Five Tips for Better B2B Brand Storytelling

When I spoke at TriComB2B’s 2024 Marketing Roundtable in Dayton, Ohio, I had the privilege of diving into the heart of modern branding through insights from my book, Brand Now. In today’s hyper-competitive landscape, where audiences are flooded with information and overwhelmed by choice, the brands that cut through are the ones that tell the most compelling stories.

As marketers, especially in the B2B space, we sometimes downplay storytelling, thinking it’s more suited for consumer-facing brands. But the truth is, storytelling is the cornerstone of every successful brand, no matter the audience. B2B buyers, stakeholders and decision-makers may seem very different, but they’re still human beings driven by emotions, narratives and meaning.

The good news? You don’t need to be a novelist or Hollywood screenwriter to tell a powerful brand story. What you do need is a solid understanding of how standout brand stories work and how to adapt these principles for your brand.

Here are five tips to help you craft stories that connect, engage and drive results.

1. Anchor Your Story With Meaning

As Viktor Frankl noted, humans are meaning-making machines. And your brand story is your opportunity to share your meaning with your customers. Beyond your industry or SIC code, what business are you really in? What does your brand mean to your people? Why do you exist?

Your “why” isn’t about making money. It’s the deeper motivation behind your company’s work. Is it to make workplaces safer? To empower engineers with better tools? To help businesses reduce energy consumption? Whatever your reason, this “why” gives your story meaning.

For instance, the industrial equipment company Caterpillar doesn’t just sell machinery — they’re focused on building a better, more sustainable world by driving efficiency and innovation in construction. Similarly, 3M doesn’t just manufacture adhesives or abrasives; they position their brand as solving complex problems through science and creativity.

When your “why” goes beyond the product, it transforms a transactional message into one that inspires and motivates.

2. Focus on the Hero: Your Customer

One of the biggest mistakes brands make is positioning themselves as the hero of the story. The real hero of your story is your customer. Your brand should be the mentor that helps them achieve their goals.

Take a moment to think about your customer’s journey. What challenges are they facing? What obstacles are in their way? When you frame your story around their needs, struggles and aspirations, you create a narrative that’s relatable and engaging.

Consider Salesforce, which doesn’t just talk about its CRM capabilities. Instead, they highlight how their customers — from small startups to global enterprises — have transformed how they serve their clients. Their “Trailblazer” stories focus on users achieving success, making the customer the centerpiece of the narrative.

When your customer sees themselves in your story, they connect with your story emotionally and are primed to act.

3. Stand Out With Simplicity

One of the central tenets of my book Brand Now is the power of simplicity. In a world full of distractions, complexity is your enemy.

Think about successful B2B brand stories like Slack’s messaging platform. Their pitch is straightforward: “Be less busy.” They distill a potentially complex value proposition — streamlining team communication — into an idea that’s easy to understand and remember.

For B2B marketers, simplicity can mean distilling technical features into clear benefits. Avoid jargon and focus on telling a story that even someone outside your industry can understand. Simplicity makes your message stick — and makes it easier for your audience to share your story with others.

4. Make Your Story Rich With Details

Great stories don’t just inform — they immerse. They invite the audience to see, feel and experience the message.

B2B storytelling doesn’t have to be dry or purely informational. Use vivid language to paint a picture. Highlight real-world examples of how your product or service made a difference. Share customer success stories that include specific details, like a reduction in costs or an improvement in efficiency.

For instance, GE HealthCare often shares stories of how their medical technologies have helped hospitals save lives or improve patient outcomes. By sharing specifics — like how one hospital reduced diagnostic time by 30% with their MRI technology — they turn data into a compelling, relatable narrative.

This kind of sensory, specific storytelling makes your brand’s impact tangible and memorable.

5. Be Authentic

Perhaps the most critical element of a successful story is authenticity. Today’s audiences are savvy. They can spot inauthenticity a mile away, and when they do, trust erodes.

Authentic storytelling means being honest about your brand’s strengths — and weaknesses. It’s OK to acknowledge challenges or areas for growth. This vulnerability makes your brand relatable and human.

It also means staying true to your brand’s voice. Don’t try to be something you’re not. If your company values precision and technical expertise, lean into that. If you’re a small team with a personal touch, make that your strength.

For example, accounting software company FreshBooks doesn’t shy away from being a challenger brand to bigger competitors like QuickBooks. They embrace their identity as “accounting software for people who hate accounting” — an authentic position that resonates with their audience.

Putting It All Together

Storytelling isn’t just a marketing tactic — it’s a way of building relationships. When you craft a story that centers your customer, simplifies your message, engages the senses, and stays authentic, you create a connection that goes beyond transactions.

At the TriComB2B Marketing Roundtable, I saw a room full of smart, driven professionals eager to elevate their brands and connect with their customers. My hope is that these five tips will inspire you to refine your own story. Remember: Your brand’s success isn’t just about the products or services you offer — it’s about the narrative you create.

So, what story will you tell?

Nick Westergaard is a brand strategist, educator and author of Brand Now. Learn more at nickwestergaard.com.