The Power of Storytelling for B2B Brands

Storytelling is not just for consumer brands looking to tug at heartstrings. More and more, we are seeing B2B companies leverage the power of customer-centric storytelling to connect with prospects and customers at a deeper level. 

How does storytelling work in the B2B context? What goes into an effective storytelling strategy? As leaders guiding the brand narrative for SaaS companies, you may have these questions. Let’s look at the best practices any B2B organization can apply to tell compelling stories that propel growth.

The Landscape has Changed – It’s Just “Storytelling” Now  

We recently carved out some time to chat with Anas Ghazi, who sits at the intersection of technology and storytelling with his roles as Advisor at Alethea AI, Chief Commercial Officer at Edisen, and Adjunct Faculty at Northwestern University, and got his perspectives on all things “digital storytelling”. 

“Digital storytelling” is somewhat redundant nowadays. As Anas says “It is just storytelling”. The digital landscape simply IS the landscape brands operate within. 

Your stories need to meet your audience where they already connect online. Whether that's on social platforms, augmented reality and AI driven interfaces,  in communities like Reddit, through YouTube videos or any number of channels. The principles remain the same even as the mediums evolve.

That said, online channels offer unique advantages for storytelling, like leveraging data and insights to finely target and personalize messaging. More on this further below.

Master the Machine – Embrace AI as an Ally 

Emerging technologies such as AI often spark fears about replacing human creativity. But the winning mindset is to view AI as an empowering tool to master. Brands should focus on skillfully directing these innovations towards better storytelling.

A helpful analogy is to compare early automobiles with horse-drawn wagons. Cars didn’t replace wagons by eliminating the human driver. They enabled the driver to navigate farther and faster. AI provides fuel for the human creative journey.

Find Your True North Before Plotting Course

Every strong story needs a compelling central character grounded in a challenge. The same goes for brands – establish your identity and purpose before flexing creative muscle.

Your customer is the compelling central character, not your product.  The product supports the narrative, not vice versa.

Yet too often B2B companies fall in this trap, letting existing product capabilities or new feature releases steer the storyline. The result is fragmented, diluted messaging that confuses prospects.

Align your organization first around core values and brand purpose. Ensure executive teams embody these principles. This consistency will come through in the stories you tell.

Analyze Your Audiences – Then Build Around Them

Interestingly enough, the best storytelling starts with rigor, data and structure.  Thorough audience segmentation analysis is step one. Gather data-driven insights on exactly who your different customer personas are within targeted markets. Then build customized messaging and content tailored to what matters most for each profile. Meet them where they connect through preferred platforms and communities. 

The most effective B2B brand stories stem from deep listener understanding. They resonate because they reflect real desires and display deep empathy. It’s about the customer’s experience, not the business’s offering.

Set the Stage for Sales with Story

Even later in the funnel, comprehensive storytelling sets up sales teams for more impactful conversations. Rather than lead with product capabilities or pricing, they can directly link to stakeholder motivations revealed through a narrative. The storyline primes prospects to share more about their own aspirations, and connects them to you through your clear empathy.

The best sellers today are consummate listeners and storytellers. They connect reality to possibility through narrative.

Measure What Matters – Economic Impact

B2B marketing has long put analytics on a pedestal. The metrics that matter most are downstream business outcomes. C-suites ultimately care about tangible growth. 

How do you connect investments in narrative to the revenue impact?

The main measure is weak funnel performance.  The opportunity cost of fragmented storytelling or gaps between current versus optimal positioning. This is often hard to extract across disparate pieces of the content puzzle.  This is where software comes into play. 

Connecting the dots from strategic messaging and financial return. That is where the magic happens.

The Hero’s Quest Goes On  

Anas shared one perspective that holds true as you look across the landscape of companies today.  In an ever-changing world, the idea of holding true to yourself and your philosophy, even for companies, is very hard.  

Yet the companies poised to win devote themselves to authentic narratives that serve customers and community. You have to invest continuously. They stay grounded in purpose while continually evolving expressions. There is no definitive playbook, beyond being mindful of the principles that the customer’s story is your path of truth and justice. That either happens with people and dedicated time, or more and more it can happen with a new breed of tools powered by AI.

The right story that connects will turn passive prospects into active lifelong evangelists.