs). 

But as an SME, there are several things you can do to make everyone's job easier and create a more collaborative and productive relationship with a writer.

Here are my top ten ways to be a good SME: 

1. Respect the fact that you know the product, the writer knows good writing.
2. Don't use the writing process as a political tactic or as a substitute for the thinking and discussion that needs to happen offline for the document's topic, or worse, the product itself.
3. Resolve your own disagreements about comments made by others; don't make the writer be the referee.
4. Remember, if a product feature is in writing, you have to deliver it. Don't let a brochure or data sheet become a statement about anything other than what a customer can buy today. 
5. Understand the type and scope of the document project; watch for the temptation to create a "kitchen sink" document that presents everything you know about the topic.
6. Learn the differences between features and benefits.* A feature's mere presence in the product does not make it a benefit.
7. Be specific in your comments. If the text isn't clear, indicate what is confusing about it or what it should present.
8. Understand that marketing isn't really "fluff;" copywriters are indeed trying to give customers clear and useful information. 
9. If you are providing a first draft, don't struggle with it. It's more useful for the writer to get complete and accurate input, then rewrite it into a polished document. 
10. The writer has to comply with corporate publication rules and style.  You may not like those rules, but your material probably isn't "special" enough to go against them.

What qualities, skills, actions, etc. do you find helpful for the working relationship between SMEs and writers?

*Not sure about the difference? Check my book, Copywriting That Sells High Tech, which also presents a wealth of useful techniques, tips, and ideas to help with writing your own materials.   

Why Does Writing Take So Long?

“I will send the first draft to you next week.”

A typical commitment from a freelance writer, who will consider a week or more a reasonable amount of time to research, write, and polish the first draft of any but the simplest of sales documents.

But if you are facing a “we need it yesterday” deadline as a marketing communications manager, a writer’s schedule may seem unnecessarily leisurely. After all, you’re not looking for a literary masterpiece, just a solid and effective brochure or Web content. How much time should that really take?

You’re right, if all the conditions necessary to produce good text quickly lined up at the right time, then a draft would be fast and easy to write. But given the high-demand, over-stretched environment in most marketing departments, this alignment is often impossible.

Consider these factors:

• The initial project input is sketchy or nonexistent. Perhaps the project’s scope and messages haven’t been formulated beyond the idea “We should have a technical white paper to explain this.”
• The subject matter experts are not available or multiple input providers aren’t available at the same time, which means the writer receives delayed, fragmented, or conflicting input.
• The writer prepares an outline from your creative brief, then waits and waits for feedback. Or, the writer starts writing according to an approved outline, then is told to stop because the product or marketing directions are changing. The project may go into limbo for days, weeks, or longer.
• Background materials promised by the input providers aren’t sent or haven’t even been developed yet.

Of course, not all the reasons for writing delays come from the client side. The workflow, project management skills, and experience level of the copywriter also determines writing schedules:

• The writer’s current workload. In a typical work week, freelance copywriters juggle multiple projects from multiple clients, each in different stages of development.
• Research and development time. How much new material the writer needs to produce vs. adapting existing text is a large factor in the project schedule.
• Cycle time. Writing a document from scratch always takes more time than editing an existing draft. And many writers build-in a quality-check cycle, knowing that a fresh look at a draft on the next day always improves the material.
• Refresh time after project delays; is the writer organized enough to do this quickly?
• Project type and content. The higher the communications value or the more technical and complex the subject matter, the longer it takes to write a draft. However, a highly experienced copywriter can deliver an advantage here, by being able to learn new information rapidly and develop appropriate content based on long-cultivated sets of best writing practices.

Identifying a Reasonable Project Schedule

Understand that when a copywriter gives you a delivery date for a draft, it is truly an estimate. Although good freelancers will try to beat that date, the many project variables described here can stymie a writer’s best efforts.

By working with the writer to identify and remove project challenges as they arise and by understanding what a freelance writer must manage, you can develop project schedules that are easier to meet for everyone.

Interviews Part 2: Are your questions leading or asking?

I keep a file of interview questions for case studies that I have collected from various client projects over the years. Some question lists are short.  Others run to multiple pages, with questions covering every detail of a customer's situation or product implementation.

Of course, you want to match the number of questions to the allocated interview time. But more important is looking at the wording of those questions: Are they eliciting information or leading a response?

Here's an example of a leading question:

"Would you say you've saved at least 25% on parts inventory costs since implementing our product?"

A better way to ask that question:

"How much have you saved on parts inventory costs since implementing our product?"

Or, better still:

"What kinds of cost savings have you achieved since implementing our product?" (Then ask for the specific numbers or percentages for each type of savings.)

The Limitations of Leading Questions

Asking a question that invokes a specific response, even if that response is favorable, can create these issues for your project: 

• The customer may forget to mention or diminish information about benefits, applications, etc. that would be a higher priority in their mind and have greater value to your story if they instead came out as the first things on the prospect's mind when responding to an open question.
• May skew the story inappropriately, with a trickle-down effect on reported results, benefits, and the customer quotes you select for publication.
• May make the customer uncomfortable with the interview and reluctant to follow through with the case study review and approval process.
• May cause the customer to withhold negative feedback or issues that would be important information for your sales, support, and product development teams.

How to Ask Open-Ended Questions

An open-ended question invites your customer to give a full answer, such as in these examples:

"How did you prepare for the migration?"

"What types of feedback have you received?"

"Why did you choose this vendor?"

"What were the lessons learned from this project? "  

In general, a question that starts with What, Why, or How will elicit a descriptive response from your interview subject. You can always probe for more details in follow-up questions during or after the interview. 

Let the Customer Tell You

When working on a success story, testimonial, or other customer reference project, it is natural to want the most positive information to emerge an interview. However, by creating an opening for whatever the customer tells you, you will likely gain information that has the greatest value to your company and project. 

Learn More:

• All posts about case studies
• How to find a case study writer

Interviews Part 1: Are you interviewing or just chatting?

When you are interviewing a customer, are you really getting the information you need or are you just shooting the breeze?

Of course you want to establish rapport with customers during an interview for a case study or other marketing project. And you want customers to feel comfortable in sharing their feedback or information for publication.

But sometimes small talk and an informal conversational style can take the interview off-track, where you are just chatting, not getting the most useful answers to your questions. You also risk running out of time, meaning some questions may not be asked at all.  

If you have a engaged a writer for the project (especially an external freelance writer), consider letting that writer lead the interview. You will likely find the interview is more effective. Why? Because the writer will be very focused on asking all of the questions and getting the best and most complete information possible in the time allowed.   

As a marcom manager, product manager, or other subject expert, you can help the writer during the interview by addressing any customer concerns, asking appropriate follow-on questions, and opening and closing the conversation. I certainly welcome the participation of someone from the client side when I am interviewing their customers, and your freelance writers should too.

Just remember that your role in an interview will be more helpful if you are an active listener and you let the writer--and especially the customer--be the active talkers.

Next post:  Interviews Part 2: Are your questions asking or leading? 

10 Signals That Your Project Needs a Professional Copywriter

In an ideal world, you would use a professional writer for every marketing or public relations document produced by your company. But limited budgets likely mean you can assign only the most high-value projects to a freelance copywriter.

How can you justify the expense of a professional writer for other projects? These 10 signals can help build your case for budget approval: 

1. The project is important for generating sales, attracting publicity, educating analysts and investors, or producing other results for your company.
2. The document is targeted to prospects, customers, resellers, or another external audience.
3. You have a lot of information and aren’t sure how to organize and present it for greatest impact.
4. Reviewers are making copy edits or rewriting text instead of simply correcting facts or commenting on the document’s clarity and completeness.
5. The current draft was written by a subject-matter expert or executive who is not a strong writer.
6. The subject matter needs a copywriter with in-depth technical knowledge. 
7. You notice typos, grammar errors, and other writing problems in earlier materials produced by the company.
8. You have a tight deadline.
9. The in-house draft just isn’t “right.”
10. The project simply isn’t getting done.

Certainly not the least of your considerations is the time you spend trying to solve these issues yourself. By turning over the project to a freelance writer, you’ll gain value far beyond what appears as an expense item in your budget. 

Which factors do you use when choosing a project to assign to a professional copywriter?

Tell Your Own Stories

Does your company produce a product that it uses internally? If so, have you written your own case study?

Some of the largest technology companies are certainly users of their own products. And many have produced case studies, white papers, and other resources about the implementations, the value gained, and the lessons learned.

The idea behind this content: Sharing realistic experience and advice that can be beneficial to customers.

Here are some sites to explore if internal stories would be suitable for promoting your company's products and services:

Cisco Systems: Cisco IT at Work (Disclosure: Cisco is a client and I have written a substantial amount of content for this subsite.)

Intel: IT@Intel

Microsoft: Microsoft IT Showcase

What materials and techniques have you used to share your company's product experience with customers and prospects?  

Do You Need a Freelancer or an Agency?

Technology companies typically maintain relationships with one or more advertising, marketing, and public relations agencies for services related to sales promotion, including copywriting.

But some marcom projects don’t need the full agency treatment, with the associated higher costs, longer development and review times, and involvement of extra people.

Instead, these sales collateral and other marketing materials can be developed faster, and with less effort and cost on your part, by using freelance writers and designers.

How can you determine whether a project needs an agency or a freelancer? The questions below can help your decision-making.

Does the project involved a single document, a set of sales materials, or a full-blown marketing campaign? A freelance technical copywriter can easily handle a single document or a set of related materials, working with your company’s templates and style standards.

However, a marketing campaign is best handled by an agency that can bring together all of the right resources for the many and complex projects involved.

Even in this case, you may also choose to use a freelance copy writer to handle certain projects within the campaign, such as a technical white paper.

Does the project involve highly technical subject matter? Even high-tech agencies may not have the specific technology knowledge that is required for a writer to fully understand and communicate your product messages.

A technical copywriter offers the technology experience and insight that make it easier to get relevant input from your subject experts, then convey that information effectively and appropriately to your customers.

Are your agency and internal staff simply overloaded? Bringing in a freelance technical writer, even for short periods of time, is an easy and economical way to handle marketing and PR projects that would otherwise languish.

Also look at ongoing projects such as blog posts, customer ezines, case study programs, and sales material updates. Many of these routine projects could be outsourced to a freelancer for both writing and project management services, allowing you to work on more strategic marketing projects.

Are you dissatisfied with the work quality of your agency’s writers? Writing tasks may be assigned to junior agency staffers who may not have a high level of experience and writing skills that will make a brochure, white paper, or article an engaging and high-impact read.

Many freelance writers offer the advantages of long experience in a variety of marketing projects and challenges, as well as the diverse styles that meet the needs of each target audience and message.

Lower costs. Time savings. On-target, high-impact materials. These are just some of the advantages of considering a freelance technical copywriter for your marketing communications and public relations projects.

How do you choose which projects go to an agency or to freelancers?

E-books: More Than a New Marcom Fashion

Like women's fashion, some marketing documents are trendy for awhile, then considered unhip...only to emerge again a few years later in a new form.

So it is with e-books, the latest incarnation of short-book projects such as technology primers and guides that I wrote for clients in the 1990s.  

Yet an e-book isn't just a new facade that simply presents a book's worth of text in a format suitable for online reading. Nor are they, as some marcom gurus proclaim, just a white paper dropped into a landscape, slide-type layout and called a book.

Instead, e-books are truly a new document type for marketing communications, one that deserves the same careful planning, effective design, and quality copywriting as any other sales material.

E-book Advantages

An e-book can be a substantial and expensive marcom project, so it's important to understand how it compares to a closely related document type, the white paper.  

• E-books are perceived positively by prospects as easier to read, with more visuals and multimedia elements that help a reader's understanding of the content. 

• A "book" implies a longer document than a white paper, so you can include more information or go into greater depth on a technical topic.    

• E-books are mostly read online, allowing you to enhance the text with embedded video and audio clips, Flash-animated demos or diagrams, screen shots, and links to related content.

• The call to action can provide a link for immediately taking the next step. You can also embed links to forward the e-book through social bookmarking sites (e.g., Deli.cio.us) and microblogging sites (e.g., Facebook, Twitter).

• You can showcase your company's technical experts by naming them as authors of the e-book or featuring them in audio or video clips. Or, share customer stories and anecdotes in the same ways.

• E-books are appealing content for document sharing sites such as Slideshare.net. 

E-Book Drawbacks

It is also important to consider the drawbacks of an e-book compared to white papers or other sales documents. 

• The slide-like appearance, shorter text, and greater use of visuals and multimedia can make e-books seem like "fluff," especially for technical audiences.

• The writing style and format of e-books may not be adequate to convey the depth and complexity of some technical topics. Consider a long-form white paper or report instead.

• As a highly visible marketing piece, an e-book may draw more review scrutiny compared with other marcom documents, which may slow its development.

• It can be difficult to hold the reader's attention for a long document when it is read online, making it important to use a clear structure, content signposts, and navigation tools.

• An e-book isn't a "publish it once, then forget it" project. You must consider maintenance and refresh cycles, especially to verify links and the continued relevance of each content element. 

 Consider producing an e-book for a complex product or technology. With careful planning, writing, and design it is a form of collateral that, unlike some fashions, will hold its appeal for the long run.  

Learn More:

• Why Technology Marcom Needs a Technical Copywriter
• What Technical Writers Know That Copywriters Don't 

Why NOT to Publish an Audio or Video Transcript

This may be marketing heresy today, but I much prefer to read an online article or transcript than to watch a video or listen to a podcast. In part it is because as a writer, I certainly have a bias for the written word.

But the primary reason I like text: It allows me to save time by skimming the content for information of interest. Contrast this with waiting for a media file to download, the player to open, then having to view or listen to all or most of the file before I can determine if it contains anything relevant.

Although it is easy and inexpensive to create an audio transcript, that may not be your best choice for a written document to accompany the media file. Remember that a verbatim transcript will include every stumble, hesitation, and run-on by the speaker; all the informal language, jargon, and side remarks. When heard, these items are easy to ignore, but when read, they don't always reflect well on the presenter or your company.

With just a little extra effort, you can create a more effective document to offer as a companion to media files for site visitors who prefer reading. A Web article, short white paper, a blog post, or a slide deck can present the same information as the media file, often in a more succinct and polished form.

And by giving your visitors content choices, you will likely find that both text and audio/video forms are well received.

Which documents have you found effective for promoting with online videos, podcasts, Webinars, and similar multimedia files?