To find a good angle and hook for a B2B story you are writing, look for tension.
Tension is a big part of why readers click to read a story or article or continue reading. It creates an open question that readers want an answer to.
Storytelling in all good films and novels has a central tension. Here are three examples and how they hook people in:
1. A hero/heroine is facing seemingly insurmountable odds.
The tension works because we want to find out if and how they overcome those odds.
2. The personal journey, which sees a character undergo a change of heart or direction.
We can see how a particular behaviour or view is getting in the way, but the tension is in whether they will change and what might change them?
3. The rags to riches or riches to rags to riches again.
The tension here is whether they will make it or recover, and how will they do that?
Tension in B2B examples
B2B writing, such as thought leadership, case studies or press releases, is no different; it can be elevated with an open question that keeps people reading.
Here is how some of those fictional tensions could translate into a B2B piece:
1. Insurmountable odds could be overcoming a market hurdle.
A developer pursuing an office-to-residential conversion in a city where planners have turned down previous applications.
The tension is in going against the odds and delivering despite market indicators showing a different direction of travel.
2. Change of heart could be a shift in industry, occupier or client thinking.
Retrofit/refurbished office projects seen as less marketable and lower value assets than new build until occupiers start recognising the sustainability benefits.
There is tension in the gap between what the market is supplying and what the market wants until perception shifts.
3. Rags to riches or richest to rags to riches again could apply to any growth or turnaround story, whether a business or a particular project.
A once successful office building finds that with age, it is struggling with vacancy, but a different letting strategy with flexible leases delivers full occupancy.
A turnaround or journey to a success story has a natural tension of ‘can it be done?’.
Storytelling that isn’t flat
Finding tension in a story not only gives readers an open question but also elevates it, adding energy and punch.
It’s the difference between:
‘Modular construction is more efficient’ and ‘Modular construction promises to fix the industry’s productivity problem, so why has adoption stalled for a decade?’
Take a look at the last article or story you wrote. Is there a tension in what you’ve written?
• My journalism background has given me a nose for finding tension in B2B stories and articles.
It’s what I was looking for when interviewing people and writing features, and those same skills are what I bring to writing projects for my built environment clients.
Get in touch if you want help delivering sharper, punchier B2B content for your property business.
Found this useful? Subscribe to my twice-monthly newsletter for B2B content tips, ideas and inspiration delivered directly to your inbox.
Techniques for humanising B2B writing
One thought on “Improve B2B storytelling: Find the tension in the story”