Storytelling works in B2B marketing because it makes complex products easier to understand and gives buyers a reason to trust you, which they need before switching from their current provider. The most effective B2B stories are customer success stories, before-and-after stories, problem-solution stories, your company’s origin story and underdog stories, used on your website, in sales pitches and in email marketing.
Below, we cover why B2B marketing is hard, what B2B storytelling is, its benefits and how to use it, with examples.
The Challenge of B2B Marketing
B2B marketing can be a tough nut to crack. After all, businesses are complex organizations with many moving parts, and each decision-maker has their own set of needs and wants. That said, there are some tried and true methods for reaching and appealing to business customers.
First, understand the buying process for businesses. Unlike consumers, who tend to buy based on emotion, businesses are more likely to make decisions based on logic and facts. As a result, B2B marketers need to create materials that highlight the features and benefits of their products or services. Also, target messages to specific decision-makers within an organization.
Finally, building personal relationships is critical in B2B marketing. After all, business deals are often based on trust, so build rapport with potential customers. By understanding these key principles, B2B marketers can overcome the challenges of marketing to businesses and find success in this unique arena.
What is B2B Storytelling?
B2B storytelling is the art of using stories to build relationships and sell products or services to other businesses. It’s a way of marketing that’s based on building trust and creating connections, rather than simply pitching a product. Done well, B2B storytelling can be an incredibly powerful tool. After all, stories are how we humans make sense of the world around us. They’re how we learn, how we communicate, and how we connect with others. In business, stories can be a great way to build relationships, establish trust, and close deals. Of course, not all B2B storytelling is created equal. In order to be effective, your stories need to be well-crafted, relevant and targeted at your audience. They also need to be delivered in a way that’s engaging and memorable. But when done right, B2B storytelling can be a powerful tool for growing your business.
The term “B2B” stands for “business-to-business.” B2B companies sell their products or services to other businesses rather than to individual consumers. In marketing, B2B companies often face the challenge of selling complex, expensive, and not particularly glamorous products. To overcome these challenges, B2B marketers often rely on storytelling.
By crafting engaging and relatable stories about their products or services, B2B marketers can connect with their audience on a more emotional level and ultimately drive sales. So, next time you hear a company tell a story about their product, chances are they’re doing some B2B storytelling.
The Benefits of B2B Storytelling
B2B marketers have to convince buyers that their product solves the problem and that it’s worth the effort of switching providers. Stories help with both: they show the result and build trust at the same time.
And one of the best ways to do both is through storytelling. When done well, stories can engage potential customers on an emotional level and make complex topics more relatable and digestible.
But that’s not all. Storytelling can also:
- Help you stand out from the competition. In the age of content marketing, everyone is producing vast amounts of information about their products and services. And while this is great for potential customers, it can also be overwhelming. Telling a story can help you break through the noise and grab attention.
- Forge an emotional connection with your audience. Stories have the ability to evoke emotions, which can in turn lead to a more positive association with your brand.
- Make complex topics more relatable. When you’re trying to explain a complicated concept, stories can be a helpful tool for making it more relatable and easy to understand.
Stories can make the difference between a campaign buyers remember and one they forget.
How to Use Storytelling in Your B2B Marketing
And one of the best ways to do both is through storytelling. When done well, stories can engage potential customers on an emotional level and make complex topics more relatable and digestible.
But how exactly can you use storytelling in your B2B marketing? Here are a few ideas:
- Use stories to introduce your brand. Instead of starting with a list of features and benefits, try using a story to introduce your company. This can help you forge an emotional connection with your audience from the start.
- Use stories in your sales pitches. If you’re trying to win over a new client, tell them a story about how your product or service has helped a similar company in the past. This makes your pitch more interesting and more convincing.
- Use stories on your website. Your website is often the first place potential customers will go to learn about your company. Make sure you’re using storytelling to grab their attention, conduct a regular content audit to improve your messaging, and communicate what makes you unique.
- Use stories in your email marketing. Email is a great way to stay in touch with potential and current customers. Partnering with a B2B email marketing agency can help craft compelling email campaigns that keep your audience engaged and interested through storytelling.
Examples of Effective B2B Storytelling
Storytelling is a powerful marketing tool that can help you engage potential customers and win over new business. But what makes a good story?
Here are a few examples of effective B2B storytelling:
- The company origin story. This is the story of how your company was founded and can be a great way to introduce your brand.
- The customer success story. This is a story about how one of your customers used your product or service to achieve success. Customer success stories are especially convincing because they show potential customers that your solution works.
- The before-and-after story. This type of story chronicles the journey of a customer from before they used your product or service to after. These stories are often emotional and can be very effective in demonstrating the value of your offering.
- The problem-solution story. This is a story about a customer who had a problem that your product or service was able to solve. These stories are great for showing how your offering can meet the needs of your target market.
- The David and Goliath story. This is a story about how your company was able to succeed against all odds. These stories are great for showing potential customers that you’re a scrappy, underdog company that’s worth taking a chance on.
Those are 5 types of B2B story you can start using right away.
Start With One Customer Story
Start with one customer success story. Pick a client who got a clear result, interview them about the problem they had and what changed, and write it up with specific numbers. Use it on your website, in sales pitches and in your next email.
Stories stick with buyers long after a list of facts and figures fades, because they engage emotion as well as logic.
Once you see how that story performs, build more around each stage of your B2B marketing funnel.