B2B Monday Myth: B2B Content Can’t Be Fun

by MGB2B

The Myth: B2B Content Is Business-Only, So Keep It Dry

The Truth: Bored Prospects Will Drop You Like a Hot Potato

B2B prospects are in business mode. But they are, in fact, people. They get bombarded with content every day, so you need to make yours count. It doesn’t have to be mind-blowingly creative, but it does have to be interesting enough to keep the attention of your prospects and informative enough to give you credibility and establish your brand as an authority in your category.

Here are some quick tips to add some edge to your content while keeping it effective.

1. Start with Personas. If you’re unfamiliar with personas, they are a representation of your ideal customer, and an important element to have in place before you even start creating your content. You craft personas using market research on your existing customers. Unlike a broader target audience, you can include a lot more in your personas, like what they do in their spare time, what they care most about, and what keeps them up at night. The most interesting content addresses these key issues instead of just talking about what makes your brand so great. Done correctly, personas are one of the most important parts of your B2B content marketing strategy, not to mention your overall marketing strategy.
2. Keep it Conversational. B2B content has a reputation of being formal and dry. Try writing like you talk, or better yet, hire someone who’s been doing it for years (or an agency who has one on staff). Adding personality and emphasizing the more human qualities of your company – sometimes even using humor if it works well – will make your brand seem more relatable.
3. Show Some Emotion. You are not a robot. Use emotion to appeal to the values of your audience. Emotions come into play whether your prospects are making personal decisions or business decisions. This is why developing personas that incorporate what your ideal customer cares about – both at work and at home – is important. Your content will be written to influence the emotions that surround what your audience is passionate about.
4. Incorporate Relevant Trending Topics. Relevant is the key word here. Referencing a little pop culture or a current trend is a good way to spice up your B2B content, but it can’t feel forced. Peruse the trends in your industry and listen to what people are talking about at the water cooler, and see if it can fit into your content naturally. Big piece of advice: avoid politics at all costs.
5. Break It Up. There is without a doubt information you need to include in your content to get your point across and educate your audience. But clumping this content into one long, dragged-out paragraph will bore your readers. Try breaking up your text with bolded headlines, visuals, numbered lists, bullet points, and quotes or bite-sized pieces of information. When you’re done creating content, take a step back and ask yourself, “is this scannable?” If the answer is no, you need to break it up even more.
6. Get Visual. Your insights don’t always have to live as only words. Infographics, charts, photography, and videos are engaging ways to present valuable data. Considering that articles with visuals get 94% more views, this is a pretty important piece of advice.

Hope these tips help you as you start adding some fun into your content program. If you need any more advice about B2B content, feel free to drop us a line.