B2B Monday Myth: My Brand Doesn’t Have a Story to Tell
by MGB2B
The Myth: My Brand Doesn’t Have a Story To Tell.
The Truth: There’s More Than One Way to Tell (or Spin) a Story.
As the Internet becomes more crowded with B2B content, it is increasingly difficult for brands to stand out. One way to do so is by telling more compelling stories than your competitors. While you may already be aware of this, perhaps you don’t consider your brand’s story intriguing enough to get the job done. Well, here’s some good news. Even if your company’s story isn’t worthy of a Hollywood film adaptation, there may be an angle or two you haven’t looked at yet.
Do your clients have compelling stories that you have contributed to and are allowed to discuss publicly? For instance, a company that manufactures plastic parts may seem uninteresting. But if that company manufacturers a part that helps a scientist make a medical breakthrough, that’s a storytelling opportunity. Even if you don’t have that kind of story, you may be able to, as an industry expert, provide insights on relevant stories in the news. Many manufacturers already use these approaches for storytelling.
Here are a few examples of creative B2B brand storytelling:
GE – GE has an entire separate website devoted to content. It not only showcases their own case studies, but also highlights other stories. There are articles that don’t even contain “GE” anywhere in the copy. Instead, they represent the innovation with which GE has made itself synonymous.
Cisco – Cisco is a master at content marketing and another example of a B2B brand that has its own website just for content. They also have a gigantic content team to keep it running. Cisco has established itself as the authority in digital networking, which means they can easily discuss topics like smart cities. And their words carry significant weight with their prospects.
Betatronix – Even if you aren’t a highly visible B2B brand like GE or Cisco, you can still try this approach. Betatronix, a company that manufacturers potentiometers and other components, may seem uninteresting at first. But not when you find out who they work with – NASA. Just one of many clients with major news stories that Betatronix can either contribute to directly or provide expert commentary on.
If you think your brand doesn’t have a story to tell, take a step back and look at the big picture. By analyzing your impact on your more well-known client’s projects or looking at what’s going on in the industries surround your brand – you’ll be able to find plenty of stories to tell. You don’t need a 100-person content team to make it happen. You can simply use your blog to distribute your stories as often as you can. Doing so will establish a more personal connection with your consumers and prospects. It’s a strategy that will feed your lead-generation engine well into the future.
Tags: b2b brand storytelling, Cisco, content marketing, examples of brand storytelling, GE