B2B messaging, demystified | The what, the why, and the how.
It’s likely that, by now, you’ve heard of B2B messaging. Maybe you’re a marketing pro moving into a new niche, or maybe you’re a business owner trying to expand your reach with stronger marketing materials.
B2B messaging seemed to pop up in the vernacular of B2B businesses only a few years ago. Since then, the concept has been tossed around all over LinkedIn, appearing on every copywriter’s blog page.
And rightfully so!
Despite its status as a B2B buzzword, I’ve found that B2B messaging is really, REALLY(!) important.
The facts of the matter are that, according to Gartner, 77% of B2B buyers find their latest purchase to be incredibly complex and difficult. Womp womp!
Not only that but, according to TrustRadius, almost 100% of buyers want to self-serve the entire buying process. They don’t want to have to call, they don’t want to need a weird ChatBot conversation… they want to be able to navigate the buyer’s journey on their own.
Both of these stats seem to point to one big ‘ole flashing-light solution: better B2B messaging.
I’m Grace, and I’ve been doing B2B messaging since before it was cool. I am pretty much obsessed with sculpting B2B brands’ messaging into fantastic, result-producing marketing mechanisms that pull customers in and meet their needs effectively.
Every B2B business is a bit different, and I thrive on finding out what is going to make their messaging shine. I’m going to break down my approach for you and lead you through the very basics of B2B messaging: what it is, why you need it, and how to make it happen.
The what.
Before we start talking about the ways you can apply B2B messaging to your brand, let’s define what it actually is.
B2B messaging is how your marketing materials communicate what your company is all about. It paints the picture of what your product does, who it’s for, how to use it, and so on.
TL;DR: It tells the story of your brand.
Great messaging keeps your potential customers from having to call your sales department or send in an inquiry in order to understand what you’re selling. It answers their questions and concerns in a sleek and engaging way, allowing customers to move through the buyer’s journey with ease.
Buyers want to know what they’re getting into — and they want to know about it, fast. I operate from the belief that your site viewers should know exactly what your product is from the first page they encounter. Check out my client, UserEvidence’s, home page.
It probably took you about five seconds to understand what UserEvidence does and the value that it would provide you. You’ve also got two easy paths to find more information about the product.
That’s exactly what good messaging does:
It makes the facts about your company known. Your leads don’t have to think too hard to understand what’s going on.
It invites the customer to learn more without pressure. You’ve answered most of their questions already, and your calls can be more productive.
It speaks to the leads’ interests and values. The UserEvidence example immediately makes a value statement: “We can get customers coming back!” What potential buyer wouldn’t love that?
Poor messaging, on the other hand, is a pet peeve of buyers. TrustRadius found that unclear messaging makes 48% of customers less likely to buy your product — and for good reason. No one wants to waste hours on sales calls sorting out what your product does.
Poor messaging also doesn’t entice your buyer. It doesn’t appeal to their values and it doesn’t look like an invitation; it looks like a bunch of confusing and meaningless sentences. It pushes leads away.
Getting the messaging sorted out lets customers know how fantastic your product is right from the jump and efficiently guides them through their buyer’s journey.
How is B2B messaging distinct from B2C messaging?
The big difference between B2B and B2C messaging is the audience. While B2B companies are selling to businesses or corporations and B2C companies are selling to consumers, I think B2B companies have a lot to learn from B2C messaging practices.
B2C messaging is often more playful and flashy, trying to attract customers from a big pool of potential buyers, whereas B2B is generally more professional (and at times, borrrrring), speaking to corporate leaders and stakeholders.
B2C markets can be ginormous, so companies have to stand out with clear, compelling messaging.
B2B SaaS companies, however, have spent the last three decades coasting on complexities that made their market pretty inelastic. B2B tech products, in particular, have historically been so unique that the product didn’t really have to be “marketed.”
Those days are behind us, my friend.
Now that development is cheaper than ever, more and more B2B SaaS products are entering the market, with each product growing more nuanced and similar. Buyers are also getting smarter and more decisive and therefore… pickier!
The change in the selling environment means that it’s time for great brand messaging to have its moment in B2B marketing.
The Product Marketing Alliance has published a report highlighting this exciting new frontier:
“Brand will be B2B SaaS company’s most important competitive advantage.”
In my experience, the sooner B2B companies understand the value of their messaging, the better off they are. Early bird B2B companies are the ones getting the worm! 🪱
The why.
Before we dive into how to build and optimize your B2B messaging framework, let’s understand why great B2B messaging is important.
🚨Spoiler alert: there are about a billion reasons and absolutely no drawbacks.🚨
Buyer groups are larger than ever. According to TrustRadius, 33% of buyers say they are making decisions as a group more frequently than ever. With that in mind, the materials buyer groups are looking at need to be helpful and clear. Personal phone calls don’t work when buyers are in big, collaborative groups of fancy schmancy stakeholders.
Buyers are doing their research. Buyers are more skeptical than ever. Design and copy are becoming vital indicators of trust. Brand voice is directly tied to how trustworthy a company is perceived to be.
Let’s return to UserEvidence for this point. This company’s whole shtick is automating
social proof. A site that acknowledges skepticism is a site that’s gaining trust.
B2B messaging makes you stand out. Chances are, there are a few different solutions to your potential customer’s problem. If it’s easy and quick to see why you’re going to solve their problems, you become the obvious choice.
Good messaging creates a bond. Clients are looking to find companies that speak to their values and preferences. Like the rest of us, B2B buyers’ emotions are relevant in their purchases. When you speak to their emotions, you fast-track their buyer’s journey.
Signs That a B2B Company Has a Messaging Problem
Great B2B messaging rears great results. Likewise, confusing B2B messaging causes some problems.
If you need any more convincing that B2B messaging is important, here are some red flags that your company might have a B2B messaging problem:
You get a lot of clicks, but not a lot of conversions. If folks are clicking your ads but not hiring you, there’s a disconnect that happens when they engage with your landing page and website. Bad copy or lack of information can be huge issues for a potential client. If they can’t find your info quickly, they’ll move on to the next company.
Oh, by the way… 57% of buyers say that a lack of transparent pricing on the website is a huge turn-off. If somebody has reached your website, chances are high they’re building an internal case for your product category. Give them a ballpark figure so they can estimate the budget, then let them get in touch later when they’re actually ready to get started.
Potential customers are having to contact the company to get answers to basic questions. That’s a waste of everyone’s energy. The information a potential customer needs to make a decision should be readily available in your brand materials. It should also be articulated in a way that’s easy for your customer to understand.
You’re having massive customer churn in the first month. For B2B SaaS companies in particular, new customers may find after a few weeks of using your product that it isn’t what they need. So they cancel their subscription or contract and find someone that does the job. If your messaging isn’t clear, the product isn’t going to end up in the right hands.
The buying cycle takes forever. Whatever you’re selling… it’s probably not that hard to understand. If potential customers are taking forever to complete the buyer’s journey, they’re likely confused and reluctant. The buyer’s journey should be easy peasy, and poor B2B messaging can be a huge obstacle.
Your own teams are confused. If your sales, marketing, and tech team are confused about WTF is going on with your product… you’ve got a problem. If your B2B messaging is off, it’s likely some of your internal messaging is off, too.
Now that I’ve broken down why you need solid B2B messaging, let’s dive into how to get there.
THE HOW
Now that you get the gist that B2B messaging is really important, you’re probably wondering how to get your company’s messaging polished up.
While there are a lot of different ways to go about it, here’s a little insight into the process I use for my clients.
What makes up a B2B messaging framework?
I’ve been doing this for years, and over time I’ve realized there are three key components of a B2B messaging framework: positioning, core messages, and brand voice.
Each of these pieces plays an important part in making sure that your client or potential customer has a cohesive experience when they’re navigating your website and social platforms.
Let’s break ‘em down.
Positioning
Positioning is a base-level concept that refers to the corner of the market your company wants to occupy.
We’re not getting into copy and design yet when we’re talking about positioning. We aren’t even talking about your messages yet.
Instead, we’re looking at your ideal clients and how you fit into their story.
The problem I see too often in B2B SaaS is that we think our customers care about our product more than they do. We’re so deeply entrenched in our day-to-day that we forget that not everybody cares about line management software as much as we do.
The software is important — it is! — but what’s more important is that you’re connecting with your audience in a way that makes sense.
Positioning is the part of the B2B messaging framework when you take a step back and think about where you stand in the eyes of your customer.
While this concept can sound a bit intimidating, it’s an important foundation for effective B2B messaging. Flashy text will do you no good if it’s not speaking to your ideal client’s needs. The good news is that finding your positioning is actually a fun project.
The brilliant April Dunford has created a process for researching and defining positioning. For my clients, I either run them through a workshop à la April Dunford or help them organize their existing information into a more useful document.
You can definitely get into some nitty-gritty stuff when you’re diving into this, but here are the basics of sorting out your positioning:
Get to know who loves your product. One of the first ways to gain insight on your positioning is to understand who gets it. Who is purchasing your product and coming back for more? Understanding who those people are and what motivates them is golden knowledge when you’re trying to find your angle in the market.
Get to know your product’s competitors. This will include direct competitors and competitive alternatives. If your lead isn’t choosing you, who are they choosing? Are they choosing a similar product that’s cheaper? Are they trying to do it themselves? Understand your competition and study why businesses might be choosing them over you.
Get to know your own product. Sometimes, we get so in the weeds of our product that we forget to approach it from a buyer’s angle. For each feature of your product, identify the capability and the value of the feature. The process of connecting your features to values helps to keep your positioning grounded in who your buyer is.
Ask yourself, “Who cares about this?” Once you’ve identified the values your product brings to the table, figure out who is going to care about that value. Start to sketch out a target audience based on the information you’ve gathered in steps 1-3. The clearer you can paint the picture of your target customer, the better.
Define your marketing frame. From there, you’ll pick a marketing frame. April Dunford has three:
Head to Head: Positioning to win an existing market.
Big Fish, Small Pond: Positioning to win a small corner of an existing market.
Create A New Game: Like the Blue Ocean Strategy, you’re creating a market that wasn’t there before you.
Guide yourself through this positioning framework and you’ll end up with a great sketch of your market positioning.
Sorting out your positioning can feel intimidating, but the work is worth it. In my experience, strong positioning makes the rest of the messaging framework a helluva lot easier.
Core messages
The beautiful thing about being passionate about your product? You build something that truly helps solve a problem for your audience.
The bad thing about being passionate about your product? It’s easy to overwhelm your prospect with all the cool features and benefits.
That’s where a messaging strategy comes in — and, if you’ve sorted your positioning, it’s honestly not too hard to develop.
Don’t get me wrong: nailing your B2B messaging can be tricky. That's why people pay me to do it for them — but this outline is a pretty solid start.
In my mind, core messages come in two parts: primary and secondary. I like to think about these as a tower of champagne glasses.
You've got one core idea at the top that trickles down into everything else you do...but all those other messages and ideas still support the glass at the top. 🥂
We’ll start with the idea of a value proposition. It’s the single thing your company does well. It’s the value your company provides to its buyers, summed up in one single sentence — that top champagne glass that you pour all of your messaging energy into, and it’s something you should have identified during your positioning work.
The value proposition is going to be your primary message. Keep it in mind as you start to get into the minutia of messaging because, at the end of the day, you want to make sure your potential buyers know what you’re actually providing them. Your value prop is your #1 guidepost when it comes to your core messaging.
From your primary core message flows your secondary messages. These messages are proof that you do what you claim to do in your primary message. They include:
Market trends
Case studies
Your differentiators
Your point of view
Your company values
The secondary messages supplement your primary messaging in making the argument that you can solve their problem. They support your primary message and make a grand display of your company (it can’t possibly get grander than a champagne tower).
If you get stuck on this step, here’s a non-alcoholic tip. When I’m sculpting core messages, I keep returning to the company’s positioning as my roadmap. If I’m not sure whether I’m supposed to turn left or right… what does my positioning suggest?
B2B messaging isn’t always as simple as a champagne tower or a map, but I’ve found that the clearer you flesh out each step of the framework, the easier the next step will be.
Brand voice
The final component of a good B2B messaging framework is brand voice.
I gotta be honest. Brand voice is where most B2B companies seriously drop the ball.
B2B businesses used to be able to ignore brand voice because their market was so unsaturated that customers couldn’t help but purchase their product. This is why B2B brand voice has a reputation for being a bit of a snore.
Nowadays, brand voice is extremely relevant. It’s how you build trust and rapport with buyers. Snooty, overly technical, boring brand voices just aren’t doing the trick the way they used to.
Once you sort out your positioning and core messages, brand voice is how you tell the story. But like every part of B2B messaging, your brand voice should be dictated by your positioning.
Once you’ve identified who your buyers are, think about what sort of voice would speak to them.
Are they stressed TF out?
Clear and empathetic branding is going to help them.
Are they squirrely 20-year-olds in need of an organizational system?
Speak to their needs concisely with a little bit of playfulness.
Here’s a LinkedIn post I shared recently about this topic.
Effective brand voices are an extension of the company’s positioning. There’s no one-size-fits-all answer. You have to know your positioning and your core messages and let that define your brand voice.
A brand voice that reminds customers who you are and where you stand is hugely influential.
How do I actually get my B2B messaging moving in the right direction?
First, a plug. Hiring an expert is a good way to ensure your B2B messaging is in great hands. I’ve been a messaging pro for several years and I’m passionate about boosting the messaging quality of B2B SaaS companies.
The second approach — which is a bit more strenuous — is a DIY audit of your present messaging.
You’ll want to go through each of the components of the B2B messaging framework and identify areas of strength and weakness.
Maybe you have a really serious brand voice, but you’re trying to sell to playful customers. Maybe your positioning is perfectly defined, but your messaging is confusing and inconsistent.
The best way to take account of your B2B messaging is by putting on the Potential Customer Hat. 🎩
Go through your site and your marketing materials like you would if you were on the search for this product. Ask yourself these questions:
Is the information clear?
Is the brand voice compelling?
Does the website feel trustworthy?
Can you navigate pertinent information quickly and clearly?
Do you know what the product freakin’ does and how much it freakin’ costs?
Think about user issues you’ve had before. You and I both know it’s exhausting to spend time searching and searching a site for answers to basic questions.
Another great way to analyze how your messaging is doing is by using Wynter. Wynter is a low-cost solution for discovering actual market feedback on your website that I’ve found to be super helpful when it comes to finding out what works and what doesn’t.
I suggest using your customer empathy skills to make a sturdy first draft and then getting hard-hitting, real-life data from a source like Wynter to double-check your work.
THE RESULT
Listen, I am no wizard and I cannot guarantee results for you. But given my seven years of experience, I suspect if you move through the B2B messaging framework, you’re going to have some stronger, more effective marketing materials on display.
Whether you do it yourself or hire an expert, improving your messaging opens the door for a whole slurry of positive business outcomes.
But keep this in mind: the world is a constantly evolving place and, therefore, your messaging’s going to have to evolve too — especially if your messaging is working!
If you’ve discovered a messaging style that has unlocked doors for your B2B company, you need to keep a close eye on it, because your customers, your market, and your product are always growing and shifting.
Change is a constant, yanno.
That being said, keeping your content up to date is easier than starting from scratch!
Whether there’s a boatload of new competitors or a cutting-edge piece of technology entering your field, any sort of evolution should be a trigger to revisit your messaging.
You might need to clarify or expand your copy in some parts to address changes or updates to your product. If a new competitor upped customers’ expectations, you’ll want to insert language that rises to the challenge. If customers suddenly know everything about SMS messaging technology, you’ll want to meet them at their new knowledge level.
In my experience, keeping your B2B messaging sharp with updates is a really important part of staying ahead of the curve.
Ooooooorrrrrrr…
Skip all this hubbub and hire me to do it.
Hey, I’m Grace, and I help growing B2B brands make intentional choices with their messaging and brand voice. Send me a message and let’s get started.
