IN THIS ISSUE:

 

Starting the First Draft
Rethinking Networking
Book Review


Newsletter Archive

the B2B Marcom Mind
October 2008

Hi Subscribers,

I was hoping to get this out a week ago but got slammed with a big project. That's a good thing though. So far no slow down. How has the changing economy impacted you?

I've been doing a fair amount of what I call "short copy" for a large software company in Redmond. It includes postcards, e-mails, direct mail, and some other items. I'd love to explore this topic with you all further and learn more about any work you've done in this area. For B2B, it's an area that doesn't get a lot of coverage.

In this issue, I cover creative briefs, also known as content briefs, message frameworks, and probably a host of other names. Regardless of what you call it, they are key to understanding and communicating content requirements. Also talk about prospecting and finding resources with LinkedIn. This month's newsletter finishes off with a quick review of Michael Stelzner's "Writing White Papers" book. By the way, this month's quote seems especially applicable to B2B content writers.

I have heard back from a few of you with some great topics to explore. Have even had offers from guest writers. If you have something you'd like covered or would be willing to write something up, take a minute and drop me a line.

See you in November,

Terri Rylander
LinkedIn B2B Marcom Group Manager
Freelance B2B Marcom Writer

The two most engaging powers of an author are  to make new things familiar and familiar things new..
~Samuel Johnson

Creative Briefs: Communicating Content Requirements

It still surprises me how many of my colleagues either don’t know what a creative brief is or don’t use one. It’s like asking your paint contractor to paint your house blue—and leaving it up to him to guess which shade.

A creative brief is like a requirements document for marcom collateral. It can be high level, describing the overall campaign style, or at an individual piece level, specifically defining the content and message. There are many different templates available on the Internet, or you can easily create your own. At a minimum, here’s what should be included:

Project Info – Client contact names, e-mail addresses, and phone numbers. Also may include project start/end date.

Campaign overview – Talks about why the campaign was created, what the objectives are, and how it fits in the bigger strategy picture.

Deliverables list – Defines each deliverable separately, including due date and layout considerations.

Target audience – Should give you an idea whether the target is a technical or business decision maker and should include any/all titles. If appropriate, it should list the industry segment. This section should also describe audience pain points to be addressed. It’s important to include message tone here as well. Will it be formal or informal, business-like or casual/friendly, first person or third person?

Messages – Messaging should stay consistent across various collateral pieces, including those done in the past. It should describe the top features, benefits, and value of the offering (customer value proposition).

Process – Helps the writer understand expectations around dates and revisions so that they can appropriately estimate and plan. It talks about who will be doing the reviews and how quickly revisions should be turned around.

Other – Includes any other pertinent information such as layout considerations, print/web, location and use of graphics, call to action (CTA) items, and location of any other resources (style guides, brand book, related documents, websites, etc.).

Using LinkedIn to Find and be Found

I’m often asked how I find new clients, especially clients who may be across the country or around the globe. My first response is, “LinkedIn!” Of course, the next question is how. First, you must define the niche you are working in. While it’s great to be able to write in any industry for any product, you’ll do much better in the long run focusing on a particular area and developing an expertise in that area. For me, it’s an area called business intelligence.

I take advantage of LinkedIn’s people search when prospecting, using the advanced search function. In the fields, I put the word “marketing” in the title and “business intelligence” in the keyword. That alone returns quite a number of people and I can narrow them down further to find the marketing decision maker. Once I’ve done that, I add that person to my prospect list.

This method actually works in the reverse as well. Clients looking for marcom writers and producers can search the same way by putting the word “writer” in the title and their industry or product in the keywords. That means if you’re a writer or producer, you need to make sure your LinkedIn profile is up to date and complete!

Book Review

Writing White Papers is one of the best books available that thoroughly describes how to develop a white paper that your customers will read. The book begins by describing what white papers are, who read them, and why you should care. It then provides step by step instructions that include the outline, interviewing, researching, writing, and formatting. The book ends with how to market white papers.

The author, Michael Stelzner, is considered the guru of white papers. He writes in a style that is easy to read and follow. In fact, I developed a 5-week college course based on this book. He also has a blog and teaches classes, both onsite and on the phone. Learn more about white papers and marcom in general at www.writingwhitepapers.com. .