Why B2B storytelling beats jargon every time
Keywords: B2B marketing communications, brand storytelling, content strategy, audience engagement.
Are they even words? Technically, yes. Do they mean anything? Not to actual human beings in the real world.
In the world of B2B marketing, there’s a real eagerness to show knowledge and skill – and that’s important to share. But along the way, there’s been a rise in fancy words and jargon that don’t actually mean anything to the people reading them.
How can you share knowledge with customers if you’re speaking a different language?
As a B2B marketing communications agency, it’s something we see all too often. Too many brands get lost behind technical language and meaningless buzzwords, creating a disconnect where customers glaze over at the mere mention of that brand because it all feels “too complicated.” But there’s a better way to communicate – and it starts with brand storytelling.
What is brand storytelling?
At the risk of contradicting ourselves and introducing another buzzword, let’s delve into what brand storytelling means.
Brand storytelling isn’t about spinning fairy tales. It’s about telling the truth in a way that resonates. It helps your brand become more than a list of services or specs by giving you a personality, purpose, and a message that sticks.
When you’re operating on a business-to-business level, it’s easy to lose sight of the fact that you’re still speaking to real people. So, with that in mind, here’s how to build a brand story that strikes a chord with your audience – on a human-to-human level.
Know your story
It goes without saying that if you’re going to lean into a brand storytelling approach, you need to know what that story is.
Don’t start with product features. Every brand began because of someone’s passion, so it’s worth taking a step back and remembering what that passion was – whether it was a gap in the market, a better way of doing something, or a vision for change. That’s where your story lives. Start with why your business exists. What’s the spark that still drives you? What problem are you here to solve? Who are you here to help – and why are you the right business to do it?
When you can confidently answer those questions, you’ll start to sound human.
Let your values shape your voice
It’s a cliché, but it’s true – people buy from people. And in B2B, that often gets forgotten.
But building a human connection isn’t just about having a friendly tone of voice – it’s about knowing what your brand stands for. Because before you can communicate in a way that connects, you need to understand what drives you. That’s where your values come in.
Your brand values shouldn’t be hidden away on a slide deck or a corporate About Us page. They should actively shape how you speak, write, and show up across every touchpoint, from your tone of voice to your team bios, social posts, sales decks, and case studies.
Use simple language
It takes real skill to take a complex idea and make it clear. Trust is built not in how clever you sound, but in how well you communicate. Clients are more impressed by clarity than complexity.
And no, using plain English won’t dilute your technical expertise. It’ll amplify it, because now people actually understand what you do, and why it matters.
Establish your key messages
When you live in the technical detail of a B2B brand, it’s easy to fall into the trap of saying everything at once – especially when your product or service is complex. But cramming too much into every blog post or sales pitch only creates confusion.
That’s where key messages come in. Defined in advance, they help anchor your communication. These are the core ideas you want people to associate with your brand – not just once, but consistently, across every touchpoint.
To establish your key messages, start by asking: what problems are we solving? What do we want to be known for? And what matters most to our audience? Your key messages should sit at the intersection of those answers.
If you’re interested in taking a storytelling approach to your content strategy, we can help.
Get in touch to start shaping messaging that connects.
