Susanne Trautmann

Using humor in B2B marketing is a balancing act. If you do it right, you'll unite your audience; if you don't, you may lose their respect or even damage your reputation... So, is it worth the risk? Absolutely YES!!! 🙌 Don't be afraid to use humor! It might be an uncomfortable balancing act, but if you don't put yourself (=your brand) in uncomfortable situations, you'll never learn and grow! 🚀

🙌 You can't go wrong with humor in B2B marketing if you aim for true positivity and friendliness. And never forget that humor it not humor! Make jokes that unite rather than divide. Here are some examples of humor, you should stay away from 👇 🛑 self-defeating humor (=putting yourself down) 🛑 agressive humor (=putting others down) This is an advanced level of humor, that you should use super carefully: 🛑 sarcastic humor (= putting others down in an ironic way)

One thing, that I find super insightful to identify relevant topics is: 👂Listen! Get to know your audience! ❓What questions are they asking? ❓What motivates and inspires them? ❓What do they prioritize and value the most in their life or work? Next, find the key topics that are connected to your thought leadership zones! (Venn diagrams are great for this kind of visualization! 🎉) Once you've identified focus areas, start answering the questions and start a meaningful conversation! Share your experiences and create as many aha-moments for others as possible! 🌈💙

Actually, I disagree with this advice: 👉 Creating content will help you to identify your target audience. Especially if you have multiple personas in mind or start to explore new markets. I suggest this process: ✅ Ask yourself: What are the obstacles your target audience is facing? Then create content based on your assumptions. ✅ Where does your target audience hang out? Publish your content on multiple channels, test different formats and media types. ✅ Interact with the people who eventually start to engage with your content. Create 1:1 situations to ask more questions and validate your assumptions. ✅ Iterate your messaging, repeat the process, and organize all information in one place. Then create an ideal customer profile! 🚀

🙌 Dare to be brave! In the B2B space, I see too many brands that are drifting in a "sea of sameness". They behave alike and talk alike because it's comfortable to say what everyone else is saying. Differentiate your brand! Stop being risk-averse and conservative! Start talking about topics no-one else is talking about in your niche and own them. The best conversations happen outside your brand's comfort zone! 🌈💙