Is Your B2B Marketing Boring?
5 strategies to spice up your B2B campaigns
It might seem like all the creativity and playfulness of marketing content is reserved for the B2C space, but that doesn’t have to be the case. Just because you’re operating in the professional world doesn’t mean you have to stick to dry and boring content. After all, B2B buyers are everyday consumers, too. They may be at work, but they’d still rather be entertained and engaged by what they’re reading. Break out of the mold and make your B2B campaigns stand out. Professionalism and trustworthiness can live side-by-side with fun and personality. Here are five ways to make it happen.
Have Fun
From your website to ad campaigns and email sends, punch up your content with a joke or two. Puns. Funny photos. A clever pop culture reference. It breaks up the monotony and makes you stand out from the crowd. Don’t be afraid to have a sense of humor. Even if you work in a buttoned-up industry, seriousness and fun don’t have to be mutually exclusive.
Upwork’s “Hey World” campaign is a great example. They released a series of short videos with snarky call-outs to celebrities and companies from Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Elon Musk to NASA and Amazon. The ads are still centered on Upwork’s services as a company, but they’re entertaining and addictive — you want to watch all of them just to see who they call out next.
Go for the Graphic
The typical B2B whitepaper or case study is comprised of large blocks of text interrupted only by stock photos or boring infographics. Any B2C marketer knows that’s a surefire way to lose your audience fast. B2B buyers don’t want to be stuck reading paragraphs of dry text, either. Tone down the word count and focus on compelling visual content. With a wealth of apps and freelancer sites available to create illustrations or stunning graphics, it’s easier and more attainable than ever.
Check out Cisco’s graphic novel, SuperSmart, which uses superhero illustrations to explain security against data breaches for inspiration.
Be Relevant
No company operates inside a bubble of their industry alone. If you’re thinkink like that, you run the risk of appearing out-of-touch. Embrace popular news, trends, and current events across a variety of interests to add a broader relevance to your brand. Is there a popular TV show you can relate to your services? Make the connection and have some fun with it. Pop culture is a powerful tool of connection and a shared point-of-reference that’s instantly accessible.
PathFactory designed Star Wars-themed content to turn new GDPR regulations for email opt-ins from a chore into something entertaining and easy to understand.
Build a Brand Persona
No one wants to feel like they’re talking to a robot. Well, most people don’t. Companies spend a lot of time talking about brand identity, but what about brand personality? Give a voice to your business. If your company was a person, who would they be and how would they talk? Start by considering your audience. Who would they want to talk to? Taking on the right point-of-view can go a long way to building deeper, memorable connections with your customers.
Take a look at Bosch Professional’s “Neandertool to Millenitool” campaign. They adopted a tongue-in-cheek voice consistent across ads, videos, and personality quizzes to appeal to connect with their intended audience.
Remember the Customer
At the end of the day, it’s all about the customer, not you. Don’t let your marketing get it twisted. Even B2B companies can make use of personal narratives within their campaigns. Highlight the achievements of an employee who used your product or services. Or, like Samsung’s “Aiming Higher” campaign, spend a day-in-the-life of an employee who is putting your products to work. Tell a story your customer would love to make their own.
Whatever you do, make your B2B marketing an escape from the boring workday.
