Is your B2B a bit Boring 2 boring…
- adrian67545
- Jul 4
- 3 min read
Be honest, when did you last share a campaign with friends and colleagues?
You’re not alone – there’s comfort in conformity. But equally you’ll never climb the mountain if you hide in the foothills.
Buyers are people, mostly. Compelling comms can absolutely resonate with them.
Before we fix the problem, let’s start with why it happens. B2B marketing often ends up boring because it falls into a set of predictable, risk-averse traps. Here's a breakdown of why it happens — and why it shouldn’t.
1. Too Much Focus on Logic, Not Enough on Emotion
We assume buyers make purely rational decisions. But even in B2B, emotion drives action.
Fear of making a bad decision
Desire to impress the boss
Frustration with current solutions
Ignoring these human factors makes messaging cold and flat.
2. Brands hide behind Jargon and Formality
To sound “professional,” B2B companies often:
Use meaningless phrases like “scalable end-to-end solutions”
Avoid humour, personality, or plain language
Default to passive, robotic tone
This strips away anything relatable or memorable.
3. Fear of Risk or Looking “Unserious”
In many companies:
Legal and compliance teams water down messaging
Stakeholders veto anything too bold or creative
There's more concern about not offending than standing out
The result? Safe, forgettable content.
4. Old-School Thinking
Some companies still believe:
White papers and sales decks = strategy
Long-form = more credibility
Being entertaining = not being credible
But modern buyers don’t have time or patience for 20-slide decks that say nothing new.
5. Copy-Paste Syndrome
Everyone copies everyone else:
Competitor uses stock photos and buzzwords? So will we.
Everyone has a blue website? So will we.
This creates a sea of sameness, where no brand stands out or resonates.
6. Misunderstanding the Buyer
Yes, they may be “procurement managers,” but they also:
Scroll LinkedIn while waiting for lunch
Laugh at memes
Appreciate a brand that respects their time
Now let’s move to practical strategies to lose the boring.
A. Tell Stories, Not Specs
Don’t: Focus only on product features, compliance, or jargon. Do tell stories about how your product solved real problems for real businesses.
Example: Instead of “Our software reduces downtime by 25%,” try “Enjoy a 3-day weekend, as our software saves you a day a week.”
B. Target Emotions, Not Just Logic
We’ve already touched on B2B buyers caring about risk, trust, fear of failure, pride, and looking smart in front of their colleagues.
Use copy and creative that addresses:
“Will this make me look good?”
“Can I trust this to not blow up in my face?”
“Will this finally solve the thing that’s been bugging us for 6 months?”
https://www.bbpagency.com/worldpay-smb-campaign
C. Design Like It’s B2C
Why do most B2B websites look like PDFs?
Use bold design, modern fonts, motion, and micro interactions.
Break up text - add video, infographics, or even animation.
Take inspiration from DTC brands — clarity + style.
D. Add Personality
People connect with humans, not faceless corporations.
Use a conversational tone. Skip the “solutions-oriented enterprise-grade” speak.
Inject some humour. Even a little goes a long way.
Show real faces: employees, customers, founders.
E. Leverage Creative Formats
B2B doesn’t mean you’re stuck with whitepapers.
Try LinkedIn-native video, carousels, memes, short case study reels.
Podcasts or behind-the-scenes content work great for authority building.
Think memes, skits, or funny explainers — within brand voice.
F. Teach, Don’t Preach
B2B audiences want value. Give them insights, not sales pitches.
Create educational content: deep dives, benchmarks, “how X companies do Y.”
Position your brand as a thought leader, not a salesperson.
G. Use UGC and Community
Let your users, customers, and employees help you tell the story.
Showcase testimonials that don’t sound like marketing.
Encourage customers to share how they use your product on social.
Build a niche community around shared challenges.
H. Test Weird Stuff (You Can Always Pivot)
Don’t be afraid to break the mold.
Run A/B tests with copy that breaks tone.
Launch a bold campaign or a quirky explainer video.
If everyone else is zigging, maybe you should zag?
To prove all the above, here’s one we made earlier.
Just Group PLC, a UK based financial retirement business, want to be seen as the fountain of knowledge for all things GenX – 45-60 year olds – their views on family, love, money, travel etc. And by doing so, prove that Just Group has created financial planning solutions that will enable GenX to achieve their retirement goals.We created www.genvoices.co.uk.Wrapped up in the 80s, it’s a playful creative approach with use of video, infographics and data tools, to spark conversations and positions Just Group as the go-to authority on the lifestyle and financial needs of the next wave of retirees.
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