I got a really interesting question last week through my Skribit box: How do you use emotional engagement when talking about dry technology?
This may be the ultimate question in B2B, especially as we struggle to integrate social media into the overall marketing mix.
Let’s face it, even if it was possible to curl up in front of the fire with a glass of wine and our B2B products and services, no one would do it. Most of the things we sell are about as emotive as army ants.
That’s why I’m going to answer the question (and invite accusations of copping out) by saying that we shouldn’t try to use our dry technologies as the basis for emotional engagement.
We have to stop torturing ourselves trying to write interesting things about our dry technology. That’s what has led to the horrific vocabulary of mindless marketing speak that makes us utter things like “demonstrable value” with straight faces while deluding ourselves that it leaves an impression on customers. (Hey, it was the best thing we came up with at the meeting, so why wouldn’t customers like it, too!?)
Where are thepeople and the stories?
Journalism has long understood that people respond to other people and to stories. Those two things are built into the process. You get fired if you don’t interview people and feature them in your story. And you never get any interesting assignments if you aren’t able to communicate information through a narrative structure—a story with a number of star characters and a beginning, middle, and end.
It’s the same in B2B. It’s why our latest ITSMA marketing budget survey shows (free summary available)that thought leadership has risen to a higher priority level than in any recent year. Ideas can create an emotional connection. Okay, so it’s not big emotion, but it hits some buttons:
- Gratitude. This company understands my pain
- Loyalty. I may need to keep an eye on these guys in case they say something else that moves me.
- Respect. These guys are smart.
- Image via Wikipedia
But for all of these things to hit, customers need to be able to connect them to people. Social media offers some new ways for us to build emotional connections with customers by connecting them with other people and their stories. (Ever wonder why Sockington is so popular? Even making a cat more like a person works.) Blogs let us feature our subject matter experts (SMEs) not just as brainiacs but as people that customers can eventually feel comfortable reaching out to directly. Twitter, LinkedIn, etc. all do that, too.
But let’s not get too hung up on social media. This has to permeate all that we do. It’s why those expensive private events work so well.
What do you think? How do you use emotional engagement when talking about dry technology?
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My favorite example of B2B marketing that engages at an emotional level: 37 Signals.
1) Video testimonials from customers that are authentic, not over-produced.
2) Their tone is no-nonsense and friendly. I steer my clients to read the 37 signals website in order to see what great web copy sounds like.
3) The way their package their services is fun, easy-to-understand.
4)….
I could go on and on. I reference them over and over again to demonstrate that smart B2B brands should experiment with less formal, more emotionally engaging language and visuals.
ditto @ClareMcD on the approachable tone of the 37s marketing stuff. Being real & direct is key- you need to connect with people before you can hope to establish an emotional connection to the product. In the same way you adjust your vocab/body language to match the other person's in a face-to-face scenario, the same “tone-matching” applies to marketing materials on sites. Our stuff for JumpBox is intentionally written in the tone of how we speak (and how we know IT admins speak). If we were to use overly-fluffy, synergistic, touch base, circle back, marketing gobbledegook we might appeal to the clueless peons that use that language but the people that are our customers wouldn't listen to us. So that's part one- connecting.
Part two – establishing the emotional connection. This one is elusive- I look at the things I'd say I have an emotional connection to:
-music
-friends
-family
-aspirations
-opportunity
-memories
Those have nothing to do with technology, yet technology can be used to amplify the connection with each one. I believe the way you establish an emotional connection between your users and your product is by showing them how to use it to amplify the things they already value (ie. our service helps IT admins leave at 5 to get home to their kids, not get paged on the weekends for servers that would otherwise crash, prevent the embarrasing situation of having to explain why the data from that failed HD is hopelessly lost, have the ability to quickly tinker with new toys that can be implemented to increase productivity and make their bosses happy, etc.)
Anyways, long-winded response but bottomline: I don't believe you can't create a _new_ emotion with your product. Only determine what things your users value, where their existing emotional connections lie and then show them how your tech can be used to amplify those existing emotions.
sean
[...] Continua via Chris Koch [...]
Amen to that, Chris. I've been in high-tech marketing for a while and the products and services I've marketed have been excruciatingly boring at times. Even though our engineers get really excited (an emotional) about the technology, the customers often say we don't get their problems. I think emotion is key.
One important emotion you left out is fear or risk avoidance. Nothing is more powerful than the threat of getting fired, public humiliation, or neglecting to be in compliance with the law. Marketers often leverage this emotion to imply that something bad will happen if you don't switch to XYZ solution or think about ABC.
Not that it's my favorite tactic, but it works as sure as it does in political campaigns.
Chris,
I agree with Alex. Enquiro's BuyerSphere research shows that fear is the predominate emotion involved in the B2B buying process. At the emotional level, B2B buyers are all about reducing or eliminating risk. So, perhaps here is were B2B marketers need to create emotional engagement. The messaging doesn't need to be threatening. It can be designed to move buyers from feeling fear to being comfortable – being comfortable about making a change, being comfortable with what your solution does and their ability to use it successfully, and being comfortable with your company as a business partner.,
Hi Clare,
I agree that video is going to be an important channel for making the emotional connection. Thanks for the comment.
Chris
Hi Sean,
Nice list. Connecting through things that people value in their lives is a great point. Just have to make sure that you really know your target audience well. Thanks for the comment.
Chris
David and Alex,
Interesting point. I think this could be the basis for a new post!
Chris
You can add emotion to almost any product when you realise that people don't buy products/services, they buy the benefits. Make the benefits all fuzzy and people will want what you offer.
Think of insurance – dull as dry paint, but people don't buy insurance, they buy the peace of mind that comes with it.
What about consequences? Surely, if people didn't buy your services there would be consequences for them.
Take a step back and view your product through your clients eyes – or better yet, ask them.