audience engagement Archives

How to make boring B2B content more engaging

Small black pug-like dog laying on a cushion with a bored expression

A business or individual announces something only they really care about, a few colleague hit ‘like’ and maybe a couple of loyal followers, but that’s it.

Is this sort of content worth the effort? It can be if you add value and/or a human element to give it broader appeal and something tangible for your audience to connect with.

Here are some ideas for how to flip a boring business announcement, turn it into something more interesting and boost engagement.

Announcement: We have a new website, logo or branding

Let’s be honest, the fact that you’ve got a new website or branding is of little interest unless you work in marketing or are going to remove all the vowels from your name like Abrdn did.

It won’t materially impact anyone’s scroll.

But you could add value by lifting the lid on how you got to the finished site/branding.

Are there versions that were dismissed? What were the highs and lows? It’s an opportunity to inject some all-important personality into your story.

Think about how you could make it useful to your audience. That could be lessons learned from the process or something you’ve learned about your business as a consequence.

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General

B2B Content: audience engagement lessons from the theatre

*Tanya Reynolds and Samuel Adewunmi in A Mirror at the Trafalgar Theatre 2024 – credit Marc Brenner*

In theatre, there is a phrase: Breaking the fourth wall.

This is when the actors directly address the audience or maybe even get them involved.

A play I was at recently – A Mirror, Trafalgar Theatre – opened with a wedding, and we were asked to stand for the bride as if we were guests.

This is breaking the fourth wall.

But why is this relevant to your B2B content?

Talking to, not at, your audience and encouraging interaction will elevate the impact of your content, particularly here on LinkedIn.

The more people who react and comment, the better your post will perform.

‘Breaking the fourth wall’ can help encourage engagement.

Talk directly to your target audience. Make your content relatable.

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Audience engagement

Four ‘rules’ about B2B content writing you can ignore

Writing styles, communication and language evolve, but it sometimes feels like B2B content is stuck in the past.

From the questions and comments I get, there are several misconceptions about writing B2B content (and copy).

Photo by Glenn Carstens-Peters on Unsplash

But here’s the thing: I’ve never found the rule book that sets out what you can and can’t do.

Which is good news for B2B content creators because it means you can make your own rules.

It’s about what works for you and your brand, your tone of voice, how you want to be seen and crucially, getting your message or story across.

But first, you need to let go of the invisible rule book:

Rule 1: You have to use technical language to sound professional.

B2B content is about communicating an idea, a story or message to your existing and target clients, peers, partners and potential collaborators.

And you want to do that in a way that is clear and easy for your audience to understand.

Using technical language risks misunderstanding. It can alienate your audience, or they simply won’t read on.

Just because you understand those words don’t assume your audience does.

Research by King’s College found that words and phrases the media commonly used, such as ‘woke’ and ‘culture wars’ are not as widely understood as their use would suggest.

Writing simply and clearly is not dumbing down; it’s the clever way of getting your story or ideas or messages across to your audience.

Rule 2: You have to use fancy words

A lot of B2B content uses words that you would never use if you were talking to someone. Would you say ‘utilise’ or ‘commence’ in a conversation?

The people you are writing for are no different from the people you speak to, so why use a different vocabulary?

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