Storytelling isn’t just for B2C marketers
Once upon a time, B2B marketers turned their noses up at storytelling, believing it would come across as childish or not professional enough for their audience – that it should only be reserved for their B2C counterparts. But one day, a brave marketer picked up her sword (OK, pen) and wrote a powerful story that tapped into her company’s dream audience’s deepest work-based desires. She wrote, and wrote, and wrote, cleverly touching on their needs, then turning them into the hero of the story by offering them a solution that gave them the results and success they dreamt of.
OK, so that’s not an entirely true story, but what is true is that B2B marketers absolutely can – and should – use storytelling in their marketing if they want to really attract the attention of their target audience and see great results.
What is storytelling?
The Cambridge Dictionary describes storytelling as “the activity of writing, telling, or reading stories”. It’s something we learn from an early age, and a skill that serves us well throughout our lives. And that goes for our working lives, too. If you can create a story in which you present your prospect as the protagonist, highlight their needs, and show them a solution that will help them overcome their main issues – one which turns them into the hero of their story – you’re on to a winner.
Do you really know what your audience needs?
Before you put pen to paper (or finger to keyboard), you should get to really know your audience. What makes their job hard? What do they need in order to do their job more effectively, and how does what you’re marketing come into that equation? My point is, don’t just guess – actually do the research and really get to understand the people behind the companies you’re wanting to engage.
The power of words
Communication is something that’s absolutely key in sales and marketing. But it isn’t a new concept – it’s ancient! Though, still as important now as ever. Without it, how can you possibly understand someone’s needs, let alone provide them with a solution?
There are tonnes of sayings out there about words being powerful, and it’s so true. Magical (well, scientific) things happen in our brains when we hear stories. Different parts of the brain are activated. Emotions are provoked. Chemicals are released. It’s fascinating stuff!
There’s a lot of power behind words. But any old words are not enough. They need to be carefully considered, selected, and positioned in the right places and at the right time in your prospect’s journey. There are even storytelling structures that are commonly used in order to present a story.
But a story alone won’t cut it.
Storytelling + digital forensics
While digital forensics sounds like something you’d hear on a Netflix true-crime show, don’t worry – it’s far from that. It’s actually an incredible tool used within marketing that helps you:
- Understand if a prospect has an interest in your service, product or brand
- Discover where your target audience hangs out online
- Offers data-driven techniques to identify your desirable connections and touchpoints
- Legally and compliantly find and track your target audience
- Target the right audience at the right time with the right content
- Generate leads and connections with strong conversion rates
Thankfully, if that all sounds a bit complicated, or you love the sound of making your content really stand out from the crowd and appeal to your target audience, we have just the ebook for you.
Storyselling: Combining the power of words with digital forensics is the new ebook from KAYBE that delves into the topic of storytelling, why it matters in B2B marketing, and how, when combined with digital forensics, it gives you the ultimate advantage in attracting your dream clients.
We provide you with the knowhow and the tools to be able to use storytelling effectively in your own B2B marketing efforts in order to get incredible results.
If that all sounds swell, grab yourself a copy and make storytelling work for you!
