3 Useful B2B Copywriting Tips to Solve a Writer’s Gordian Knot
Let’s talk story.
Business stories.
There are many different types of business stories, so let’s look at a few common ones:
Brand stories
Customer stories
Origin stories
Product stories
Service stories
Hero’s journey
Success stories
Employee stories
Day-in-the-life stories
Best practices
How-to stories
Mission stories
Phew! And that’s just off the top of my head!
There are dozens of stories to use in your marketing.
But there’s one story that is rarely discussed.
>> THE COMPARATIVE STORY <<
Comparatives stories compare a business idea to a common story, fable, or myth.
It’s an easy way for your business idea to become memorable and sticky.
An ancient Greek legend goes like this
One day, Gordius, a peasant, arrived in Phrygia in a cart.
At the time, the Phrygians were without a king.
An oracle had predicted that their future king would arrive in town in a cart.
The people cheered and declared Gordius king
His son was so happy, he dedicated the cart to Zeus and tied the cart to a post in the Temple of Zeus using a complicated knot.
The oracle also said that whoever untied the intricate knot would rule Asia.
Many people tried to untie the intricate knot—but all failed.
Then, in 333 B.C., Alexander the Great marched into Gordium.
He discovered the oxcart of Gordius tied to a pole using a complex knot.
After studying the knot for some time, it was clear that solving this impossible problem would require a quick and bold solution.
Alexander drew his sword and in a single stroke . . . cut the knot in half
Problem solved.
True to prophecy, Alexander the Great went on to conquer Egypt and parts of Asia.
Alexander untied the Gordian Knot using a quick and bold solution to a seemingly impossible problem.
Like Alexander the Great, some B2B marketing writers face a similarly impossible problem when writing a new piece of content
They need a quick and bold solution to a complex and tricky problem.
Here are three quick (and bold) ways to solve the Gordian Knot of writing.
1. Freewriting
Write for 10 minutes straight—as fast as you can—without stopping.
Don't edit a word.
Forcing yourself to write quickly generates several new ideas to write about.
2. Comparative stories
Like this post, use comparative stories to drive your point home.
Smithsonian Magazine is filled with a variety of stories to choose from.
3. Write sporadically
Sporadic comes from the medieval Latin word "sporadicus," meaning "scattered."
When you write sporadically, it means you "scatter" your words in various places throughout your document.
In other words, don't feel compelled to write in order from the logical beginning of your story.
Write the summary first.
Or the call to action.
Or the headline.
Or the middle section.
Forget about writing in order. Write out of order. Write sporadically.
You now have three ideas to beat the B2B writing blues
Be like Alexander the Great.
Solve the knot.