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August 2023
Five Principles for Powerful B2B Messaging

Five Principles for Powerful B2B Messaging

“How do we describe ourselves to customers and the marketplace market? With one phrase? One sentence? One paragraph?”

If you put these questions to your entire marketing team, would you get a consistent response? What if you asked Sales? Or Product? Or your leadership team in general?

Our experience tells us the answer is, typically, “no.” Though most of us agree consistent messaging is essential to marketing (and business) success, many tech companies struggle to rally their organization behind a singular, consistent concept.

Arketi Group’s messaging process has been refined through more than 250 engagements with B2B technology providers. We’ve put our methodology to the test for more than two decades, and we’ve distilled it into five principles for developing and activating powerful B2B messaging.

WILL WE SEE YOU AT FINTECH SOUTH?
WILL WE SEE YOU AT FINTECH SOUTH?

Hosted by the Technology Association of Georgia (TAG), Fintech South brings together the best and brightest minds working at the forefront of financial technology innovation.

Plus, the fintech ecosystem has expanded, and so has Fintech South! This year’s show in Atlanta will cover everything from artificial intelligence and Web3 technologies to financial inclusion and the future of commerce.

Join us as our CEO Mike Neumeier takes the stage for the B2B Fintech Deep Dive on Wednesday. You won’t want to miss this one!

1. Commit to the process.

B2B marketers are often consensus builders – balancing multiple stakeholders’ priorities to ensure the organization is marching in the same direction.

When it comes to messaging, the natural tendency may be to do the same – to let everyone, from Sales to Development, from HR to the board room, help craft the message. We think that’s a mistake: what pleases everybody frequently satisfies no one. Especially the person who matters: the buyer.

While there is no “one size fits all” recipe for message development, by applying a thorough, data-driven process, marketers can enable their organization to uncover a message that compels audiences and generates demand.

Regardless of approach…

  • Develop your positioning first – at its core, the message is a snappy, memorable, distinctive distillation of your market position.
  • Avoid too many cooks in the kitchen – otherwise, you risk ending up with a message built on competing priorities that means nothing and says even less.
  • Get ready to be uncomfortable – strong messaging communicates strengths and benefits. To uncover those, you’ll also need to understand your gaps and weaknesses.

2. Do one thing – and do it well.

What one word do you associate with BMW cars? It’s likely performance, or something similar, comes to mind first. And there’s a reason: the legendary automaker has for decades described itself as “The Ultimate Driving Machine.” Powerful messaging strikes that one chord your competitors simply can’t.

Most B2B tech companies have complex solutions and services, which can be challenging to distill into a singular message. But you can’t be everything to everyone. BMW could equally lay claim to luxury, safety, design – but they stake their claim on performance, and own it.

To truly differentiate, you must know your “special sauce” and stick to the recipe. You can do that by…

  • Living your differentiators – if you can visit your homepage, hide the logo and company name, and what’s left could work for a competitor, you haven’t hit the mark.
  • Not over-messaging – whether it’s 100+ words on a tradeshow booth or spelling out every detail of your product in a fact sheet, less is always more.
  • Proving it – Without the proof points or data to back up your messaging, all you have are empty claims.

3. Make the complex simple and the simple compelling.

Whether launching a new product or amplifying mature portfolios, success always starts with a strong, succinct, defendable message. Besides a robust process, effective messaging also requires quality writing. And that requires time.

In your urgency to get to market, avoid rushing the message. It’s our job as marketers to make “the complex simple and the simple compelling.” A couple days of extra polishing – with the mission to use fewer, but stronger words – can transform a humdrum pitch into corporate poetry!

We recommend…

  • Taking your elevator pitch literally – we mean it! Get in the office elevator, embrace the weird looks from your co-workers, and see if you can deliver your pitch in the time it takes to go five floors. If not, it’s back to the editing desk.
  • Letting boilerplates breathe – ditch that stale, standard boilerplate loaded with buzzwords. Instead, take a lively, informal tone and explain in plain English who your product helps, how, and what makes it superior.
  • Writing as you would speak – keep your message straightforward and concise. Lean into your brand’s personality and write as if face-to-face with a real, live audience. Nothing builds a better connection than genuine conversation.
17th Annual Tech CMO Roundtable
17th Annual Tech CMO Roundtable

The Tech CMO Roundtable returns to Atlanta this October 19! Join us and our keynote speaker Martina Lauchengco as we discuss how to build, market, and think differently within our organizations.

In her recent book, LOVED: How to Rethink Marketing for Tech Products, Martina examines best-in-class product marketing and the leadership needed to transform how we go to market.

Her session and workshop will explore how we, as marketing leaders, can build dynamic, customer-centric teams that enable our products to achieve their full market potential.

4. Trust, but verify.

The beauty of your message is in the eye of the buyer. No matter how much you love or believe in your company’s messaging, if it fails to engage prospects, it fails.

Strong messaging is grounded in research, based on experience, and validated in the field. Strong messaging tells a story – one that resonates with the buyer, meets them in their reality, shows them possibilities, and inspires them to initiate change.

It’s easy to dream up a message. It’s much harder to craft one that truly engages buyers. Think about it this way…

  • Without research, you are just guessing – quantitative data is vital to align your message with how buyers perceive and utilize your product.
  • Lost leads reveal more than you think – pressure-testing your message beyond existing customers provides deeper insights to refine, tailor and specify your message.
  • Boards and leadership are not buyers – who cares if the board likes your message when buyers don’t? Testing your message across the broader market ensures you are hitting the mark with those who will sign checks.

5. Never stop activating your message.

Even with adequate time and budget, some marketers struggle to activate their B2B messaging in a way that brings it to life for stakeholders. Siloed departments, competing priorities and disarrayed communications can all disrupt the rollout.

Don’t drop the ball right before touchdown. Consider what you invested in crafting your message – and devote as much effort to creating assets that demonstrate how to use it in practice.

Handing out a messaging guide and expecting others to spread the word is not the answer. Instead…

  • Anoint a message evangelist – someone who will champion the message internally to ensure it is shared and applied throughout your organization.
  • Make your launch a celebration – messaging is central to every sales call, newsletter, press release, email and web page. Ensure everyone understands how sticking to the message helps them succeed.
  • Commit to consistency – by the time you’re bored with your message, audiences are just catching on. Messaging builds brands, and that doesn’t happen overnight. If it’s working, keep pushing forward.

…And look good doing it.

A powerful message resonates. It is reflected across every facet of a brand, from advertising and marketing to internal communications and investor relations. Repetition and consistency hammer it home – and avoid disjointed perceptions among prospects, customers and stakeholders.

Messaging also evolves. From the top-level tagline to the lowest-level supporting message, ongoing research and testing will ensure it continues to produce positive results. It’s alright if your message needs a little polish every few years; the market is rapidly evolving, after all.

Need help building a powerful message that resonates and engages? Let’s talk. Reach out to Mike Neumeier at 404.451.7832 or mneumeier@arketi.com.

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