Harsh truth!

As a B2B writer, you’re not going to end up with a truckload of bestsellers or a celebrity career.

You might not even get the chance to write a book.

In reality, you are a hidden, unknown ghostwriter unable to author 80% of the blogs you stayed up all night writing.  

So if you embraced B2B writing with the hope that,

• You will always be proud of the words you write,
• Enthusiasm would never take a break,
• Or deadlines wouldn’t put you in a corner,

You’ve got something else coming.

Indeed, the B2B landscape is fraught with generic content.

A quick Google search, and you’ll come across multiple blogs created by writers with no passion or enthusiasm for the words they write.

Funny enough, you can’t always point accusatory fingers at these writers.

Most of them created these blogs in line with a content brief. Plus, the B2B landscape hasn’t always been what it is today.

Where We All Went Wrong

Not too long ago, B2B writing was all about keywords.

SEO experts touted the idea that any brand with a Google first-page presence wins.

So keyword stuffing became a thing. And unenthusiastic B2B writers had a free pass.

Unfortunately, such an idea is now cliché.

It’s cliché in the sense that ranking on Google’s first page is now a run-of-the-mill, and writers can’t go about the content ranking process the old way anymore.

The Change: Quality Trumps All

Nowadays, quality content is everything.

Everyone—Google, existing customers, and prospects—desire an excellent read.

They want blogs containing carefully chosen words and ideas worth their time, so there is no more room for keyword stuffing.

That means, as a B2B writer, you either put in the effort needed to create magic or watch your blog get counted among the also-rans.

If you want to do better, here is the deal.

The process of creating B2B blogs you can be proud of doesn’t exist in a straight line.

The path is paved with lots of tiny bends and sneaky sharp corners.

If you move too fast, you will risk losing touch with the creative side of the ride. Go too slow; content managers will be on your neck all day.

What to do?!

Find Your Balance

Firstly, B2B writing is a vocation.

And like every other vocation, you need passion to make the ride worth your time. So you either find a way to creatively cultivate a passion for the words you write or go home.

Now, presuming you’ve found a way to cultivate a passion for B2B writing, it’s only proper you take it a step further by learning to build a momentum that keeps the enthusiasm going. Wondering how?

Introduce ‘tone of voice’ to your content.

What is ‘Tone of Voice’ in B2B Blogging?

Tone of voice is a pragmatic reflection of the intent behind your words—the reason you write the way you write.

As you already know, voice and tone in B2B writing are like two sides of a coin.

Voice is a reflection of a brand’s personality (principles and values). Tone is the mood the writer takes up when creating a blog.

When expressed as one, tone of voice is a B2B blogging essential that helps writers blend mood (context) and personality (brand voice) to drive home the key message.

A Simple Checklist for Introducing Tone of Voice to Your B2B Blogs

As I said earlier, the process of creating quality content doesn’t exist in a straight line. There are lots of ups and downs.

To introduce a specific ‘tone of voice’ to your B2B blogs—one that keeps you passionate and enthusiastic about the content you create—detail the answers to these questions before you put fingers to keys;

• What’s the theme—the primary idea—of my blog?
• What’s my brand’s ideal voice? (lively, cheerful, cynical, professional, etc.)
• Whose eyes and voice do I want the blog’s theme to come alive from? (a helpful uncle, kind tourist, presumptuous side chick, etc.)
• Who is listening? (the exact person you want or expect to read your blog)
• Do you need to project heartfelt confession into the ozone, and if so, what is the proper tone to assume when the ozone is your audience?
• On what occasion is the blog being written, and why? (what issue is your blog addressing, and why is it important)

Creating blogs with tone of voice in mind allows you to modify the vocabulary you use to interact with your audience. Plus, it makes you care about your word choice and strengthen readers’ affinity towards your blog.

How to Flex ‘Tone of Voice’

Flexing tone of voice isn’t as simple as creating a Tik-Tok video, nor is it as complicated as learning the afro moonwalk dance; you need to identify the fine line between what’s acceptable and what’s not. Below is how.

Write as the Listener (Give your writing a rhythm)

Many B2B bloggers make the mistake of thinking they are the ones with the least emotional investment in the words they write.

They nonchalantly hit their keys with little desire to, first of all, make their words appealing to themselves.

The idea is, ‘I’m writing for an audience, not myself.’

Well, such a notion is viable only if you forget that you’re the first reader of the words you write—your number one audience and biggest fan.

If you want to cut through the noise and enthusiastically build your blog around a tone of voice that drives home your key message, learn to write as the listener.

Keep an eye out for any word, paragraph, or punctuation you wouldn’t like to read or hear, presuming your duty was to read the blog or listen to the story.

Write for Yourself (Become the imaginary character)

By now, you already know that the B2B landscape does not leave much room for personal glory.

B2B freelance writers rarely get to write in the first person narrative and hardly gain authorship credit for their work. Plus, their writing is, in most cases, limited by content briefs.

So it’s okay if the idea of writing for yourself sounds somewhat impossible.

But here is the thing.

Every stand-out B2B blog reflects a specific identity or personality. It revolves around a character who perfectly understands the tone of voice behind the content.

Indeed, you are the writer. No other person is better suited for the role of this imaginary character.

So when I say write for yourself, I mean learn to become (take up/ thoroughly understand) the character you choose to express your words as.

Who do you need to become to make your content come alive? A helpful uncle, a tech friend, a kind teacher, a clever side chick, Etc.

If you can immerse yourself in the characters’ traits, quality, and voice during your research process, your words will perfectly reflect the professional you are when your fingers hit the keys.

Write with Empathy (genuinely care about the content you write)

Ordinarily, you wouldn’t always get content briefs with topics you love.

Some of the briefs will be so boring that you’d wonder why you chose a career in B2B writing. But even at that, you can’t afford to fall below the presumed quality line.

If you want to write blogs you can be proud of and keep the enthusiasm going, you need to find a way to care about the content you write genuinely. Otherwise, no one would.

The most straightforward way to fall in love—head over heels for the content you write- is to find an empathetic touch point, a theme that allows you to genuinely share in your audience’s pain points and wins.

Knowing, understanding, and sharing your ideal reader’s pain points from an empathetic standpoint creates an emotional bond—an intuitive connection that keeps your narrative in sync with a preferred tone of voice.

Concluding Lines

B2B writing will wear you out from time to time. When you are working your fingers to the bone, the right words won’t find you.

Please don’t force it. Rest if you need to.

The idea is to create blogs you’re proud of. And that’s only possible when you’re physically and mentally working at full capacity.

Understanding the essence of tone of voice in B2B blogging creates room for immense growth. It keeps the career exciting. Makes words reinvigorating. Helps you cultivate a passion for your craft and breeds enthusiasm.

Don’t forget; tone of voice is not the accent or language you use; it’s the reason you write the way you write.