B2B Can be Creative, Too – Tips and tricks for compelling communications
Hey you, B2B advertiser. Yeah, you. What makes you think you’re so special? Who told you B2B advertising needs to be stuffy? And wordy? And boring? And where’d you get the idea it had to be all about your products and nothing about your audience? Get a clue. Or better yet, four of my best clues – with this helpful how-to on developing better B2B creative.
1. Get their attention.
Notice how I started this article. From the word “go,” I spoke directly and concisely to you as an individual, and that has kept you reading – at least up to this point. Your business communications should do the same. The single-most important rule for all marketing communication is to remember that the audience for mass communication consists of individual people. Engaging all of them, regardless of whether they’re at work or at home, means connecting with each one of them on emotional and/or intellectual level.
2. Get comfortable with “you.”
If we’re communicating with people, why not address them that way? Using “you,” “your,” “yours” and “yourself” is not only acceptable; it’s ideal. Going a step further, revisiting the grammar principle known as Understood You is one of the best ways to illicit a response in a call to action. The uninitiated might feel as though it’s rude to command someone to do anything in marketing. They’re wrong. For example, never say, “You can get more details at www.companyx.com ” when you can get to the point and tell them where to go: “Go to companyx.com for details.”
3. Realize that your audience doesn’t really care about your product or service.
Once you put yourself into the mindset that you’re communicating with individuals like yourself, ask yourself how much you’d really care about your brand of masking tape or microprocessor or business services. If you do that, you’ll understand that people aren’t interested in buying anything for the sake of that thing. They buy both B2B and B2C products out of some perceived self-interest. They buy that masking tape, microprocessors or business services because it makes their job easier, impresses their boss or helps the company make more money. It’s simple human psychology. When you stop to think about your own B2B buying decisions, you’ll see the same principles at work. Once you change that perspective, you’ll focus on the benefits to the customer instead of talking about the features of your product or service,
4.Make your audience powerful.
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve read “Product X enables __________, allowing _________ and _________ to happen.” I have three words to describe that kind of writing. Terr. I. Ble. Instead of making convoluted, passive product claims, put your audience in the driver’s seat by making what I’d call a “power promise.” Tell them succinctly what they’ll be able to do once they have your product. Notice the difference between the statement above and this one: With Product X, you’ll _________ better and ___________ faster.” This not only keeps the focus on their needs but also helps them start to imagine how much better off they’ll be with your product.
There you have it – four key principles to making B2B communications more creative. Put these tips into practice – or demand that your communications agency does – and you’ll be on your way to much more effective marketing communications.
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