But here’s the thing: I’ve never found the rule book that sets out what you can and can’t do.
Which is good news for B2B content creators because it means you can make your own rules.
It’s about what works for you and your brand, your tone of voice, how you want to be seen and crucially, getting your message or story across.
But first, you need to let go of the invisible rule book:
Rule 1: You have to use technical language to sound professional.
B2B content is about communicating an idea, a story or message to your existing and target clients, peers, partners and potential collaborators.
And you want to do that in a way that is clear and easy for your audience to understand.
Using technical language risks misunderstanding. It can alienate your audience, or they simply won’t read on.
Just because you understand those words don’t assume your audience does.
Research by King’s College found that words and phrases the media commonly used, such as ‘woke’ and ‘culture wars’ are not as widely understood as their use would suggest.
Writing simply and clearly is not dumbing down; it’s the clever way of getting your story or ideas or messages across to your audience.
Rule 2: You have to use fancy words
A lot of B2B content uses words that you would never use if you were talking to someone. Would you say ‘utilise’ or ‘commence’ in a conversation?
The people you are writing for are no different from the people you speak to, so why use a different vocabulary?
