Unravelling the mystery of B2B brand storytelling

Stories on our minds

Take a moment to think about some of your favourite novels, films, and songs. Chances are, you have some sense of connection with their authors, however vague or ambivalent. When a story entertains, shocks, or moves us, our emotions fly under the radar of rational thought to create an impression of the person telling the story: as witty, caring, trustworthy – or perhaps as distasteful and obnoxious.

As humans, we are hardwired to connect with stories. They help us make sense of our often chaotic world. They also let us connect with each other. We constantly use storytelling to build and maintain relationships. For better or worse, stories guide and motivate us in a way that naked facts cannot.

This is the power, and risk, of brand storytelling. It can make your business more relatable and memorable, shaping the perception of your brand’s personality and character. Well-crafted stories can trigger positive emotional responses. The opposite is also true: stories that confuse, offend, or bore your audience can cause lasting damage.

Because your audience is made up of people who engage with stories on a daily basis, it’s crucial to know what stories to tell and how to tell them. The possibilities are endless. Let’s take a look at the very basics.

Sorry – you’re not the hero

We all know the most classic kind of story: a hero sets out to overcome a challenge, often arising from unexpected change. Somewhere along their journey, the hero encounters a guide, who helps and equips them to accomplish their goal. This framework, or some version of it, is a useful starting point for almost any storytelling effort. It can be tweaked and embellished indefinitely. The important question to keep in mind along the way is: “who’s the real hero in this story?”

The thing is, no one likes a self-important storyteller. Brands that do effective storytelling don’t just chronicle their decades of heroic success. Or showcase the impressive R&D efforts behind their latest product. They know that their customers aren’t looking for a hero, but a guide.

So, instead, let your customer be the hero. And let your story show the value of your guidance in overcoming concrete challenges. The key word here is show. Stories are great for getting your message across without being heavy-handed. This is especially important when addressing an audience of experts who are wary of pushy promotions – as is often the case in B2B marketing.

Crafting your stories

So, should you spend your entire budget on elaborate storytelling campaigns? Not necessarily. The storytelling framework that we have sketched here – the customer as hero and you as their guide – can serve as a starting point and overarching principle for all your market communication, big and small.

The hero/guide logic can influence the way you craft and structure content, whether it’s website content intended to inform audiences about your business or short-form videos intended to drive ROI in your social media channels. Asking yourself “what story are we telling here?” helps strengthen the focus and flow of your content, making it clear how your offering fits the context and journey of your prospects.

The common B2B case story is a good example. How do you angle these stories? Often, we’re tempted to make an impression by beating our own drum: “We helped Company X through another successful implementation of Product Y.”  What if instead, we focus almost entirely on the customer: “Company X cleared a major hurdle. Product Y was instrumental in the process.”  By placing the customer, their challenge and their accomplishment front and centre, you give prospects more to identify and connect with. And the value of your guidance actually comes across stronger, simply because you take a supporting role.

Again: when it’s time to get full-on creative, the options are endless. You may choose a completely different path. The important thing is to choose with awareness and purpose. No matter how clever or entertaining, your content should speak to the context and goals of your audience.

Where do we go from here?

Storytelling, when done right, isn’t something the marketing world will “get over” anytime soon. As B2B professionals, we need to go beyond buzzwords and trends to see how and where storytelling can help us connect with customers.

It can be daunting to adopt a storytelling approach for B2B market communication. Sure, dull marketing is infamously ineffective – but we don’t want to dumb down our messaging, right? After all, there are heaps of facts, stats, features and benefits to convey. So, how do we go about it?

This is where Comprend can guide you (see what I did there?) in implementing strategic storytelling that resonates with your customers; turning heads and hearts towards your brand while providing the content they need to convert. After all, B2B audiences are people like the rest of us.