Savvy B2B Marketing

Stephanie

How do you weave a tale?

I gain inspiration by seeing how others turn a phrase and beautifully spin their words, whether in articles, blog posts, or novels. Some of my current favorites are the articles in Fast Company magazine and Vanity Fair, Ann Handley's Annarchy blog (which she needs to add to much more frequently - please, Ann?!), and Let the Great World Spin.

Jamie

Serendipity

My best kept secret for coming up with fresh ideas is not to chase them, but to let them come to me. Even B2B writers must dance with the muse. If I'm struggling to come up with a creative idea for a piece, I walk away from the puzzle and do something else - go for a walk, work on another piece, cruise some blogs, run some errands, or scan my Twitter streams. Eventually, I'll see or hear something or be reminded of something that becomes the catalyst for a great idea that's the perfect solution to my writing dilemma. The cosmos always delivers ... you just have to keep your eyes and ears open. 

Kate

OK, I admit it, I watch TV

No one is more at the top of the writing game than the "Mad" men and women who write TV ads. While alomst everyone else in the world groans and heads for the kitchen when the ads come on, I get more excited than when the show itself comes back from summer hiatus. Of course, a lot of them are total crap, but the ones that are great are really great. I try to take some of that clever messaging and those inspired turns of phrase from the B2C wolrd into my B2B writing.

Michele

Wendy

Pay attention to what's happening  

As a full-time writer I'm constantly looking for inspiration and story ideas. Some of my best tricks for coming up with topics include:

Read with a notebook. Honestly, some of my best writing ideas have been triggered by a book I've read at the beach or a magazine I've picked up in the waiting room. I am NEVER without a notebook and pen.

People watch. It's amazing what people can do and what they say. I recently even wrote a post about one line of dialog I had overheard. To imagine why someone would say something or behave in a certain way can lead to entire story lines.

Pay attention. I recently attended a community meeting. Ho-hum, same old thing, but then someone stood up and made a comment about a rowing club the next town over. Wait, a rowing club?? I ended up getting an article written on something I just happened to chance across.

Ask questions. People love to talk about their ideas and projects. Two of my favorite questions are: “What makes you say that?” and “Can you tell me more about...” These questions give people permission to go on (and sometimes on) about their work, projects, and lives.