B2B content has a tendency to lean towards corporate rather than human. But showing a human side not only helps you stand out, it is also important for building trust and connection with existing and potential clients.
Forging relationships through content, helping people get to know the individuals behind a business, can open doors.
This BBC News story about a woman from a working-class background overcoming barriers to become a barrister is a great example of human storytelling and I wanted to show how the techniques it uses can be applied to B2B content.
Leads with transformation, not credentials
The article opens with the impact of the woman’s story (a viral video, overwhelming responses) before explaining who she is.
B2B content often starts with the company or product. What you can do instead is open with the moment something changed – a result, a reaction, a turning point – then work backwards.
This helps create an intriguing and relatable hook.
Quotes do the emotional heavy lifting
The journalist doesn’t write “she had a difficult childhood” but uses a quote to paint a picture: “I had to step up and do the jobs that my mum couldn’t do, everything you can imagine that a six-week-old baby needs.”
It’s vivid and evocative.
In B2B, quotes from customers or internal voices in news stories/press releases are often sanitised into blandness.
The trick is to be more specific and use quotes that sound real and say something meaningful.
Apply a similar principle to thought leader pieces. For example, I wrote an article for a client on sustainability and climate change.
They told me a story, painting a picture of walking down the street with their 7-year-old daughter, who had commented on how early the blossom was.
I used the story to open the piece because it was a unique, more human way of saying that climate change is here.
Using obstacles to create tension
The BBC story isn’t a CV. It’s a series of problems encountered and overcome.
B2B case studies tend to jump straight to outcomes. But tension is what keeps a reader interested.
Think about framing client stories as problems and challenges overcome or breakthrough moments.
The unexpected detail builds trust
In the story, we learn that the woman is a trained mixologist, climbed Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon) and supports Arsenal.
None of this information is strictly relevant, but it makes her a more well-rounded and believable person.
In B2B writing, well-chosen real human detail can add important credibility. It can make it easier for the audience to connect with the individual and be an easy and more natural conversation starter in DMs and in real life.
Final thoughts
People are more likely to connect with a human story than simply presenting information – particularly where there is some sort of journey, a dilemma, or difficulty navigated.
Think of the hero’s journey in TV, film or novels – it’s never straightforward, and that is what keeps us hooked.
And it’s the same for a whitepaper, thought leadership, blog or case study, find the tension, the risk taken, the hard problem solved, the viewpoint changed etc.
This sort of detail requires human input. If you are writing for someone else, it means asking the right questions to draw out the interesting detail or snippet of personality.
AI isn’t going to magic up that personal experience, but it’s the sort of detail that makes content more engaging and different from your competitors.
PS Spotted this video on LinkedIn just before hitting send. It’s an interview with developer Muse’s Phil Mayall, which has a nice, fun opening with a personal story. It shows his human side and paints a picture.
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