B2B Marketers Need to Get Creative and Explore Episodic Storytelling

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    B2B Marketers Need to Get Creative and Explore Episodic Storytelling

    Episodic storytelling is no more confined to B2C marketing. B2B brands have successfully implemented episodic storytelling, presenting their own stories in the form of short episodes to keep audiences glued.

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    The trend of episodic storytelling stems out from the media and the entertainment industry. Edgy B2C brands who were the early adopters of the episodic storytelling have witnessed tremendous success. B2B players are now catching up with this trend to test its effectiveness for real-life use cases.

    B2B brands are embracing episodic storytelling, presenting case studies, success stories, and product launches in the form of short episodes to keep the target audiences coming back for more. The episodic storytelling tactic has worked wonders for B2C brands, and now more marketers realize that this works for B2B brands as well.

    Episodic content is already a familiar tactic among audiences for driving tremendous engagement.

    Why should B2B firms give episodic storytelling a try?

    • Episodic stories deliver high value in a shorter timespan with more direct content. Audiences feel that the content is not boring or too lengthy, so they come back for more.
    • A nonfiction narrative will always work better in creating the need to buy or try the service. Especially case studies or happy customer content build maximum trust in the brand.
    • Towards the end of episodes, some questions about the product or services should be left unanswered. This builds up curiosity about the product or services.
    • Providing a clear call-to-action at the end of all episodes is essential. Since the audience is giving so much time, the audience is always filtered as strong leads. A call to action that sums up the story but leads the prospective towards trying to find out more is an added strategy.
    • Such episodes can cater to the curiosity of the audience, so communication numbers and e-mail id should be clearly mentioned for consumers to refer to quickly. Once this is done, customer queries immediately flow.

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    Episodic storytelling could have the same storyline throughout, or each episode could have independent content such as individual case studies.  Either way, the quality of the stories will determine how much the consumer trusts the brand.

    B2B marketers should remember the below-mentioned points:

    • B2B marketers need to get experimental and let go of their fears. Marketers to sell the story need to be self-convinced about the plot and the characters to deliver real value.
    • To implement episodic storytelling as a successful marketing tactic, B2B brands need to refer to other brands that have already implemented it successfully to understand what they are doing this right. Intel’s AI series, “Preserving a Legacy,” MailChimp’s animated series, “Outer Monologue,” and Zarius’ “Marketing Unboxed” are the best examples.
    • Episodic marketing is just not about videos, so B2B marketers need to think beyond it. Episodic storytelling works effectively in virtually all mediums, including podcasts and blog posts. In fact, 2020 will be an era of B2B podcasting.

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    All brands will need to transform into media companies to publicize and portray their firms in the best way if they want to survive the stiff competition. B2B marketers have hitherto been hesitant to try episodic storytelling, but they need to realize that the content has higher chances of failure when the story is delivered all at once. Marketing experts are now suggesting all brands to hold the story and publish in installments. Audiences prefer episodic storytelling, and it is the right time for B2B marketers to master it.