Category: Writing tips

Audience engagement

Quick B2B content tip: Write for your target audience

Two of the many gingerbread creations at The Gingerbread City exhibition

My first quick content tip for 2026 is a reminder: Write for your target audience.

A trip to the Gingerbread City exhibition over Christmas was an example of missing an opportunity by not tailoring the copy for the people who would potentially be reading it.

Gingerbread City is an annual event held by the Museum of Architecture. Architects and engineers are invited to build models out of gingerbread, biscuits and sweets that reflect a particular theme.

This year the theme was play and each model was accompanied by a description and the name of the architect/engineer who created it.

Copy not written with the audience in mind

But in reading a few of the descriptions, it was clear that they weren’t really written for the people visiting the exhibition.

The space was packed with families (500 people were expected the day I went), and yet the language, tone and content of the copy appeared to be aimed at other architects.

The result? Few people were paying attention to the descriptions.

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Audience engagement

Avoiding bland B2B content: Use AI tools wisely

llustration by Muhammad Afandi on Unsplash

AI tools like Grammarly can be useful for a final polish of writing, but use them with a healthy dose of caution.  

These tools are clever, not just spotting typos but also things like repeated words or wrong words. They also take a stab at grammar.

But some tools try to be a bit too clever.

Grammarly, for example, makes suggestions for writing improvements. It works by giving the most likely or common words or phrases. In essence, it’s delivering the median version of any writing.

The danger of blindly following all the AI suggestions is that your writing ends up bland and lifeless. 

Grammarly can also tend towards brevity, which might make writing sound too clipped or robotic. 

Everyone has access to the same AI tools, which make it easy to churn out copy. 

But to help it stand out, writing needs to be above average, have points of difference and sound human. 

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General

Guide to sharing an opinion in B2B content

An old typewriter with a piece of paper in it on which is written opinion.

Sharing an opinion in a LinkedIn post or in a web article can understandably be nerve-wracking, but in the sea of vanilla B2B content, it’s important.

Not only does it set you apart, but it helps your audience to get to know what you stand for – and get to know you. It can also help position you as a thought leader within your industry.

Here is a guide to how to share an opinion through your B2B content without being deliberately or unnecessarily provocative, and steps you can take to feel comfortable and confident putting your thoughts out into the world.

(NB: All property-related examples are made up for illustration only.)

Getting started with sharing an opinion

Start small. You don’t have to dive straight into big industry-wide topics; focus on smaller areas of influence. It might be a particular process or way of working. Or something that happens in the workplace.

And if even that seems daunting, try sharing your views in comments (in a non-troll-like way, obviously).

What is your friendly take on the topic shared in a LinkedIn post? Can you add to the discussion based on something you’ve experienced or seen in a short comment?

Got more to say? Maybe you are ready to share it in your own post.

Choosing the right tone for opinion-led content

How you express your opinion is critical. Think of it more as sharing a perspective than handing down a decree. Language choice is important.

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General

Too clever for words: Why clear copy is more important

I saw a post on LinkedIn about a cold DM asking for a chat but which failed to give vital information. The messenger didn’t say who they were, what they did or why they wanted to set up a meeting.  

We’ve all had something similar, but lack of clarity in communication is a problem that is replicated in lots of different areas of business writing.

It might be an obscure LinkedIn profile headline or business website that leaves you none the wiser about what the company actually does.

Bad communication wastes time and leaves a lot of value on the table. For some, it might just be poor communication skills, but for others, it may be the result of a desire to stand out or sound impressive compared to the competition.

If you are a property developer, for example, and say you are a property developer, you sound like everyone other property developer. If you say you provide ‘delivery solutions for client’s built spaces’, it sounds different and perhaps more dynamic.

Too cool for school copy

But it’s what I like to refer to as ‘too cool for school’ copy. It might generate fleeting respect for the fancy language but ultimately will only harm you.

Now, there is nothing wrong with individuality and being clever with words – it’s something I actively encourage. But if it’s not simultaneously communicating clearly what you do or want to say, then the words you’ve chosen are pointless.

If you are an office fit-out company, say you are an office fit-out company, don’t use a fancy phrase like ‘end-to-end workplace solutions’, which is meaningless – and yes, I’ve seen that used on a website.

Fancy language like this also does little for SEO because people aren’t searching for ‘end-to-end workspace solutions’.

So the takeaway is, by all means, be clever, but make sure what you write is still clear. Whether it is a LinkedIn profile, a DM, a website or a piece of content, don’t be too cool for school with what you are communicating.

RELATED: This quick Monday tip, I wrote on LinkedIn focuses on ‘clever’ article headlines that don’t serve and you can read that here.

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Uncategorised

3 common B2B content mistakes to avoid

Photo by Mohamed Marey on Unsplash

B2B content marketing is a learning curve and there maybe things you are doing that damage your content’s reach and engagement without realising it.

Here are 3 mistakes to avoid with your B2B content.

1. Not making B2B content about the audience

The hard truth is that people don’t have time for all the content out there, including yours.

They are discerning about where they choose to invest their time (just as you are). This means your content has to work hard to make the time investment worthwhile: What’s in it for them?

Making a B2B audience care about your content means it needs to be helpful, interesting (to them), relevant, relatable…entertaining even.

There is always a place for news and business updates, but shoe-horning in referencing to the business and services at every opportunity is salesy and won’t serve.

The same goes for content that always starts from the perspective of the business, regardless of the topic.

Smart content marketing starts from the audience’s perspective, delivering something relevant and worthwhile.

It focuses on what the audience wants to know, not what the business wants to tell them.

Smart and effective content is clever with its messaging; it builds a positive reputation and respect.

Being known for being helpful, interesting, relatable and knowledgeable is more powerful than being a business that is just self-promoting or selling.

This leads neatly onto:

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