Why B2B Content Doesn’t Have to Sound Techy to Convert Prospects & Tips on How to Reach Tech Buyers as People First

There’s a rather outdated and wholly stereotypical image of tech experts that paints them as dry, spec-focused automatons that want the facts and only the facts, thanks. It probably stems from the not entirely untrue idea that tech people prioritize, well, tech. The inner workings of an innovative piece of software matters. But for marketers, relying heavily on that stale buyer persona could result in content that is itself more arid than the Sahara.

People are people, regardless of their industry. The most successful content resonates with readers not because it contains a laundry list of tech terms or reads like an IT glossary, but because it provides value and connects on a very human level.

Here’s a deeper look at people-first content, plus some reasons why feature-focused content can be a major fail and a few tips on how your brand can better connect with potential clients in the tech space.

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When People-First Content Meets Tech

Defragmentation.

Backward compatibility.

Object-oriented programming.

Version control.

Just a few examples of the jargon that so often floods tech content, and the list could go on and on. As someone who has seen first-hand how SEO and content marketing have evolved over the past few years, I know well how important keywords can be. But I’m also keenly aware of the widespread misconnection that B2B content must be brimming with insider speak to appeal to decision-makers in tech.

People-first content makes its point by leveraging storytelling that explains the how and the why instead of just that what.

Ask yourself:

• Is this content original, meaning does it offer the audience something new?
• Does the content speak to your audience and answer questions they’d likely have about your topic?
• Are you demonstrating first-hand knowledge and the type of expertise that would appeal to other experts in the targeted industry?
• Are you helping your audience solve a problem or at least take steps toward a solution that would make their lives easier or otherwise more enjoyable?
• Does the content convey information in a way that will leave the reader feeling satisfied and happy they took the time to read/watch?

Crafting content based on those questions might help you connect quicker and convert more efficiently, shortening the sales cycle and helping you score a win faster than usual.

The Problem With Feature-Focused Content

According to a recent Gallup poll, 70% of consumer decisions, including things like brand preference, are based on emotion. Just 30% of decisions are purely or mostly based on rational factors.

Yes, tech buyers are looking for certain features that are must-haves in order to meet their companies’ needs. But a digital docket of tech specs can only take a buyer so far. When both Product A and Product B tick the same boxes, what puts one brand over the top?

Storytelling helps consumers envision how the product will work for them.

People don’t fall in love with features, they become enamored with what those features can do for their workday or their overall output. Do you want to know that new CRM software has real-time data capabilities or that those metrics helped Brand X inform marketing decisions so well that they were able to come up with a bid that won them the account of a lifetime?

Features and the content surrounding them can’t live in a vacuum. Trusting a features list to do the bulk of the work is like an artist handing a layperson a canvas and a bucket of paint tubes and expecting compliments for their “masterpiece.”

As content marketers, it’s our job to be the audience’s imagination. We help them envision themselves as the heroes in our stories — it just so happens that our stories are case studies and testimonials.

3 Tips for Using People-First Content to Connect and Convert

1. Build trust using user-generated content.

Case studies, user testimonials, shared social media posts, customer reviews, expert approval/recommendations — these are all examples of user-generated content and social proof companies can capitalize on when trying to boost conversion rates. Social proof is effective because it relies on the bandwagon effect. Other consumers (perhaps a competitor?) have found success using a service or product, so perhaps the reader would too.

2. Become BFFs with EEAT.

Google is all about EEAT, which stands for Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness. Embracing that concept requires being authentic. Someone reviewing a new keyboard with adaptive display should actually use that keyboard first — and it helps if they genuinely need the adaptive functionality, too. Content that follows EEAT serves the audience, but — bonus time — it makes Google happy, too.

3. Appeal to emotion.

I know I’ve mentioned emotion multiple times already, but it really is that important. Appeal to your readers’ fear, funny bone, desire for self-improvement, sense of nostalgia, or even anger. They’re mad so many tech innovations fall short of their promises? Sympathize and then show how you’ll do better.

Just 42% of B2B marketers feel their content marketing efforts are effective. There are a lot of possible reasons marketing might not produce results, including lack of strategy or lack of resources. But it could also easily be that the content being produced isn’t framed the right way. By switching to people-first tech content, you can reach people on an emotional level, appealing buyers in the most authentic, memorable way possible.

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