“You’re never going to kill storytelling, because it’s built in the human plan. We come with it”- Margaret Atwood, author of The Handmaid’s Tale
Data and story are like the mind and heart. One appeals because it is functional and rational, while the other because it is emotional.
In the world of romantics, the head and heart rarely agree. A disagreement that has spectacular results to its credit! The artistic and literary jewels produced by the great poets of the Romantic period that tranced Europe towards the end of 18th century – Wordsworth, Blake, Coleridge, Shelly, Byron and Keats –all drew their inspiration from emotion and imagination.
In modern-day content writing, however, the head and heart cannot afford to be in conflict. The functionality of data must be married with the emotion of storytelling to strike empathy with the audience.
Research by one of the University of South California schools, USCDornsife (Dana and David Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences), shows that emotions score over rational content.
Going by the performance of advertising campaigns, 31% of advertisements that appealed to emotions were more successful vis-à-vis the 16% of those that focused solely on rational content.
Now, sentiments can be triggered using different themes, such as love, empathy, achievement, pride, or loneliness. The reason emotions appeal is because they influence the intent to buy. Likeability is the greatest indicator of the impact of an advertisement on sales. Ideally, that which applies to B2C advertising/marketing should apply to content writing in B2B digital marketing, too.
But does a blanket approach work?
No. Because buying decision-making in B2B scenarios is a different game altogether. It is largely fact-based or data-centric and is time-consuming. Buying cycles are longer because people think through before making any purchase; there are no hasty decisions based on irrationality or emotions alone—there is no way you can play with client’s money.
The only time, perhaps, gut plays a role in decision-making is when the CEO or the business owners themselves are taking decisions. Here, some kind of influence of stories may work. But that is far and few.
Clearly, storytelling in B2B is both challenging and interesting.The underlying veneer of decision-making is emotional at the end of the day, but how to project that the decision-maker was led to the decision they made or fulfilled the intent of buying what they bought – this is the main question.
Challenging as it might be, storytelling is fast emerging as an important strategic tool in the B2B domain. Whether B2B or B2C, everyone is looking to build human connection – and storytelling affords that. It makes a compelling case for call to action.
According to a July 2022 article by Forbes, “B2B businesses must compete in the realm of buyer trust and authority. Storytelling will become a key component for businesses to educate and attract their audiences and communities. Purpose-powered communities will flock around business topics that are relevant to them”.
Focus of storytelling in B2B should be on deciding the intent of the asset vis-à-vis selling the product or service, as per Tech Funnel.com, a tech media web property. The core idea is to humanize the business by creating a persona that customers can connect with.
There are several formats, such as case studies, thought leadership, infographics, success stories or testimonials. Each of these can be leveraged to create a unique selling proposition (USP), something the consumer can connect with beyond regular problem-solving.
How do we do that?
Proof of the pudding lies in taste: An example
Suppose you are launching an order management solution, and you need to introduce the product on your website.
You can go about it in two ways:
Scenario 1:
Here is a solution that will reduce your order management pains in e-commerce. All you need to do is buy it from us.
Don’t wait a minute longer and implement our solution. It is cost-effective and efficient.
Scenario 2:
In e-commerce, efficiency calls the shots. What if taking control of order/inventory management made all the difference to your competitive positioning in the market? Embracing an intuitive and highly advanced order management software can provide you that cutting edge you are looking for.
Our cost-effective order management solution is designed to do just that. You can add items, manage sales and purchase orders, add customers, track packages/shipments, send delivery updates – name the process and we’ve got you covered. Above all, you can delight your customers.
Now tell me who would not want that extra bandwidth our solution will free up for you to focus on growing sales, rather than just managing them?
Not convinced?
No worries – we know seeing is believing.
Sign up for our free demo today.
Both descriptions convey the same point. In fact, the first one directly cuts to the chase. But it is anyone’s guess what will serve as a stronger call for action.
Every piece of content tells a story. Long-form or short-form. Of course, it will depend on the shape you give. So, how do you build a story that talks to consumers, irrespective of the format?
Leaving a trail wherever I go: Steps to follow in effective B2B content marketing storytelling
Every misconception is a poison: there are no harmless misconceptions. Everlasting wisdom from Leo Tolstoy.
The biggest misconception for any content writer is that only a conventional story with characters and a characteristic storyline around fiction or fact sells.
Every product or service, development, trend, performance is a story, and hence, can be told accordingly.
Yes, the two will differ in structure, but that’s about it.
Whenever you write about a product, or a solution, or while capturing your own thoughts, visualize what structure you can give, if not the conventional story-like. What would you want to focus on? How will you build on it? What should be an excellent introduction? What would the body read like? And the conclusion?
Can a product description fit the format above? It can…think hard.
It’s always the surface of the iceberg. You are sitting on a treasure trove of knowledge! Why let it go waste?
Dig deep. Pull out the gems.
So, what if you are writing on corporate topics? Who said you cannot refer to history or geography to make your case?
Now Jupiter and Earth share a complicated relationship. Some believe the giant planet protects the Earth from the dangerous asteroids that are hurled towards us, while some believe Jupiter is the devil that sends comets at us like a stealthy sniper.
What is Jupiter: The Godfather, or The Devil’s Advocate?
There you go!
Short supply of raw material won’t do. Data, both quantitative and qualitative for effective decision-making.
You are writing a story, right? Not fiction. Use data where required.
Research thoroughly. Look up relevant sources.
There is something with numbers. They are scientific and give visibility. With quantification, comes credibility.
Yes, the overall venture is time-consuming, but no pain, no gain.
Don’t punch the target, punch through the target. Words attributed to martial artist Bruce Lee.
Well, we are not talking about fist fights literally.
But if you lose sight of your target audience, you will land up with irrelevant and poor messaging.
To punch the message through them—as in for incisive messaging—start with understanding who they are. What is their domain? Which terrain do they come from? What is it they are looking for? Which language do they speak? How much time will they be willing to go through the matter?
This will help you tailor your content.
Say, you are required to write a blog for an e-commerce platform.
What is the first thing you do?
Take your notepad, do some sketchy reading on e-commerce topics in general, and produce a short piece based on that.
Wrong. If this is what you do, be prepared to see your work consigned to trash.
Why? Because the messaging is not right. You don’t know whom you are writing for. Hence, it will not reach the correct audience.
The to-do’s:
- Look up the e-commerce platform for which you are going to write, thoroughly.
- Read and understand the business it is into: the prospects and the challenges; the segments and sub-segments it caters to.
- Find out who are its target audience – these are your prospective readers. The objective of the blog is to draw them to the website. Understand their pain points, concerns or needs. What is it that they are looking for? If they are online retailers, what are the challenges confronting them: high rate of merchandise returns, inefficient order management, the need for digitization of operations?
- This will help you zero in on the topic. And, when you look from their perspective, you will develop the perspective to write it.
- For example, if you have to suggest 5 ways to lower merchandise or returns, your next step is to do research and find out what these are. Read as extensively as you can to lend weight to your write-up. Whatever the length, research has to be thorough.
- Fix the length of the write-up. This is important to draw and retain attention. Usually, pieces that convey more in lesser words, stick.
- Now that you have your matter and direction to proceed, prepare the structure.
- Begin with a short introduction on the current scenario.
- Dive in and succinctly put down the 5 ways to lower returns, each in a separate paragraph.
- Conclusion is a must. It shows your ability as a writer to draw inferences. Conclude with clarity.
- Add a call to action.
Weaker the Wi-Fi, the better it is. Wireless connections are good for the Internet.
An impactful content needs to be hard-wired with a proper, error-free structure.
Impactful opening.
With little ado, delving into the topic.
Powerful headlines: Sometimes a lot rests in a name.
Short paragraphs.
Points blending seamlessly into one another. Not more than 2 points in a paragraph.
Good flow.
Error-free grammar. Poor English distracts, besides speaking poorly about the writer.
(Golden Rule: Bad grammar is expensive.)
No long-winding sentences. Crisp is nice.
A professional color scheme because you want your words to be taken seriously. Rainbows only look good in the sky.
Infographics and blurbs for readers on the go. Visuals relieve monotony, too.
In the end, a logical conclusion: Life’s a full circle!
Does the world belong to you? They say it belongs to the person who reads.
So, go on and cultivate that habit. Be an avid reader. You will start understanding different styles of writing and what makes each click.
If grammar is your weak point, work on it until it becomes your strength. Grow your knowledge by reading. Take as many assessment tests as you can. Most grammar websites offer these for free. Take the trial or sample language assessments of international entrance exams.
Words have a way with the subconscious. They seep in.
Before you realize, you’ll be producing sentences and pouring out words unthinkable for you earlier.
You have wit of your own. Showcase it. Original is not dull.
Do not plagiarize another’s work. If you take facts or ideas, cite the source. This will make your work credible.
However insipid the initial response, do not give up. It may take you time to discover your strength in storytelling, but with practice, you will become perfect.
To conclude
Every content tells a story. How you write makes the difference.
Writing a story that sells may not be easy, but it is not that difficult either.
Because your story reflects your personality. You may be writing about products, services or solutions, but it is you who speaks through your writing.
The key is to discover who we are and what is our style.
And this is a more complex task, not impossible, though.
All you need to do is keep working in the direction.
And as you proceed, you will realize how the story is taking shape.
So, experiment, test your limits, tear as many sheets you may have to (figuratively – we are all environment-conscious), and sweat at it until you discover your version.
Only remember you need a head and heart to make the story complete. There is a reason the universe conceptualized a complete body as one with the head and heart in their proper places.
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If you are looking to tell a story but finding it challenging to develop, we are here to help. We will help you frame it right such that your readers readily digest the idea and reach back to you for further information.