wtf

It never fails to amaze us when there's a personal link to a piece of client work! When Netherlands-based medtech client, Enovation, asked us to write a customer case study for a leading reconstructive surgery hospital in the south of England, it was clear to our founder, Dave Barton, who grew up in the thriving metropolis of East Grinstead, UK (!), that it could only be his hometown's famous Queen Victoria Hospital NHS Foundation Trust! Awesome to see that the Trust's commitment to innovation and improving patient outcomes extends to the way they handle data, cybersecurity, accessibility, and in-house operations. Dr McIndoe would indeed be proud! Read the case study to find out more. https://lnkd.in/efW_uYxF

If someone I didn't really know that well asked me what our company did, I'd tell them: "𝗪𝗲 𝘄𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗯𝗹𝗼𝗴𝘀 (𝗽𝗹𝘂𝘀 𝗮 𝘄𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗲 𝗯𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗵 𝗼𝗳 𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝘀𝘁𝘂𝗳𝗳)." Intrigued they'd be of course, so I'd fancy they'd want me to expand on that, so my response would be akin to: "𝗪𝗲 𝘄𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗯𝗹𝗼𝗴𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗲𝘀 (𝗽𝗹𝘂𝘀 𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘀𝘁𝘂𝗳𝗳)." Urging me to continue, the now engaged listener would nod slightly, so I'd divulge further: "𝗪𝗲 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗮 𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗹𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗦𝗮𝗮𝗦-𝗳𝗼𝗰𝘂𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗻𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝘆 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗹𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴: 𝘄𝗲𝗯𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗽𝘆, 𝗰𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗲𝘀, 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗽𝗮𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀, 𝘀𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘁𝘀, 𝗲𝗺𝗮𝗶𝗹 𝗰𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗶𝗴𝗻𝘀, 𝗮𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝗽𝘆, 𝘃𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗼 𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗽𝘁𝘀, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲." They've got the gist. But maybe, for the sake of reflection (and perhaps even consolidation in my own mind) I'd reason that a more sophisticated version was needed: "𝗪𝗲'𝗿𝗲 𝗮 𝗯2𝗯-𝗳𝗼𝗰𝘂𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗰𝘆, 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗦𝗮𝗮𝗦 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗲𝗰𝗵 𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗲𝗱𝗶𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘃𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗼 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺 𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝘀𝗼𝗳𝘁𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗲." Now, the listener would be looking ever-so-slightly confused, so I'd give it to them straight. "𝗪𝗲 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽 𝘀𝗺𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗮𝗺𝗮𝘇𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗲𝗰𝗵 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗰𝗸𝘀 (𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻'𝘁 𝘀𝗼 𝗴𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗶𝘁), 𝘁𝗲𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝘁𝗮𝗿𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝗰𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗮𝘄𝗲𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝘀𝘁𝘂𝗳𝗳 𝗶𝘀, 𝘀𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗯𝘂𝘆 𝗶𝘁." So which is it? Is there one version of the truth here that trounces the others? Are they all true? Or are they all lies? (hat tip: human potato, Ross Kemp). I’m pretty certain they’re all true. Interested in finding out more? Comment below! 

wtf = we talk funny Yes, we're British, but don't let that stop you from working with us. We're well-versed in writing in our native dialect as well as American English. Heck, we even tackle Canadian English too. See, not many of our clients are UK-based. And our European clients are internationally focused – hence why we often scribble with a North American lilt. Sure, spellings can vary. And sometimes linguistic nuances are different. Which – regardless of the English variant we use – is why we strive for clarity in our communications. So let’s eschew obfuscation; eradicate hyperbole; and prevent pernicious pomposity… and get the message across as clearly as possible. Right? Want crystal-clear comms that cater to different cultures and customers? Let’s chat.

wtf = we travel far Why would a growing roster of international clients work with a bunch of UK-based content creators? Good question. Because we see the world as our (and our clients’) marketplace. See, the world has changed *dramatically* in the last few years alone (pandemic, right?). There’s much more acceptance of remote working culture and all that goes with it: video calls, collaboration platforms, messaging services, etc. Cloud computing, SaaS platforms, and robust cybersecurity make all of this possible.   This means that it’s just as easy to work with clients in Bavaria as it is to service others in Bristol. The same goes for getting out and seeing our customers: it’s often cheaper to fly to, say, Amsterdam than take a train to London (seriously). And going even further afield is always an adventure; one that brings us closer together as a team, gives us an insight into new ways of working, as well as helping client relationships to flourish. So whatcha say? Ready to bond with some Brits over coffee and content?

wtf = we twist flexibly As late celebrity steeplejack Fred Dibnah would no doubt attest, life at the top can be rather precarious. Staying steady requires confidence and competence in equal measure: essential whether you’re 200 ft in the air dismantling a factory chimney, or managing digital transformation across a 200-person company. That said, adopting too rigid a stance can be counterproductive. Dangerous, even (in Dibnah’s case). Balance requires consistent calibration. Success involves being responsive and able to adapt to situations as needs require.  The same goes for content marketing. Having a solid content plan in place is critical to any marketing maneuver. But change is constant. New topics often need to be addressed in a timely fashion – in line with customer needs, sector developments, and good old-fashioned hype. That's why having the flexibility to alter plans and outputs; while remaining aligned with themes, topics, and objectives; is so important. And that’s what we do at wtf. We get to know *you* and *your business*. We’re not just pens for hire; we dive deep to understand your vision, mission, values; creating content that relates and matters to you – or, more importantly, your customers. So how ‘bout it? Can we twist your arm into having a chat about content?

wtf = we tickle facts We work with experts to tell their stories... but how? How do we create powerful, impactful content when we're not technology experts? We’ll let you into a secret… we don’t need to understand tech. We just need to know what tech offers your customers! But that in itself is a challenging task. It comes from asking the right questions – of our clients, their partners, and customers. We need to understand the cause and effect; the problem and solution; the facts and the results. And then the magic happens: in the form of storytelling. See, telling stories isn't just about relating cautionary tales and exploring fantastic fictional worlds. In business, it’s about creating a company’s narrative – where it’s come from, what it’s doing, and where it’s headed. That’s why ‘we tickle facts’ – we finesse them into a series of stories: all designed to get your business noticed by the right people, for the right reasons. Why not let us tickle your fancy? Go on – give us a try!

wtf = we type fast In tech, speed is a virtue. That's why Agile methodology is such a cornerstone of the software development process. Here at wtf we have our own process too – which helps our clients get the content they need in an accurate and timely fashion. When you sign on as one of our retained clients, we start with a Deep Dive Discovery Session, in which we figure out both what’s important to your business, and even more importantly, what your clients hold dear. From there we’ll have a better understanding of, well, everything that you do (and don’t do) and we can begin to craft a Content Strategy that ticks all the boxes – grounded in your mission, vision, and values – with a side order of themes, subjects, and SEO. The more we know about you, the easier it becomes to create kick-ass content. And the quicker we can keep moving. Want to witness our whirlwind wordsmithing at work? Let’s chat…

wtf = we tend flames Good content ignites the imagination. Nowhere is this more important than in B2B marketing. Why? Because we’re not selling candy bars for €1.30 a pop. No ma’am. The kind of investment tech businesses are asking their customers to make starts at around the €10-20K mark. Minimum. So there’s a fair amount of winning over needed if we’re to encourage punters to hand over the price of a brand-new car to a software business (even if it is coming from company coffers). But why content? How is that going to fan increasingly frugal flames – particularly when, as a lead gen tool, content is a slow burn – ? Cards on the table: yes, stories take time to articulate, develop, and finesse – be they blogs, white papers, website copy, whatever. But their power to capture the human imagination can’t be underestimated. Think of it like this: you're scrolling through LinkedIn and see an ad for a software company. It either appeals or it doesn’t. If it does, you click on it. If it doesn’t, you don’t. But say someone in your network has an interesting point of view: a left field perspective on a curious corner of computing. You skim read it, backtrack some, get into it, and before you know it, you’re nodding your head in agreement after reading the whole thing. It’s all about tempering the reader; giving them something engaging and valuable to explore. And – lo and behold – if someone loves/hates/enjoys/wants to argue with you on the finer points of your piece… what’s the harm in that? Ready to create content with our creative crew? Drop us a note.

wtf = we transcribe feelings So much of marketing is about appealing to the customer. And while stats, numbers, and conversion rates tell us the level of engagement relating to our efforts, it's important to keep in mind 'what' will appeal to customers and 'how' best to do that. Understanding their mindset means appreciating where you fit into their hierarchy of needs. When and where does the thing that you’re selling address the problem they’re facing? It might be that they have continued issues with Microsoft Teams and are looking for a solution that mitigates issues and indicates where faults lie (hello Martello Technologies!). Rather than lead with the solution, we first need to communicate that we understand the problem: the pain points of lost productivity, downtime, and disruption. And to do that effectively, we need to make it personal. While some may bemoan that there’s little room for conversation when it comes to conversion; we beg to differ. After all, what’s more interesting: a technical breakdown of a software’s features and functions, or an honest account of how a Teams outage could impact your business – and how to prevent that? We all relate to more ‘emotional’ stories – even in our working lives. After all, we’re human at the end of the day (for now at least). Want to get all emosh with some real humans? Let's talk (tissues optional).

wtf = we tame functionality Tech is amazing. Yes, even B2B tech (surprise!). But when it comes to communicating 'what' it can offer, too many companies lean hard into features and functions: when they should be pushing business value. Huh?? Why ever is that? Because in tech there are some super smart people building some game changing apps, services, and solutions. But their world is one of numbers, formulas, and code. And that’s awesome… until it comes to selling their wares. Tech talk might impress the boffins, but what about the bigwigs? They’re the key decision makers and purse-string holders who need convincing that the Kubernetes-structured, cloud-based-SaaS platform that you’ve spent two years painstakingly building is going to save them time, money, and hassle. If you’re struggling with getting that piece of the puzzle in the right place, then you should definitely be talking to the wtf team. We’re well-versed in helping tech companies of all shapes and sizes create content that sells the impact your solutions offer. That’s the business value – not the nuts, bolts, in-depth details, and doohickeys. I mean, they play a part… but they’re not what customers ultimately need. Customers need ROI, VFM, and other three-letter acronyms associated with productivity, efficiency, cost savings, expansion, and compliance. You just happen to have built something that’ll address all of that (and more). But we’ll help you get there.