The Blind Spot in B2B Marketing

Before we examine the blind spot, let’s stare into the face of the truth for a moment:

People don’t bond with a company. People bond with a personality.

Apple didn’t wait until they were category-dominant to develop a personality. They had personality in 1984 when they aired their famous SuperBowl ad. They had personality in 1997 when cultural icons in black-and-white photos encouraged us to “Think Different.” They had personality in 2003 when they sold iPods using only dancing silhouettes. And they had personality in 2006 when Justin Long and John Hodgman said, “I’m a Mac,” “And I’m a PC.”

Steve Jobs died in 2011.

The blind spot in most B2B companies is that they think it isn’t “corporate-ish” to have a personality. This is why B2B marketing is tedious, predictable, and boring.

When amateur presenters are onstage, they look polished, professional, poised and plastic, don’t they?

Experienced presenters feel spontaneous, extemporaneous, unfiltered and unguarded.

Anyone who says, “But B2B is different,” is an amateur presenter.

B2B marketers know that people are required to use different criteria when making choices at work than the criteria they use when making choices at home. At work, they’re not free to follow their instincts and “go with their gut.”

I do not dispute this.

B2B marketers know that when a business sells to a business, the buyer must gather information and make comparisons to defend their decision.

I do not dispute this. But that doesn’t mean your advertising has to be plastic, pretentious, and predictable.

The purpose of a photograph, illustration, or video thumbnail is to get the customer to read the subject line, headline, or listen to the opening line.

The purpose of the opening line is to entice the customer to read the first line of body copy.

The job of the first line of body copy is to cause the reader to keep reading, the listener to keep listening, and the viewer to keep viewing.

The details the buyer will need to defend their purchase are contained in the body copy.

Please don’t tell me you are required to use boring and predictable photographs, illustrations, and video thumbnails simply because your category is B2B.

Please don’t tell me you are required to write plastic and pretentious headlines, subject lines and opening lines simply because your category is B2B.

The details the buyer will need to defend their purchase are contained in the body copy.

Job One is to gain attention and win the heart. This requires personality.

Job Two is to deliver the details so that your customer can defend their decision to purchase from you.

Job Three is to deposit your profits before they pile so high that you need a tractor to shift them.

Now please, for the sake of your future, go write some B2B headlines, subject lines, and opening lines that have some personality.

And once you have selected a personality, stick with it. Because this will become the defining characteristic that distinguishes you from your competitors.

I’ve been needing to get that off my chest for 25 years.

Thanks for listening.

Roy H. Williams