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Last week as I was trawling through my regular listening posts, I started to see mentions of a recent report published about the use of B2B marketing collateral in technology decision making. I spent nearly 20 years in the IT industry, as a developer and in direct sales, so that sort of thing interests me. Having been both a buyer and a seller of software, I was curious to know which role found more value in marketing collateral. My real surprise was the findings of the survey had more to do with my current job, copywriting, than anything I’d done before.

Case Studies are a Hit
Let me back up a bit. In any industry there are thought leaders. The incomparable Casey Hibbard is one of those people. She literally wrote the book on case studies. In Casey’s blog post of 6 October, she cited the report as saying that buyers of technology liked case studies and used them in making purchasing decisions.

White Papers Deliver the Most Impact
Another thought leader I follow is Jonathan Kantor from The Appum Group. His blog is aptly named The White Paper Pundit. Like Casey, he has a worldwide reputation and is extremely generous with his information. Jonathan blogged about the same report back in September. His comments related to the important impact white papers have in the technology sales cycle.

Content is a Good Thing
I decided it was time for me to read the report. Titled Eccolo Media 2009 B2B Technology Collateral Survey Report, I doubt too many people outside the B2B marketing industry are going to be interested. I expected to read about case studies and white papers, but what struck me most was just how influential original content of any kind was ranked. In short:

1) Not surprising for the industry that invented them, white papers were still very influential with over 84% of respondents.

2) Almost half (49%) of the respondents had viewed a video in the last 6 months.

3) People share content with each other:

• White papers 89%
• Case studies 85%
• Brochures/data sheets 81%
• Podcasts 80%
• Video 79%

4) People prefer digital copies of their content (80%). Plenty of people like printed copies, as well.

5) Good writing was important to both decision makers and influencers. The report states:

Even though respondents of all kinds said they preferred to have collateral – particularly white papers – written by a third-party, good writing from a vendor trumped mediocre writing from an objective source. (Yay!)

6) Content opens doors. A significant majority used content in pre-sales stages before engaging with suppliers.

The Take-Away
Business has to be developing original content. The content needs to be professionally written and must be available online and in print. The reward for this effort is that people pass your content around and make purchasing decisions based on information they can find themselves.

Content Marketing Presentation
I can’t tell you how happy I am about this report. In November I’m speaking at the Perth Business Expo on the subject of Content Marketing. I’m giving a free seminar titled Educating the Customer: Why Content Marketing is the New Trend. Come along and hear how changing consumer habits are requiring businesses to rethink their marketing strategies. Your new secret weapon to nurturing leads just might be your local copywriter.

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is getting a lot of attention in the business world and the mainstream media. I’ve blogged about it in the past, CSR: So What?, and have been advising customers that they should be considering a CSR strategy for their business. I take my own advice and include a CSR page on my website.

Recently I read an article at MarketingProfs titled Irresponsible Corporate Responsibility: Doing Good Isn’t Always Done Well. It highlighted 10 different ways a CSR program can fail a company and even harm its reputation. While there are pitfalls to a poorly implemented CSR program, it also made me realise how many options there were to use CSR to make a positive impact.

Share your expertise
Ryan Briggs started his own business in 2008 knowing that a CSR program would be part of his company strategy. A talented graphic designer, his intention is to make a positive impact working with non-profit organisations. Each year Ryan selects one project and donates his time and services to develop a fully functioning website. The lucky not-for-profit or charitable organisation he selects is left with an invaluable business asset and the ability to promote their cause on the internet. By making it part of his annual business planning, Ryan assures his CSR initiative is an important part of his company strategy and not treated as a inconvenient afterthought.

Champion your industry
Fitzgerald Photo Imaging has long been active in promoting professional and amateur photographers in Western Australia. Offering student discounts to people studying photography and providing exhibition opportunities and sponsorship, Fitzgerald Photo Imaging is supporting the next generation of photographers. Additionally, Fitzgerald Photo Imaging sponsors several different industry events including the prestigious FotoFreo and SiteUnseen photography showcases. They endorse the Western Australian AAIP awards through sponsorship of the event and individual awards within the event. With a newly established e-newsletter called The Fitz-e-news, Fitzgerald Photo Imaging is developing yet another avenue to advance the photography industry in their community and throughout Australia.

Support your favourite cause
Aaron Sice at Blue Card! Industries has a strong association with Oxfam Australia. He’s long been a supporter of their fight against poverty and donates money to them every month. His dedication extends to using Oxfam branding on his business cards. Blue Card! Industries gives the quirkiest of holiday gifts – ducks, goats and chickens to name a few – donated in the name of their customers and sent to needy communities around the world. If you ask me, it’s a nice change from the ubiquitous box of chocolate or bottle of wine.

Promote your community
Vicki Connolly’s CSR strategy is so ingrained in her neighbourhood restaurant, Victoria’s Delights, it’s impossible to separate it from her daily operations. Long before it was popular, Victoria Delights sourced a menu with locally grown meat and produce. Her insistence on using community businesses wherever possible has been instrumental in developing a rare customer loyalty in a highly competitive industry. While many people hunkered down to weather the Global Financial Crisis, Victoria’s Delights extended a helping hand to a non-profit agency working with troubled youth. In an ultimate display of CSR goodwill, Vicki established a partnership to teach kids how to grow healthy produce, which then supplies the agency and her restaurant. Vicki Connolly is proving good citizenship goes hand-in-hand with success.

These are just some of the ways small and medium businesses are successfully implementing CSR strategies. If you know of any other SMBs that are doing it right, I’d love to hear from you.

Social media is a topic generating a huge amount of interest and an equal amount of confusion. The hype surrounding it reminds me, in a way, of the Y2K phenomena that swept the world in the late 1990s. I spent a lot of time speaking about Y2K. My writing career started with the same topic. As hysteria concerning the potential virus mounted, the message I promoted was one of calm and rational thinking. The main points delivered by the company where I was employed, Compuware, were 1) test your applications and 2) get your quality assurance processes in place. I was glad I was on that side of the Y2K debate when the looming “time bomb” turned out to be a fizzle.

The Voice of “Practical” Experience
I’ve approached social media in the same sensible way. Not long ago, I was invited by Women are I.T., WA (WITWA) to give a presentation at one of their events. I immediately agreed and volunteered to speak on the topic of social media. My one condition was I wouldn’t be portrayed as an expert but someone with practical experience in using social media tools for business. I developed a 30-minute presentation thinking it would be a one-time event. Tomorrow, I’m giving it to a third group. It’s a popular topic, so if you’re willing to stand up in front of a crowd and speak about it; you’re going to be in demand.

The Hype Trap
This is where I really begin to see the similarities between social media and Y2K. They’ve both been viewed as “get rich quick” schemes. They both have spawned an immense amount of media coverage. They both seem to have taken on a life of their own. They tend to intimidate the uninitiated and cause fear and concern to the folks inexperienced with the topics. With that in mind, I called my presentation “From the Trenches: Practical Advice for Making Social Media Work for Your Business.” The highlights of the presentation are:

• Consumers are changing their habits. They are now educating themselves and they’re doing it online.
• Social media will not close business for you or attract a customer base if you don’t have a good product or service.
• Social media will help you:
  a. Promote your brand
  b. Generate leads
  c. Establish your authority
• It’s important to remember:
  a. Social media is about building relationships
  b. You are representing your company, so you must maintain an air of professionalism at all times
• Of all the social media tools on the market, four of them are best suited for business:
  a. LinkedIn
  b. Twitter
  c. Facebook
  d. Blog
• The majority of people using social media for business:
  a. are in the 30-50 age range
  b. are female
  c. like to look at pictures/videos
• It’s imperative you adopt a policy of transparency in your social media activity.
• Success is achieved through sharing information, not self-promotion.
• One advantage of social media activity is it improves the search engine rankings for your website.

While I was developing my presentation, I consciously made the decision not to feed into the social media propaganda. As my research advanced, it made sense to develop a special report supporting the presentation. Any of my readers interested in this report, a $75 value, is welcome to a copy. Simply email me at sarah@globalcopywriting.com requesting the From the Trenches: Practical Advice for Making Social Media Work for Your Business report and I’ll send it to you in .pdf format. I’m also happy to give the presentation – along with live demos of the recommended tools – where you work or network.

I’m using social media every day in my business. I find it an extremely useful way to support my marketing activities and to keep in touch with my customers and prospects. I recommend everyone take the plunge. In the meantime, I intend to keep providing realistic and useful advice gleaned from my own experience.

On Tuesday (15 September) I attended the ACSA 2009 National Conference on Aged Care. On several occasions throughout the day, I was reminded of the power of language to inspire, unite and divide. The theme of this year’s conference was Get Up, Stand Up! I had assumed these words were devised as an encouragement to keep the clients of the aged care industry mobile and ambulatory. I was wrong. It was a rally cry, borrowed from the lyrics of a Jamaican Rastafarian, to keep fighting for much-needed reform for an industry in crisis.

Wailing for Reform
It felt a little odd to be singing to a Bob Marley video alongside the other delegates, fists pumping and feet stomping. It’s the sort of behavior and sentiment reserved for youthful parties and summer nights. Marley knew what he was doing when he penned those words. Phrases like “Stand up for your rights” and “Don’t give up the fight” resonated with a largely middle-aged group of administrators and management that keep the aged care industry going in Australia. Like Marley, they feel unsupported and, at times, persecuted. But Marley has an enduring voice on the international music stage long after his death. In Australia, the aged care industry is twisting in the wind and they know it.

Good Advice from Dr. Flett
Dr. Peggy Flett, CEO of Brightwater Care Group and the 2009 Western Australian of the Year, counseled in an afternoon session for change in the language used to discuss the industry. She spoke about the power of words to inform but also to prejudice. She pleaded for a new vocabulary that would empower the industry saying, “Translate government speak into real conversation.” Dr. Flett is acutely aware that filling an argument with jargon provokes the broader public to distance themselves from the necessary discourse that affects change.

When Words Become Blah-Blah-Blah
What Dr. Flett was asking, in reality, is that people in the aged care industry adopt a policy to eliminate gobbledygook from their vocabulary. I’m a professional writer and this is something I work at every day. It’s easy to become lazy with speech and rely on clichés, slang and colloquialisms. Worse, is the prevalence of profanity in everyday conversation. Where spoken vulgarities once caused social stigma, now they are commonplace. It rarely provokes reaction anymore except boredom. It’s not a problem exclusive to the aged care industry. Most businesses would benefit from an effort to reduce the amount of mumbo jumbo in their communications.

What Copywriters Already Know
The lesson from all this is that simple words and phrases are often the best way to get an idea across. Relying on acronyms, industry-specific vocabularies and governmental blathering is a quick way to deflect the attention of your intended audience. It’s just as important in verbal communication as it is in written content. I hope the aged care industry takes Dr. Flett’s advice and tackles their issues with straight talk and plain language. I can’t think of a group who deserves more support and attention. I just wonder if the Hon. Justine Elliot MP, the Minister for Ageing, is even listening. She didn’t bother to show up for the conference, so no one is really sure.

I feel like the cobbler looking at his barefoot children. It’s been a long time since my last post. My own work tends to get pushed down to the bottom of my “to do” list while I tackle client projects. SMB owners all suffer from the same problem. It’s particularly irresponsible of me because I’ve spent so much time speaking and writing about the importance of content.

Headline: Search Engine Ranking Plummets
I envision my search engine rankings plummeting as each day slips by without a new blog post. Like most of you, I’ve made a significant investment of time and money to get my website operational. One of the best ways to enhance SEO is to keep adding content to your website. That’s enough reason for me to keep making posts. I’m always interested in how I can capitalise on an existing investment and improve returns.

Blogging: Everything Old is New Again
A couple of weeks ago, I did a presentation on social media called From the Trenches: Practical Advice on Making Social Media Work for Your Business. I like to present in public because it requires a rigid discipline of research. When you’re standing in front of a crowd, you want to be very sure that everything you say can be backed up with facts. I discovered a little nugget of information in a whitepaper called The Coming Change in Social Media Business Applications: Separating the Biz from the Buzz by Josh Gordon. Surprisingly, the old workhorse of social media, the blog, is gaining new life in the business sector. According to Gordon:

While Twitter and Facebook get the headlines, the social media form organizations are turning to most as they look to the future is blogging. Some consider blogging “old” social media, but it has proven itself an effective communication tool. The ability to reach a mass audience with a personal point of view and invite comments is very powerful.

Perth Industry Web News Digest
Last week I met with James Bull at his office in Nedlands. We had previously exchanged emails and tweets but hadn’t met in person. James shares my opinion about the importance of content, and we could have spent the whole day talking just about that. He runs the Perth Web Industry News Digest as a free service. It picks up RSS feeds from web development companies, web designers and related industries around Perth. If you want your company news or blogs included in the digest, contact James and he’ll be happy to organise that for you. It’s another reason to keep your content fresh and a great way to let the industry know what you’re doing. James has also set up a Twitter id, @PerthWebNews, which tweets items in the digest across Twitter, giving your content even greater exposure.

Content Driven Marketing
As a professional writer, I have an advantage when it comes to developing content. I spend most of my working hours ensuring my customers are getting keyword-rich text that positions their companies for success. I enjoy being a copywriter because it allows me to provide consultancy services to other businesses. It’s particularly satisfying to help an organisation achieve their business goals. I just need to remind myself that one of my best clients, Global Copywriting, needs regular attention, too.