B2B storytelling

That was the case centuries ago in caves and around campfires. Telling stories was and is the most efficient form of communication between people. It has been up to today. Good stories receive attention, reach emotions, awaken interest, and beg for more. The most important thing, however, is that information that is conveyed to us through stories is remembered better — not least because of the lively combination of facts and meaningful connections. The only thing that has changed in the past decades when it comes to B2B storytelling is the media formats. These have become more multifaceted. Today, one does not sit in the parlor or around the dining table to listen and to learn from stories or get news. Today, stories are provided with a teaser in a compressed format with 140 characters on Twitter or told in a video, which contains a successful combination of text, image, music, and animation. Through the Internet, digitalization, and mobile communication, today and in the future, there will be many more possibilities that we use at the branding agency.

“But we have nothing exciting to tell!” … Does this sentence sound familiar or have you thought it a hundred times already? Let us as a branding agency set the story straight from the viewpoint of branding. B2B storytelling is not about epic novels like “Harry Potter” or other great stories. B2B storytelling is about the everyday and about running news stories and personal experiences — in short: about being perceived “as a brand” (which is a personality). That creates authenticity. That creates liking. And liking is a good prerequisite for closeness, enthusiasm, and loyalty.

B2B storytelling is a method by which the “how” of a topic is in the foreground. This “how” is emotional, vivid, and real. This makes even small stories an event for the relevant target group. After all, B2B storytelling is not about reaching the large masses of consumers. With B2B storytelling, a specialized technology firm, an international machine manufacturer, or a well-known automotive supplier tells a case study. But not with dry figures, dates, and facts, and a lot of “we and our product,” but as a story with a beginning and an end. The people that were involved are named and, in videos, we see their faces. Problems and solutions become clear. The focus is on the customers, their expectations and experiences, and their satisfaction at the end. Outlooks, cross-references, lessons learned, and good things to know for the future are integrated into the story. Fact-based information gives rise to a B2B story that builds trust — a story that stays in the minds of the listeners from one’s own relevant target group. This is brand development.

There are many multimedia possibilities. Today, customers no longer need to read long texts. Stories are told across media. This includes videos and series of photographs. What is important is that when stories are distributed to various channels, the special features of the respective channel are taken into account. The corporate website is, of course, the platform for the long version of a story. In the social medium Facebook, the B2B story is shortened or told in sequels. At Instagram, photos and short videos support the story. The longer video for that is, of course, on YouTube. The more possibilities one has, the more the aspects of a story can also be expressed in a pointed manner for the individual target groups. The developer is touched by different parts of a story than the buyer, the sales manager, or … one’s own staff members and prospective job candidates!

Stories stimulate. The multimedial possibilities increase the reach. The effect inward is at least just as important. Knowing what one’s own company does and being able to explain it is not to be underestimated. This is why, for us as a branding agency, B2B storytelling also belongs to internal communication, at works council meetings, sales rallies, and annual meetings. The stories that can be told and retold in personal conversations, including in presentations and at fairs and events, work outwardly.  Telling stories, or storytelling in modern terms today, is anchored at our agency for long-term branding.