B2B marketing is supposed to be all about data, information and rational decisions. That’s why companies spend so much time and effort on creating beautiful whitepapers, crafting compelling case studies, and developing killer web copy. In short, they treat the B2B purchasing decision as a game in which the best data and the best information wins.
Let’s unpack that concept for a second because that same data and information shows that 86 percent of B2B buyers see “no real difference” between the features and functionality of different products. In short, there are so many features, functions and business jargon used to describe products that it’s close to impossible to understand how one product differs from another. And, yet, people continually fall into the trap of just using “speeds and feeds” as a way to sell a product.
So, if all the products competing out there for someone’s attention look the same, what’s the best way to differentiate them? One way is via emotion. If you raise the emotional attachment that potential buyers have for your products, there’s a higher likelihood that you can convert those prospects into sales. In fact, they may even be willing to pay a premium for your products.
The latest data shows that 60 percent of buyers who feel “a high brand connection” with a product or service are more likely to purchase that product. And, at the same time, the most connected brands – the brands that connect on an emotional level – report revenue growth that is 31 percent higher than those that do not. That’s actually a pretty staggering figure – it means that injecting just a small amount of emotion into your B2B marketing could have a huge payoff later.
The obvious question becomes: How exactly do I inject that emotion into the marketing campaign?
The easiest way, of course, is via social media. That’s the whole point of “social,” right? The goal of social is to form connections, boost engagement, and get people talking about your products. Every social connection has, at its core, an emotional connection. You become friends with someone because that person completes you in some way – they make you feel better about yourself, or they make you feel more alive in some way.
Another way to think about emotion is from the perspective of “empathy.” If you start thinking about our customers’ needs and pain points, it’s clear that there’s room for empathy to play a role here. You need to listen to their problems – carefully – and then craft responses that address those problems.
And, in doing this, you have to differentiate between the “stated problem” and the “real problem.” It’s when you try to solve the “real problem” that you start to dig deeper into emotions. Maybe a customer doesn’t feel empowered, and your product gives them their life back. Maybe your customer has a real need to feel that they are happier, smarter, or more innovative – and your product helps to fulfill that need.
That’s how emotional connections start, by tapping into deep-seated needs that lurk below the surface. If you’re only using data and specifications and information, you may only be hitting the surface and the stated needs. So think about ways to make emotion part of your B2B marketing mix!
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Dane
Dane Cobain is a published author, freelance writer, book blogger, poet and (occasional) musician from High Wycombe, UK. Before going freelance, he worked as a social media marker, now specialising in writing about publishing, technology and marketing.