How to Write B2B Content That Sparks Delight
I’ll let you in on a secret. I used to think the B in B2B stood for Boring. When I was at a global ad agency in the beginning of my career, I’d gloss over the B2B work — always more eager to see what creativity would unleash in campaigns for our luxury liquor or fancy car accounts. Back then, Cannes Lions didn’t even have the B2B Lion.
More than a decade later, my tastes in marketing have changed. They’re grown more…refined. It’s like going from drinking Riesling from the bottom shelf (read: cheapest) at the grocery store in my early 20s to drinking Grüner Veltliner from Wachau Valley, Austria, in my mid-30s.
Today, you’re more likely to find me reading opinion pieces from thought leaders than watching the top video ads. You’ll also see that I am much more eager to work on a survey report than a social post. Why? A 2023 report shows 76% percent of B2B marketers say content marketing helped generate leads and 58% say it helped generate revenue (up from 42% in 2022). When B2B is done well, well, it can foster clever partnerships, optimize workplaces, boost revenue, and more.
What does “well” look like? When it makes someone feel like they gained something they didn’t have before. When someone feels more inspired, informed, or confident in a direction. B2B isn’t like an ad that shocks you, makes you tear up, or pushes you to feel desire. No, B2B is more subtle than that.
B2B content done well incites bright ideas, just like the ones you get in the shower or while driving. It initiates that feeling when thoughts just click.
And producing that feeling? It’s anything but boring. It’s delightful.
5 Tips For Writing B2B Content That Delights
Answer questions. Track prospect questions and hypothesize comparisons, then use your content to answer them. As someone weary of business book recommendations, I was pleasantly surprised when a past client recommended They Ask, You Answer. Marcus Sheridan’s advice is so simple; yet sometimes, the key to success is just that: simplicity. In this case, make it easy for people to get answers they seek. When making a purchasing decision, think of the questions you type into Google or ask other people. B2B content that delights answers consumers' questions without them having to go very far to find answers. You make getting the information they need easy, making their decision to trust your company easier.
Make it about you. Okay, not quite, but I do recommend using “you” as much as possible. Yes, it’s good to add context with things like “HR executives,” “CFOs,” or “business-decision makers,” but once you’ve laid out who it’s relevant for, chances are that’s the person who’s still reading…so talk to them! I know not all of my clients will agree with this (🫣), but using “you” feels much more personal, allowing the reader to see themselves in the content and, therefore, feel more inclined to act on it.
Use relevant data. People love data. Heck, I love data! Data adds context, educates, and even sways. Data points could be the thing that lands in a presentation or gets brought up in conversation in the boardroom. But you have to do it responsibly. There’s a lot of bad, yucky data out there, and it’s up to you to sift it out. Consider who was surveyed. Consider the source’s credibility. Consider the year of the research. What was happening then? Does that relate to what’s occurring now? And always, always include the source. (I prefer hyperlinks over footnotes, but that’s just me.)
Tap experts. My favorite part of crafting B2B content is learning from people who know their stuff. Using SMEs (subject matter experts) will elevate your content, add credibility, and, quite frankly, build your network of smart people doing smart things. Interview experts to get their perspective, add freshness, and trickle in anecdotes. Chances are you already have people in your network you can tap into. And if not? This gives you a perfect reason to send them a note. Otherwise, platforms like HARO can always help you find a relevant source.
Do a vibe check. When working with a client on content, I always ask: how do you want someone to feel when they get to the end? This isn’t about the CTA or whether they feel like clicking a button to get a demo. No, it’s about what emotional impact the content has, whether it be empowered, enlightened, relieved, or assured. People are much more likely to remember a feeling than a quote in an eBook. But if you can produce an emotion, people are more likely to save that content, go back to refer to it or take action because of it. So, when you finish writing that content, do a vibe check. What feeling does it evoke?
wellness check
A lot of B2B content is long-form. Do yourself a favor and take breaks in between. I like to break things up into chunks and then review each with fresh eyes versus doing everything all at once. I separate my projects as follows: outline, interview questions, interview pull quotes, add pull quotes into the outline, magically finesse a first draft, edit…and then edit again.
While it may seem counterintuitive, splitting it up this way makes me more efficient because each piece is solid versus doing everything simultaneously and trying to create content from chaos.
Look! A Delightful Piece of B2B Content!
I’m using this example from The Predictive Index — not only because it has a GIF of Sabrina The Teenage Witch or because I got to interview a content creator I’m obsessed with — but because it’s part of a larger campaign that fundamentally delivers. The Predictive Index is no stranger to delightful content, and that’s why reports like this one drove 100% more leads than average benchmarks!
Prove Me Wrong
To ensure that both of us continue to prove my younger self (and all the B2B naysayers) wrong, I’ll leave you with a last insight from Sheridan. When in doubt about your content, remember that “the ultimate content strategy is listening.”
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