Your B2B Marketing Isn’t “Cute” Enough

The title says it all: Your B2B marketing isn’t cute enough.

That’s coming directly from Christie Horsman, Director of Demand Generation at Thinkific. 

In her Hot Take Live talk, she reminded users that just because you’re a B2B company, it doesn’t mean you’re always talking to the C-suite. This is a crucial mistake some businesses make.  

The CEO might be part of the ultimate buying decision, but you want to make sure your champions remember you. They’re the ones who will be pushing you to the C-suite in the first place.

So who are your champions? They’re people. 

When we recognize that you’re talking to people in marketing, suddenly, the marketing becomes a lot easier. That’s because we instinctively know how people talk to each other. 

When we’re sharing something we’re passionate about, we get excited. We speak with candor, wit, and inflection. We punctuate our words with animated hand gestures and exuberant expressions. 

And the brands we remember forever are the ones with a lasting personality that we so want to emulate. Those brands “bring the cute.” 

Some do it through characters and mascots. Others showcase their team. They exude cuteness in every facet of their marketing, and they stand out because of it. 

B2C brands have been hitting us over the head with cuteness forever. You can probably think of at least ten cute brands right off the top of your head, right? 

So why aren’t more B2B businesses embracing the cute? 

It’s almost like we think we’re selling our product or service to an office building rather than a human (or team of humans). We automatically shift into this formal, impersonal, stuffy tone that is actually off-putting in real-life conversations. 

According to Horsman, small, consistent changes can make a big impact on your endeavor here. 

To shed that sterile, businesslike persona, experiment with injecting a little playfulness into your social media presence first.

Little by little, make small changes to your brand tone. Start removing fluff and speak like a person who’s excited about what they have to offer (because you are!).

Be consistent and check in with your metrics and audience response. Over time, you can adjust the amount of cuteness until you hit a sweet spot for your brand. 

Don’t be afraid to add a brand-appropriate serving of tongue-in-cheek wit to your voice, with a little disparagement on the side. 

A funny running gag or well-timed comedic burn can go a long way toward making your brand more memorable. 

Want to check out the full video? Watch the full Hot Take Live here!