B2B content marketing is not as easy as Business to Customer content marketing.
B2C has the advantage of having a wide range of potentials, each with different levels of approachability and openness toward content.
The B2C audience likes a content journey because they know when a product is being pushed toward them.
The B2B audience, on the other hand, wants you to get straight to the point. No faff.
Right?
Wrong! The marketing landscape of B2B marketing has come a long way since formal letters and two-tone presentations. Today’s B2B audience is different. They want to know the story behind your products and services. Story-based marketing can cultivate trust and tug on emotional strings – even in a B2B environment. Let’s understand why storytelling in a B2B content marketing landscape is important. Let’s also understand how your business can develop storytelling as a part of your marketing efforts.
You are already aware that B2C marketing involves drawing in customers with stories that not only touch their hearts but also offer functionality. The end goal is to create a long-lasting relationship. This is especially beneficial for B2B marketing.
More often than not, the customer might not really understand the product or service in B2B marketing. But they need it for carrying out their business operations. In such a scenario, storytelling can help retain the right information and help your customers make the right choice – or rather, a choice that favors your business. Simply put, storytelling gives your product or services a human touch. Humanizing your brand offers customers an alternative perspective, and they start to visualize your business and your brand differently. Essentially, your brand develops a personality.
So how does one go about storytelling for B2B marketing?
Here are a few interesting insights to help you get started with storytelling in a B2B content marketing landscape.
Know your audience – build those profiles
Just like B2C marketing, it is important to chalk out your typical audience profile and persona. Understand what your audience wants to know – not just about your product or service, but your business as a brand. Knowing your audience will also help you figure out how you can reach them, thereby allowing you to optimize your communication channels.
Figure out the pain points resolved by your product or service
Six months ago, Google Workspace released a series of commercials addressing the problems that millions of people faced during the lockdown. Now that remote working is more or less becoming a permanent option for lots of businesses, Google asked an important question – what are the problems that are being resolved with our solution, and how we can help your business with those solutions? What Google did was address different problems with different solutions. Your business needs to break down your product or service’s functionality into specific solutions that address your audience’s pain points.
Everything is not about your product – Highlight your talent pool’s story
B2C marketers bring onboard celebrities and influencers whose personalities and stories become a part of the brand’s story. B2B marketing teams can use this tactic to their advantage. Very often, the human talent in a business goes unrecognized. But B2B brands have come to recognize that highlighting the stories of their talent pool can help them reflect their brand’s personality. By highlighting the lives of customer service and support talent, the brand can showcase its dedication to customer service. Similarly, by highlighting its staff’s achievements, a business can showcase its achievements in research, innovation, and operational excellence.
