BtoB Content Strategist or a Copywriter… Which one do you need?

There’s a big difference depending on your goals

Potential, BtoB clients contact me on a regular basis looking for help. They have big sales-goals and know they need some copywriting done… but that’s about it. Well, if you are trying to boost sales, awareness, credibility, and more, it’s time to get specific. You may just need some good copywriting, or you may need a full, content strategy. With this in mind, here are some helpful tips to save time and money and get the best results…

BtoB Content Strategist vs. Copywriter

If you want to boost sales, look at your entire marketing-plan and ask yourself a few questions…

• Do you have a Website that provides valuable information?
• Does your content bring in sales? (Do you know how to track that?)
• Do you have an editorial calendar in place for all of your content?
• Does your content reflect specific goals and messaging?
• What’s going on with your social-media posts?

Now, if you already have a detailed plan in place with deadlines, tracking mechanisms, responsibilities, an editorial calendar, and goals in place, then you are in good shape. You probably have a background in marketing and know what you are doing. If this is the case, then you can look for copywriters to assist you.

Hiring a Copywriter

And while it may be tempting to hire the least-expensive writer you can find, don’t do it! An outside, freelance copywriter may offer inexpensive rates and great content, but you usually get what you pay for.

Obviously, you will want to test various copywriters to see who works best for your business. But remember, a good copywriter does extensive research, knows how to write copy that sells, provides appropriate content for the search engines, and guarantees their work. Also note that good copywriters can significantly increase sales for your business so they are well worth their fees.

Using a Content Strategist

Let’s say you are like most entrepreneurs and want to focus on your core, business responsibilities and let the experts work on your marketing. This is when you need to hire a BtoB content strategist to help you with your overall plan. A content strategist will:

• Meet with you to discuss your specific goals and timelines.
• Develop a complete strategy that includes all of the types of content you need, the media venues that will be used for the best results, tracking mechanisms, deadlines, responsibilities, and more.
• Prepare specific content relevant to your business practices, events, product and service benefits, industry trends, holidays, etc. at the appropriate time.
• Work with you and your team to provide valuable content that meets specific goals.
• Quickly change content that is not working so you save time and money.

You get the idea. A content strategist is a member of your team who helps you create a strategic plan unique to your business goals, execute and track that plan and provide reports so you know exactly what is working and what isn’t.

Who Should You Hire?

You definitely want a content strategist on your team as soon as possible. After all, content is a huge part of sales and business success today. This way, you can focus on your core responsibilities and increase sales and positive awareness at the same time.

However, I know that this can be completely out of your budget at the moment. If that’s the case, hire a good copywriter to write some sales copy for you that begins to generate sales. Then, you can use those funds to hire a content strategist to take your business to the next level.

Content strategy should be an important part of your overall, business plan. After all, if your competitors have a content strategy in place, and you don’t. Game over.

What are you going to do today to improve your content strategy and boost sales?

For help, please see this BtoB content information or contact me here.

Author Melanie Rembrandt helps business owners boost sales, awareness and credibility with targeted, content strategy, SEO copywriting and social media. For valuable articles and assistance, contact her and her team at Rembrandt Communications®, LLC, www.rembrandtwrites.com.