Mistake: Poor or cryptic headlines
Your headlines (or opening lines on a LinkedIn post) are the most important words you’ll write.
They need to tell and sell to your target audience: Tell people what they will get if they read on, and make them want to read on.
Look at a headline in isolation. No image or other text, just the headline. Does it make sense on its own?
Be wary of play on words, puns and other cleverness that potentially obscure the meaning.
Those clever punny print tabloid and magazine headlines are often rewritten for the online version because they don’t work on a crowded home page.
It is better to be clear and include keywords.
Look at your headline objectively. Is it focused on what is likely to pique your target audience’s interest or something you find interesting?
If another business wrote it, would you click on that story, article or case study?
Every word of your headline needs to earn its space.
Mistake: Trying to say too much
You get on a roll with writing your article, and it becomes a case of ‘and another thing’. I’ve been there, and it’s fine if you are a prudent editor.
Trying to cover too many different things risks diluting your point and leaving your audience confused. Focused content leaves the readers in no doubt of the point you are making.
Edit objectively. Every sentence needs to earn its space by adding something new to your central argument/point.
Learn to let go of everything that doesn’t properly serve…but don’t waste it, put it to one side for potential use for a different piece of content.
Mistake: Your B2B content is not easy to read
How you write and present your web article or LinkedIn post might actually be putting people off.
Jargon, complex language and obscure references can alienate readers, so keep your copy clear and easy to understand. Try to choose words you would naturally use in a face-to-face conversation.
Be mindful of the length of your sentences. The more pieces of information you try to stuff in, the harder it is to read and understand.
If your sentence is 25-35 words or longer, think about splitting it.
The longest sentence I’ve come across when editing was 87 words. I had to re-read it several times to work out what it was trying to say so I could break it up into more manageable chunks of information.
I was paid to read those words, but your audience isn’t, and won’t necessarily have the patience to try and work out the meaning.
Finally, remember that people are reading on a screen, which is more challenging than reading on paper.
You can help your readers by keeping paragraphs short (no big blocks of text) and by creating white space with line breaks and returns.
White space also makes your text easier to skim and get the gist of. With the abundance of information available now, research shows that more people skim read and skimming is better than not reading at all.
Mistake: Assuming too much knowledge from your readers
Understanding who your readers are and their level of knowledge is critical. They don’t know everything you know or necessarily understand that acronym or what those initials stand for.
You don’t want your readers having to look things up (they might not come back) or misunderstand what you are trying to say. You want to take them with you on the point you are making, not alienate.
If your audience is highly knowledgeable, respect their knowledge and don’t get too basic, but still write clearly, avoid unnecessarily complex language and keep sentences to a reasonable length.
Your readers will thank you.
Missed B2B content mistakes to avoid (part 1)? Read it here.
📧 Want support with delivering your B2B content? Get in touch about my content audit, training and writing services.
You might also like to read
- Audience and content reach: Does size matter?
- Make it an event: Delivering successful round tables
- Content marketing challenges: Getting team buy-in
- Why subheads are important in B2B content
- Numbers in B2B content: How to enhance storytelling and clarity
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