The Marketing Millennials

276 - Can You Use Fiction In B2B Marketing? A Chat With Ian Faison.

Sep 4, 2024

Ian Faison, an expert in the intersection of fiction and B2B marketing, delves into how storytelling can revolutionize marketing strategies. He discusses the concept of edutainment, emphasizing the need for engaging fictional content that resonates with audiences. Faison cites a successful murder mystery podcast as a prime example of captivating storytelling. He also highlights the importance of treating content as a product tailored to audience needs, advocating for a blend of entertaining series and targeted messaging. Humor and personalized content are key themes in modern B2B marketing.

39:35

Episode guests

Ian Faison

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Episode notes

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Quick takeaways

Balancing education and entertainment through creative content, like fiction, can significantly enhance engagement in B2B marketing.

Serialized content fosters ongoing audience interest and loyalty, enabling brands to stand out by providing value beyond traditional marketing approaches.

Deep dives

The Concept of Edutainment in Content Creation

Content plays a crucial role in marketing, extending beyond traditional formats to include podcasts, blogs, and ad copy. The edutainment graph illustrates the relationship between the educational and entertaining value of content, encouraging marketers to produce materials that rank high in both areas. The goal is to create content that is not only informative but also engaging enough to captivate the audience, thereby increasing retention and interest. By plotting existing content on this graph, marketers can identify where improvements can be made to elevate their materials from being dry and uninteresting to becoming more impactful and enjoyable.

Intro

2min

Innovative Storytelling in B2B Marketing

20min

The Art of Storytelling in B2B Marketing

4min

Content as a Product: Engaging Audiences

5min

Harnessing Humor in B2B Marketing: The ClickUp Example

2min

Targeted Content for B2B Personas

6min

Fiction is one of the most consumed forms of content and entertainment in the world, yet there isn’t much crossover into the world of B2B.

Leaning heavily on educational content, templates, and guides is the way of old B2B Marketing, the brands crushing in 2024 are striking the perfect balance between education and entertainment.

And today’s guest Ian Faison has a few HOT TAKES around taking big swings, cutting through the noise, and the role that fiction could play in B2B Marketing in the upcoming years…

So let’s hear him out.

02:24 The Concept of Edutainment in Marketing

05:03 Creating Engaging Fictional Content

11:57 B2B Marketing Done Right

17:04 The Importance of Serialized Content

33:20 Final Thoughts and Takeaways

Follow Ian:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ianfaison/

Follow Daniel:

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@themarketingmillennials/featured

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/Dmurr68

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-murray-marketing