Head of Online Marketing at Kortmann Beton.
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The majority of marketing measures in the business-to-business environment have a very strong product and company focus. The main focus here is on the technical properties, and the entire range of products is presented in a very neutral and objective manner. Rational and numerically verifiable facts make up the majority of communication.
However, it is not sufficiently clear why such a neutral and objective presentation of one’s own company and products is preferred. In my experience, a change from product-centric marketing to customer-centric marketing has significantly more advantages in B2B marketing. There are two reasons why you should create content that taps into emotion:
First off, you don’t sell to businesses, you sell to people. It is assumed that in the B2B environment, a more factual and serious language must be the basis for possible cooperation. However, it is not a company—an independent and unemotional entity that makes completely rational decisions based on technical and objective characteristics—that decides whether or not to buy a product. Rather, it’s the people within a company. Every B2B business is a business between people, where emotional and subjective characteristics play a crucial role and can make all the difference. When a person walks into an office, they don’t shed their basic desires and fears. In fact, in the professional environment, a desire for security and fear about one’s own existence can actually increase.
Secondly, different people have different threats, demands and wishes. As we all know, different people have different desires, longings and fears. If we cluster people into various target groups, we see that certain fears, desires and longings occur more frequently in a defined target group. In order to make your own marketing communication as efficient as possible, the wishes and fears of the target group must be recorded as precisely as possible and reflected in their choice of words. In order to find out what exact emotional motives a target group has, create buyers personas.
So, how do you effectively create content that addresses these intrinsic emotions? There are several ways:
1. Tap into existing channels to discover your audience’s pain points.
As soon as the target group has been defined, these wishes, fears and longings must be found out. There are different methods of analysis, but one of the best methods is personal contact with the target group. Especially if your sales process involves giving personal advice over the phone or in person, this is the best opportunity for you to learn more about your target group. You can ask them questions like:
• Regardless of what is available on the market, what would be the biggest relief for your daily work?
• What gives you the biggest headache when working on X?
• What area of your work do you dislike and would you most like to give up?
• What do you hope to gain from working with us?
• What’s the worst that could happen if you work with us?
• What are three indicators you would need to see to determine if working with us was a complete success?
These questions often result in answers related to personal job security or some other type of security, like prosperity or social standing. Try to include these items in your service catalog to set yourself apart from your competition. It must be clear to your potential customers that you know their wishes and fears and will address them accordingly.
2. Use AB testing.
Now that you have pinpointed fears and desires, you can use common AB tests via display or social media marketing to find out which emotional motivations are most popular in the market. Use these insights to rethink your marketing strategy and complement your technical and objective assets.
3. Answer a basic—but very important—question.
There’s one fundamental question that every company and employee should consider in their daily work: How can I make my customer’s experience as easy and pleasant as possible? Look for both big and small ways to improve their work, help them reach their goals and have a positive interaction with your team.
Especially in the working environment, megatrends such as prosperity and security are often a decisive factor in decision-making processes, even if they are less openly communicated by customers. Observe yourself when you make the next rational decision in the B2B environment and you will likely find that sympathy and empathy have a relevant influence on you subconsciously. As you go beyond the neutral and objective characteristics to include emotional and subjective characteristics, you set yourself apart from your competitors and help your customers to feel better understood, giving you an enormous competitive advantage.
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