Well, the equation isn't that precise, but there's been a convergence of ideas in B2B Internet marketing that Karen Gedney points out a very sharp increase in "B2B clients needing copywriting services" in her ClickZ article, Help Wanted: B2B Copywriters.

Thought Leadership Marketing isn't just about premium content, but in B2B, there's a need to 1) enhance the customer/potential buyer experience through information and 2) increase sales and repeat buys. Research also shows that webinars, email newsletters, whitepapers and the like are important drivers of online leads & inquiries for B2B companies.

What's this all lead to? Well, in short, it signals a run on marketing talent in B2B. Even in house talent that's been doing B2B for years may have a hard time adapting to the needs of the marketplace, especially now that customers are seeking control of the B2B message too.

2007 is going to be a FUN YEAR in B2B online. Really, it is! Adapted from Karen's article, here's a few things I'm thinking will impact us:

• Sales 2.0 and the evolution of the marketing/sales relationship in B2B
• Marketing response goes down when frequency is reduced. Don't just boost the volume on one channel, rather try varying communications with e-newsletters, alerts, surveys, Webinar invitations, and more.
• The need for QUALITY content is unrelenting. Each new marketing endeavor, especially in B2B where it's not just about slick ads that are outsourced to the agency, requires solid, knowledge-rich content. Hence, the need for copywriters.
• Consumer control of the message and the need to reach out to evangelists & vigilantes in real time. Not only will you need quality copywriters, but you'll need them on alert at all times and with quick wit to boot.
• Long-copy assignments that span PR, marketing, customer service and sales. Everyone needs to be singing from the same sheet of music. In my experience, PR firms and ad agencies are terrible with long-content topics like white-papers and other significant knowledge-dredging undertakings. Get someone in house or that specializes in this stuff.

Dana,

I agree with 90% of your comments, especially related to the critical importance of depth and breadth of quality content, and the resultant potential shortage of copywriters with the skills to fill the need.

Where we diverge is on your bias against agencies. Where do you think the best copywriters are working and learning today? Good B2B agencies are already doing what you espouse, because they know that becoming the content expert across all media is the fastest path to indispensability.

Anyway, good stuff. Thanks.

Greg,

I get where you're going, and by and large, you're right - agencies have the corner on the pool of B2B copywriting talent. However, my experience (and again, it's just my experience) has been that PR firms (primarily) and agencies (distant second) are downright lazy when it comes to things like whitepapers, deep case studies and other long-format content projects.

That being said, I've also worked with folks that specialize in that sort of thing. And to the extent that a firm specializes in these projects, their work is proportionally better than anything that an in-house writer could do.

It's good to know that Bloggers For Hire at least has a shot to head to the black ink!

Dana:

I take the stand that thought leader copywriting is where marcom meets strategy. A good thought leader marketing plan should reflect the MOST recent market intelligence (ie. buying factors). A copywriter tuned into that level of insight becomes much less a simple wordsmith and much more of an investigative journalist...tying buying factors to the company's performance. Unfortunately few agency copywriters have the unique combination of skills: gathering market intelligence, writing, and strategic insight to create copy that sings AND is keenly relevant to the target audience.