According to a study posted by the Content Marketing Institute, the top three initiatives that B2C marketers are working on are converting more website visitors, creating higher-quality content, and becoming better storytellers. These goals all point to being able to write more effectively for the Business-to-Consumer market. Here are three ways to help you connect with consumers.
1. Put the Customer First
The goal of all B2C content is, of course, to convert more website visitors into paying customers. On the other hand, if the content is just a bunch of sales pitches, nobody is going to bother reading it. Instead, the content must work to establish trust for the company or brand and to help the customer feel confident about buying from them. To do this, the content has to be useful to the reader. It has to first acknowledge some problem that a potential customer has, and then provide a solution for it.
For example, a company that sells window treatments might discover that their customers worry about choosing the right type of treatments, wonder about energy efficiency, and lack the necessary skills to do their own installations. The content could then focus on topics like tips for choosing between blinds and curtains, explaining how window treatments contribute to reducing energy costs, or the benefits of hiring a professional installer over doing it yourself. These helpful posts will show the reader that the company is knowledgeable about their trade and willing to help. It will also capture potential buyers while they are researching different products for their windows so they can be guided towards a sale.
2. Use the Right Language
In order to reach consumers, you have to choose your words carefully. Focusing on a topic like "reducing energy costs" is a good idea, but you might want to choose "reducing heating bills" or "lowering electric bills" instead because this is how most homeowners think about their energy costs. While businesses like to cut expenses, homeowners like to save money.
You also want to be careful about how much industry jargon you use. You have to walk a fine line between explaining enough so that readers understand and not dumbing-down the content so much that people get annoyed. For example, if you are writing for an industry like heating and cooling equipment, consumers will want to make an educated purchase. However, they probably don't make purchases often enough to be familiar with all the terminology. In this case, you would probably want to take the time to explain features and components in more detail.
On the other hand, if you are writing for an industry where people make regular and frequent purchases, they are probably already familiar with most of the complex terminology. Too many explanations will bog down the content and bore the reader. For example, most people are familiar with the different features of mobile phones, so you don't have to waste time explaining what GPS stands for or what a megapixel is.
3. Tap Into Emotions
When writing for consumers, tapping into their emotions is the key to conversions. Consumers want to hear that your products are a good fit for their lifestyle and that they are getting value for their money. Consumers also tend to make decisions alone so, unlike B2B content, you only need to capture the attention and emotions of one reader and your job is done.
So, how can you accomplish this? Storytelling is a great way to draw in readers, especially if they can identify with the person in your story. Another great tool is humor. Making someone laugh will help the reader identify with the company or brand in a positive way. Addressing the reader's fears is another good way to get an emotional response, just be sure you then ease those fears so you look like the hero.
Know Your Reader
The fundamental message when crafting content for the B2C market is to understand the reader and how they interact with the industry. Start by showing that you understand the problems that they face and that you know how to solve them. Do this by choosing the right words for the situation and trying to make an emotional connection with the reader. If you can accomplish this, then your content will be high quality and useful, and convert more casual readers into paying customers.
