Hi friends,
People love to say that B2B marketing is boring.
(And to be clear — I am people.)
And sure, it can be. This week I was looking at CRMs for the agency and landed on a site that proudly led with: “Relationship Intelligence Supercharged” — a phrase that tells me literally nothing about what makes this tool different.
^That’s boring, sure. But it’s mostly boring because it’s lazy.
And that’s the real question: Is B2B boring? Or is most marketing just low-effort?
Honestly, I think the answer is both.
The boring accusation often comes from benchmarking B2B content against B2C campaigns. But that’s like comparing apples and oranges. There’s a massive difference between buying software that costs $375k/year vs. a new razor blade for $13. One sales cycle takes 15 months. The other one takes 15 minutes.
Additionally, “boring” is subjective. I personally find The Hobbit to be a boring book, but others will fight me on that opinion. Same goes for B2B. What seems dry to you might be exactly what someone in a niche role has been waiting months to find.
So, what’s the root problem?
I’d argue it’s lack of brand direction, and an unwillingness to invest in truly creative execution.
As marketers, our job is to tell stories. In B2C, the goal of the story is to grab attention and drive a quick sale. In (enterprise) B2B, the goal of the story is to capture attention, generate trust, and nurture people into booking a demo.
In some cases, “boring” might actually be the way to do this. If you want to come off as dependable, unassuming, and the type of service that does exactly what it’s supposed to do without any hiccups, “boring” might actually fit into your brand strategy perfectly. You can execute on “boring” in an interesting way. Performative “boring” that makes it stand out.
But doing THAT ^ in a way that actually leads to pipeline? It requires effort.
Earlier this week, I saw a post that said it’s a red flag if a writer cares too much about sentence structure. The takeaway was,
“B2B writers are not artists.”
I get the sentiment, and in many ways agree with it. I’m not here to call my work art. (I struggle to even call it creative.) And if a commercial writer is too precious about their words, they’re going to waste a ton of time picking pointless fights.
But I also think that mindset is dangerous. Because some of the artistry is what unlocks creative thinking.
For people who are great at telling stories, the craft is what makes the work worth doing. And when the work feels worth doing? It shows in the result.
That’s how you get the kind of “boring” that builds trust. That performs. That pulls someone further into your funnel. Not low-effort headlines like “Use AI and automation to unleash the power of your team's relationships — at scale.”
That’s not boring.
That’s forgettable.
And if there’s one thing your brand can’t afford to be — especially in B2B — it’s that.
Pssst. Want some help building a brand that makes your unique value obvious? I’ve just launched BrandStack — a new agency that helps post-PMF B2Bs do exactly that.
The easiest way to burn money on a brand is to go into it without a plan. Our one-day Download Day will help you find what’s working, where there is room to grow, and build a blueprint on how to get started.
Hit reply and let me know if you’re interested — we’ve got space for ONE engagement in September.
Pssst - I have a stupid idea and I need your input.
I’ve been kicking around the idea of a B2B Marketing Run Club for a few months now.
I’ve floated the concept to a few people and seen some interest… but I’d love to get your input.
I’m thinking:
Virtual/IRL group
1x/quarter IRL meetup in Amsterdam (and other cities in the future — London being a likely next location)
For B2B marketers and product marketers
5k route
All paces welcome
Are you interested? Fill in this form to let me know!
Justin Blackman wrote an excellent post about differentiation this week.
Your CEO doesn’t hate brand. They hate how marketers talk about it.
I’m currently reading The Emperor of Gladness by Ocean Vuong and it’s one of the most beautiful books I have ever experienced.
I’m headed to Cambridge/London September 10-14. If you fancy a meetup, shoot me a message!
