| If you're a specialist, as some tech writers are, | | | | The consumer is usually looking for the best price |
| and write only user manuals for software or | | | | or the best product to satisfy a need or relieve a |
| grants for not-for-profit organizations, you | | | | pain. The person may or may not know anything |
| probably don't worry about how selling a flashlight | | | | about the product you're offering, but he or she |
| to a camper is different from selling a extrusion | | | | does know there's an itch that needs to be |
| machine to a molding company. You write what | | | | scratched. You're job is to show how you've got |
| you write, and one assignment is very similar to | | | | the best thing to do the job. Through experience |
| all the others. The details change, but the basic | | | | and study, the writer learns what approaches and |
| structure and techniques are much the same. | | | | what language gets the most positive responses. |
| If you're a generalist, as most tech writers are, | | | | Writing for a Business |
| you write about many things in a variety of | | | | Just as in B2C, the goal of writing to business is |
| media with a number of objectives. Each new job | | | | to make a sale. An important difference, though, |
| involves determining who your audience is, what | | | | is the length of time and number of people |
| their needs are, and how your product or service | | | | involved. B2B marketing usually takes longer. In |
| can satisfy those needs. Then you need to | | | | some cases, months or even years. The kinds of |
| recognize, understand, and adjust your writing so | | | | information and the types of media involved can |
| one time it appeals to the camper and the next | | | | change depending on where you are in the |
| time to the business owner. The short hand for | | | | campaign. Also, there may be shifts in who the |
| these two situations is B2B (business-to-business) | | | | ultimate decision makers are at various points. |
| and B2C (business-to-consumer). | | | | Simply put, B2B marketing is usually much more |
| B2B and B2C | | | | complicated than B2C. |
| B2B began as a way to describe electronic | | | | The smart business consumer is also interested in |
| commerce transactions between businesses. | | | | price and getting a product or service that fits |
| Similar transactions between businesses and | | | | the company's needs. That's the same as B2C. A |
| consumers was labeled B2C. Now, though, B2B is | | | | big difference, though, is that B2B marketing can |
| widely used to mean the marketing practices of | | | | involve writing ad copy, audio/visual presentations, |
| companies whose principle customers are other | | | | white papers, newsletters, and proposals, to name |
| businesses. A company that makes components | | | | just a few, all directed at one customer. It may |
| for automobiles, then sells them only to other | | | | be necessary to educate various individuals within |
| business that install them in their own products, | | | | the company about some specific aspect of the |
| for example Visteon and BASF, are B2B | | | | product or service. If there are three, five, or |
| operations. B2C now refers to the marketing | | | | more people who have to come to consensus on |
| practices of companies whose principle customers | | | | the sale, it may be necessary to market slightly |
| are private individuals. For example, KFC and CVS | | | | differently to each. That means understanding the |
| are B2C businesses. | | | | target audience, recognizing what approach to |
| So What? | | | | use, and being able to adjust your writing to fit |
| Good question. Here are three more. Is this a | | | | the particular person and medium. |
| distinction without a difference? Is writing for B2B | | | | For B2B, the emphasis shifts from being happier, |
| different from writing for B2C? Why does it | | | | etc., as it was in B2C, to such considerations as |
| matter to the tech writer? The answers to those | | | | profitability, competitiveness, market share, and |
| three questions are No, Yes, and Listen up. | | | | image. That brings up the matter of language and |
| First off, yes, there is a difference in how we | | | | knowledge. It might well be that the B2B buyer |
| write to consumers and how we write to | | | | knows more about what you're writing about than |
| businesses. And it matters to the tech writer | | | | you do. Most all of us have driven a car or worn |
| because there are similarities between the two | | | | clothes or used tooth paste. We understand the |
| audience because recognizing the differences is | | | | kinds of things that make these products |
| often what makes the difference between | | | | appealing. Far fewer of us have personally |
| success and failure | | | | experienced installing a complete IT network or |
| Generally, a 'private consumer' is a person buying | | | | developing a cost-effective pick-and-pack system. |
| a product for personal reasons, and the buyer is | | | | That means the copy is going to be more |
| the person who will be most affected by the | | | | complex. As writers, we must learn to use the |
| purchase. A 'business consumer' is buying for a | | | | language of the industry accurately so the |
| company, and the decision will probably affect not | | | | customer is comfortable with what we write and |
| only more people but the business itself. We like | | | | with our product's ability to solve the problem. It's |
| to say that individuals make buying decisions | | | | our job to know such things as in which industries |
| based on emotion and businesses buy based on | | | | data is singular and in which it or they is/are plural. |
| reason. We like to say that, but it isn't always | | | | Bottom Line |
| true. Not that individuals don't make emotional | | | | The difference between B2B and B2C isn't |
| buying decision. They do, and marketers depend | | | | whether there's an emotional element involved. |
| on it. But business purchases are made by people | | | | There is. The difference is what that emotional |
| too, and there can be just as much emotion | | | | POV about the purchase is. What sells to |
| involved. The difference is how the writer | | | | consumers? Price, yes, but often more important |
| approaches those emotions. | | | | is comfort, perceived quality, and benefit. |
| Writing for the Consumer | | | | Businesses, on the other hand, are more often |
| Writing for a B2C market involves turning | | | | concerned about their relationships with their |
| shoppers into buyers. The time from contact to | | | | vendors. They may need support from someone |
| consummation is relatively short. There are fewer | | | | they can trust. Cost is important, but so is the |
| media used. Ad copy can be online, in print, or in | | | | value provided by education and customer |
| mass communications. In most cases, only one | | | | service. And, remember, in B2B, everyone |
| contact is made, whether it's a brochure, a | | | | involved in the buying decision must recognize and |
| catalog, a Website, or a billboard. That means | | | | understand the benefit of buying what you're |
| capturing the customer's interest quickly. Then, | | | | selling. |
| follow up with an appeal to the customer's 'basic | | | | As a generalist tech writer, you must begin every |
| instincts' to be better, happier, smarter, or | | | | assignment by asking, "How is this writing |
| whatever -er will move the conversation along | | | | different from all other writings? |
| and end in a sale. | | | | |