One of the biggest myths in B2B marketing is that it’s boring. There’s no excitement. No pizzazz. And for many a B2B brand, there’s some truth to that perception: They struggle with how to be credible without being stiff, fun without being silly, and persuasive without being too salesy.
But that doesn’t have to be you.
Somewhere in the middle of it all is your brand’s authentic personality: genuine, compelling, and powerful. Strike the right balance, and you’ll infuse new life into your communications, boosting engagement and outpacing your competitors.
How exciting is that?
As copywriters, we like to believe our readers hang on to our every word as we carefully craft troves of marketing content to engage, inspire and persuade. But it’s not so much about the specific words we use—though they matter. It’s more about the overall impression our words create that generates the excitement and enthusiasm that leads to action. In other words, your brand voice is more about how you make your audience feel than what you say.
Building an exciting B2B brand voice takes effort. You can put some zest in your brand’s voice using 4 key elements.
Be memorable.
Whether it’s the best dancer in the room or the person with the funniest jokes, you remember the life of the party. Their personality connected in some inspiring way with others. Your brand voice is your personality. The way you connect is the way your audience will remember you.
The way to surprise and delight B2B audiences will differ sharply for every brand. There’s no one method to drive connection; just like every person is unique, every brand is different.
Some brands will inject wit and humor to lighten the mood. Sopro, a technology-enabled lead generation service, adds an edge to TV ad copy: “Sopro makes finding clients easy. You just have to deal with them.” This wry bit of humor exposes a truth that any prospect can relate to—and one they won’t soon forget. In this way, Sopro endears themselves to their audience, engendering the trust that eventually leads to a sale.
Be empathetic.
Consider a customer-centric approach when developing your voice. When you genuinely understand your target audience and what’s important to them, you can generate excitement and enthusiasm for your audience. What are their preferences, pain points, and interests—and how can you speak to them in a way that resonates?
When a high-tech company tells you it’s more than just a technology company, it’s subtly addressing a concern its target audience may have about adopting new innovations. And when the company is called Snowflake, they seem even less intimidating. The data tech company goes to great lengths to address customer needs and concerns (“Let Snowflake handle maintenance, administration, and a host of other automated services so you don’t have to—no knobs to turn, nothing to tweak.”) and carries the voice throughout the volumes of educational resources they provide.
When your voice resonates with the needs and aspirations of your target audience, they’ll feel like you ‘get’ them. They’ll recognize this and remember you. Speak proudly about your brand’s values, mission, and how your offerings can solve your customers’ problems. Give them what they need to believe you can help them—and watch the trust build from there.
Be a storyteller.
Never underestimate the power of a good story. Don’t simply highlight your brand’s innovative solutions, products, or services—find ways to put them into a narrative. When prospects can see your vision for how your products and services can help them, it eliminates the guesswork for them. They can begin to imagine the possibilities.
Adobe offers web analytics for business intelligence, which isn’t an easy concept for everyone to grasp. But the company created an engaging story about the dangers of not paying attention to what’s happening at your business website in their Click, Baby, Click video. A baby aimlessly clicks an order button on a company’s website, making it appear as though orders for encyclopedias are on the upswing, which they aren’t. It’s a compelling story that demonstrates the importance of web analytics for any business.
Be human.
When you understand who you’re talking to and what you want to say, you can choose dynamic and expressive lingo to seize attention and evoke emotions—just like you would if your audience were sitting across the table. When you speak in person, you’re often witty, friendly, and even slightly unconventional. Bring that same flavor to your B2B writing. Avoid jargon or overly formal language that can make your brand sound dull and stiff—that’s not exciting.
First Round Capital, a venture capital firm specializing in providing seed-stage funding to technology companies, takes a down-to-earth approach in a buttoned-up industry like finance. By infusing an empathetic approach with their website copy, they make themselves relatable—rather than a bunch of dull financiers. A line from the “Team” page reads: We’re founders and tech junkies — your first call, the coach in the corner, and a kick in the ass when you need it most.” As a result, the website isn’t intimidating. In fact, it’s welcoming to entrepreneurs who don’t know much about raising money for a new business adventure.
At MarketSmiths, we partner with our clients to help them capture their authentic voices—and amplify them to the world. As an extension of your organization, we’re your on-demand content resource, here to keep your brand language exciting, memorable, engaging, and fresh at all times. Contact us to start a new project today.
