3 reasons proofreading is super important for B2B technology marketers
July 18, 2019
By Lucas Leverett
January 25, 2023
Did you ever set up a lemonade stand as a kid? If not, you’ve certainly seen them. There’s always a paper sign that says something like, “Lemonade 50¢.” The sign, of course, is barely readable because:
The point is, when you’re a kid with the only lemonade stand in town, it’s okay to learn as you go or "fake it till you make it." Some inevitable percentage of people will turn around and come back.
When you’re marketing products and services in the ultra-competitive business world, you face a lot of pressure to get everything right the first time, from the message and imagery to the placement. We all know nothing is a guaranteed win in the inexact science that is B2B tech marketing, but making your best bet is why it’s essential to work with the right creative agency.
Look for these characteristics in a marketing partner the next time you need some creative work done.
Before you even start comparing creative B2B marketing agencies, make sure you’re fishing in the right pond. Give priority to agencies experienced with the audiences you sell to or the industry you serve. Some experience can be universal, but specialization may be a big benefit.
When you sell mainly to businesses (partners and distributors), that requires a considerably different skill set than selling to consumers, so focus on agencies that specialize in B2B marketing.
With that distinction made, let’s get down to brass tacks.
Regardless of your industry, there will come a time when you need something created very quickly, be it a last-minute video promo for social media or a reminder email before a big trade show. At times like this, you need an agency that knows your voice, tone, messaging, and branding well enough to turn out high-quality assets without a lot of hand-holding.
Ideally, agencies prefer to operate very methodically—and that’s all well and good—but when you need something done yesterday, it’s a huge relief to have a partner in your corner that can dive right in and will bend over backwards to help you get stuff done.
Creative environments can be chaotic, so it’s important to find an agency that has all their ducks in a row, with well-defined processes. But how can you know? Here are some reasonable expectations you’re allowed to have as a client.
High-quality B2B technology marketing agencies have their own in-house quality control processes to ensure that when you receive final files from them, they are ready to go into production, whether that’s print, online, or other. These internal review processes should be itemized on the work order. If they're not, ask the agency about them. There should also be one or more review cycles with the client to sit down with the team, evaluate the asset, and make sure it meets specifications.
In a creative agency, quality control means that any project involving writing undergoes a thorough proofreading process to correct typos and missing words and to ensure that it follows the client style guide in terms of capitalization and punctuation. The same goes for any graphics that contain copy in them.
On the design side, it means graphics are reviewed internally for size, resolution, and proper licensing. For video files, it means independent videographers review each other’s work to make sure all client input has been incorporated into the final product.
Spotting the right creative partner to work with can be complicated from the outside, but there are a few tangible indicators to look for.
When it comes to spotting the best B2B technology marketing agency to work with, it can be a matter of trial and error—and it doesn’t always come down to raw talent or even best practices. It’s important to find that agency that meshes well with the pace at which your company works and can operate as a seamless extension of your internal creative team to create ready-to-use marketing assets. If you’re not getting that level of service from your current creative partner, you owe it to your entire company to seek one out that works better for you.
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