September 18, 2014
News flash! B2B marketing is emotional. More and more marketers are recognising the importance of psychology behind purchases, and the emotional state that customers are in when they connect with a brand.
Not dissimilar to the concept of H2H (human 2 human). Brands need to lose the unnatural techie jargon when they are trying to engage with customers, and remember that it’s actually another person reading your marketing messages. A relationship needs to be established with a potential buyer in the early stages, when there is typically just awareness and consideration, but simplicity and a little personality can go a long way in communications.
A study published earlier this year by CEB in partnership with Google suggests that although B2B buying is typically treated as influenced by logic (risk assessment and cost-benefit analysis), it is actually decided on by emotional reactions, like instinct.
What can brands do with this intel?
Tell stories. Or more accurately, communicate the brand’s range of solutions through better storytelling. Using your social content to weave a shareable, and consistent, story will not only get you in front of more prospects but it will keep you front of mind when it comes to buying.
Joshua Graff, director of EMEA marketing solutions at LinkedIn, put it well: “When you are establishing a relationship with that individual, you have to be helpful, you can’t sell them a product or service that they do not need. Deliver them content that is going to be an addition to their professional experience.”
Many still say that this should be taken with a pinch of salt, however. Although emotional marketing is being treated as a creative way for B2B marketers to speak to their audiences, it is still going to be a bit of a juggling act. Buyers are looking for a brand that brings added value, but not at the cost of efficiency or trust.
What’s your take on the emotional approach to B2B marketing? Tweet us @iftweeter
(c) Image: Some emoticons :/ by Alan Klim