How to add personality to B2B content writing
People often wrongly assume that all B2B content writing needs to be dry, to the point and bereft of any personality. This article aims to underscore the importance of infusing personality into your content and humanising it effectively to drive B2B engagement.
Whether you are writing for a B2C audience or a B2B one, you are ultimately writing for people. And believe it or not, people like to consume content created by…other people! Not generative AI tools, not faceless brands, but living, breathing, (and thinking) people!
Now, does that mean there’s no difference between B2C and B2B content? No! There is a difference. But this difference lies in what you talk (or write) about and why, and not always in how you do so. And that’s where people make the biggest mistake while writing B2B content. They think that just because the information conveyed is more in-depth, insightful and business-centric, it should sound like it’s delivered by Captain Holt from Brooklyn Nine-Nine.
But if you want your potential customers to seriously consider your products and services or see you as an industry leader, then your content needs to be more than just informative and concise. It should catch their attention, motivate them to take action and leave a positive and lasting impression. The most reliable way of doing that is sounding like a human, with some personality.
So, how do we increase B2B engagement by adding personality to insightful content? Let’s find out!
Let’s Humanise Your B2B Content Writing
You might believe that emotions and professionalism do not go hand in hand, especially if you are talking about B2B communications, but that’s not completely true. It plays an important role in B2B because it evokes strong feelings and if, through your content, you can provoke strong feelings, you’ve already won.
- Study your Audience
Understanding your target audience is the first step in adding a personal touch to your B2B content since you frequently interact with decision-makers, professionals and subject-matter experts in B2B communications. Although professionalism is essential, like we said, we should always keep in mind that the people in your audience are unique individuals with their preferences, problems and interests.
In order to establish a connection with your audience through your content, take time and dig deep into their world. A lot of study and research is required to understand their goals, obstacles and communication preferences. This understanding becomes the key to adding a human touch to your messages, turning them into relatable and engaging stories for the people who read them.
- Use Active Voice and Action-oriented Language
Think back to the days when your school teacher insisted on the supremacy of active voice over passive voice. Well, that lesson is more relevant now than ever.
To infuse personality into B2B content, prioritise the use of dynamic, action-packed language. Active voice not only cuts to the chase but also leads to a seamless narrative flow. By employing the active voice, you empower your readers to easily connect with the essence of your message.
In the swift currents of the B2B landscape, where attention is a scarce commodity, crafting active sentences proves invaluable. It not only enhances readability but also injects a compelling sense of urgency into your information. This sense of immediacy not only makes your content more persuasive but also spurs readers to take decisive action.
- Tell a story
“Back in the time, when content creation was not prevalent, it was difficult to…” You actually want to know what’s coming next, right?
Narrative storytelling emerges as the supreme tool to captivate your target audience—after all, who can resist the allure of a good story? You can make your content more gripping by transforming it into a compelling narrative, supported by well-placed data, facts, or other forms of evidence.
When your content risks becoming mundane or excessively factual, weave in anecdotes to inject vibrancy and interest into your B2B content. Skillfully deployed anecdotes serve as magnetic openings for your blog posts, drawing readers in with a blend of authenticity and relatability. Remember, moderation is key; when used judiciously, anecdotes become an invaluable companion.
By narrating real, relatable stories, you not only forge a connection with your audience but also enable them to retain complex information. So, let every topic unfold as a captivating story, supported at crucial junctures with reliable data.
- Inject Humor and Wit
Funny content makes a lasting impression in addition to being entertaining. And contrary to popular belief, humour works really well in the B2B world. To use humour well, just make sure that your strategy is original and true to yourself.
People respond favourably to humorous content, engaging with it more and promoting it. By using humour, organizations can reveal their personality, originality and reliability while breaking down boundaries and adding a human touch to their brand.
Adding some humour to your B2B material can help customers comprehend and make decisions more easily. However, make sure your use of humour is appropriate for your business. When it comes to tackling serious B2B topics, it’s best to avoid making jokes or funny references.
- Use a Visual Language
Enhancing B2B content goes beyond traditional visual design—it extends to the realm of visual language. While photos, videos, charts, graphs, icons, and infographics are powerful additions, words themselves can trigger vivid mental images, making your content more impactful.
Visual elements not only capture attention but also serve as vehicles for conveying ideas, narrating stories, and eliciting emotions in ways that words alone sometimes fall short. They are indispensable for keeping the audience engaged, making communications more memorable, and breaking the monotony of lengthy texts.
Beyond setting a company apart, visuals contribute to an enriched user experience, fostering increased engagement and, ultimately, boosting conversions. By strategically incorporating images and employing visual language in B2B content, companies not only distinguish themselves from competitors but also seize the readers’ attention in a way that resonates visually and intellectually.
Conclusion
Adding personality to B2B content writing is not just a creative flourish but also an essential tactical requirement. In order to create content that goes beyond the typical corporate front, it helps to understand your audience on a human level, keep your brand voice constant and incorporate engaging anecdotes and humour. We can more effectively link professionalism and dependability when we acknowledge that B2B interactions involve people with different interests and problems.
Making the communication process more human by using visuals, welcoming language, or engaging stories will lead to greater impact, interactions, and engagement. Integrating personality in this way, therefore, becomes essential to building long-lasting relationships, differentiating your brand, and making sure your content makes an impact on your audience in the fast-paced, attention-starved world of B2B.
