Ground-Level Perspective in B2B Writing

Here’s the typical B2B corporate spiel you’ll find in whitepapers, pitch decks, or LinkedIn posts about service design and customer experience. “At [company name], we pride ourselves on delivering best-in-class service design solutions that enhance end-to-end customer experiences. By leveraging agile methodologies and cross-functional collaboration, we optimise customer journey touchpoints to ensure stakeholder alignment and drive measurable business outcomes. Our human-centric approach puts the user at the heart of our strategic framework, enabling scalable, future-ready experiences that foster brand loyalty and digital transformation.” Yawn! That kind of language says absolutely nothing. It’s the verbal equivalent of a beige carpet. I know, I've written dozens of these because, you know... brand guidelines. I've been asked to "humanise" a brand so I am chucking all this nonsense in-the-bin. This is what I want to know about your service design and customer service: Tell me what broke, show me what it felt like to be a customer stuck in that system. Walk me through the moment everything started to unravel. Then show me what changed, how the design made things easier, and why it mattered, and this is what I'll write for you: "We help fix the challenges that frustrate your customers and wear down your team. The dropped calls, the confusing forms, the twelve-step journeys that should’ve taken three. We get to know the people using your service (not just the ones designing it) and we listen. Then we redesign what’s not working, we make things clearer, faster, and more human so your customers don’t give up halfway through, and your team doesn’t have to keep apologising for things they didn’t build. That’s what good service design does. It makes everything feel less like hard work and more human." Don't mistake clarity with simplicity, and simplicity with lack of authority. The people reading it are not moved by “stakeholder alignment” or “agile transformation frameworks,” they’re moved by clarity and the feeling that someone actually understands the problem they’re trying to solve. Then make sure your visuals show a real person, not a desk, or a phone or a laptop.

Most B2B SaaS companies miss the mark when it comes to messaging and positioning. They try to pack in EVERYTHING, including buzzwords, every feature, every new industry trend and end up with some convoluted SaaS-speak nonsense that most of the buyers don't understand—and certainly don't act on. The biggest mistake? Competitive copycats echo buzzwords no human has ever said aloud. And "final" copy ships without hearing a single customer heartbeat. Companies forget that every line is a promise of a better workday. When the promise feels real, your buyers remember. Here's my 6-step plan, built on research, refined by emotion: 1. Immerse yourself in your customers' day. Note every frustration and workaround. 2. Interview for emotion. "What stressed you out? What would have made you proud by week's end? What keeps you up at night?" Record their exact phrases. 3.. Map the gap. Tear down five competitors to spot the pains they ignore; the problems they're not solving. Plot where your buyers are feeling underserved. 4. Write the narrative from the lens of empathy. Keep it simple: A one-sentence value prop plus three proof pillars. Tie each of these to a concrete benefit (e.g., time back, confidence up, career impact stronger). Keep it simple. Read it aloud. Read it to someone outside of your industry. Do they grasp it quickly? Or do you have to explain it? If you do, this is a big 🚩🚩 and you need to go back to editing. 5. Draft your MVP and test, test, test. Drop lines from your narrative into ads, nurture emails, and BDR scripts. Track not just the clicks, but the RESPONSE. Did your message resonate? Did the prospects repeat your promise back in their own words? 6. Take your test winners and create a one-page playbook with example stories and customer quotes so that every single teammate can deliver it verbatim—and believe it. ⚠️ Pitfalls to avoid: - Buzzwords that sound impressive but echo no real pain - Internal acronyms or lingo that your buyers have never heard - Value props so long your reps need cue cards - Claims with no data or customer voice behind them - Skipping sales and CS feedback—the people closest to the emotional stakes Great messaging is a mirror reflecting your hopes and headaches. Start with their words, show the better life your product unlocks, and they'll feel—and respond—to the truth.

I still remember my first B2B blog. - It took me 7 hours. - Had 0 personality. - Sounded like ChatGPT before it learned how to write properly. Every sentence started with things like: “Businesses today face challenges…” And ended with: “In conclusion, companies must adapt to change.” - It looked “professional.” - It read like a textbook. - And it performed exactly how you’d expect: Flat. No clicks. No engagement. No results. That’s when I realized something most beginners miss: B2B content isn’t about sounding smart. It’s about being useful. If you’re just starting out as a B2B content writer, here’s what I wish someone told me: 1. 𝗪𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻, 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗮 𝗯𝗼𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗿𝗼𝗼𝗺. Picture a founder, a marketer, or an operator reading your post on their lunch break. If it doesn’t help them in 30 seconds, they’ll bounce. 2. 𝗕𝗲 𝗖𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲𝘀 Don’t say “streamline operational inefficiencies.” Say “cut 5 hours of busywork.” 3. 𝗞𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁. Anyone can list features. The best writers understand why those features matter. If you can name the problem better than the reader can, they’ll trust your solution. 4. 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝘀. The more you understand GTM, sales cycles, churn, and growth metrics, The sharper your writing gets. 5. 𝗗𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝘄𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲. 𝗥𝗲𝗽𝘂𝗿𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗲. Turn one blog into: → 3 LinkedIn posts → 1 newsletter → A carousel → A script for a short video More output, less burnout. I’m still learning every day. Still refining the voice. Still figuring out what hits and what doesn’t. But if I started all over again tomorrow? I’d stop writing like I’m trying to impress. And start writing like I’m trying to help. Comment below your content writing experience so far👇 #B2BWriting #B2BContent #B2BMarketing #ContentMarketing #TechContent #SaaSContent #ContentStrategy #SEOContent #AIContent

B2B tech companies are addicted to getting you to subscribe to their corporate echo chamber newsletter graveyard, where they dump their latest self-love notes. It's a cesspool of "Look at us!" and "We're pleased to announce..." drivel that suffocates originality and murders interest. Each link, each event recap and each funding announcement is another shovel of dirt on the grave of what could have been engaging content. UNSUBSCRIBE What if, instead of serving up the same old reheated corporate leftovers, your content could slap your audience awake? Ego-stroking company updates are out. 1. The pain point deep dive: Start by mining the deepest anxieties, challenges and questions your audience faces. Use forums, social media, customer feedback and even direct interviews to uncover the raw nerve you're going to press. 2. The unconventional wisdom: Challenge the status quo of your industry. If everyone's zigging, you zag. This could mean debunking widely held beliefs, proposing counterintuitive strategies or sharing insights that only insiders know but don't talk about. Be the mythbuster of your domain. 3. The narrative hook: Every piece of content should tell a story, and every story needs a hook that grabs from the first sentence. Use vivid imagery, compelling questions or startling statements to make it impossible to scroll past. Your opening should be a rabbit hole inviting Alice to jump in. 4. The value payload: This is the core of your content. Each piece should deliver actionable insights, deep dives or transformative information. Give your audience something so valuable that they can't help but use, save and share it. Think tutorials, step-by-step guides or even entertaining content that delivers laughs or awe alongside insight. 5. The personal touch: Inject your personality or brand's voice into every piece. Share personal anecdotes, failures and successes. 6. The engagement spark: End with a call to action that encourages interaction. Ask a provocative question, encourage them to share their own stories or challenge them to apply what they've learned and share the results. Engagement breeds community, and community amplifies your reach. 7. The multi-platform siege: Repurpose your anchor content across platforms. Turn blog posts into podcast episodes, summaries into tweets or LinkedIn posts and key insights into Instagram stories. Each piece of content should work as a squad, covering different fronts but pushing the same message. Without impressive anchor content, you won't have anything worth a lick in your newsletter. 8. The audience dialogue: Engage directly with your audience's feedback. Respond to comments, ask for their input on future topics and even involve them in content creation through surveys or co-creation opportunities. Make your content worth spreading, and watch as your audience does the heavy lifting for you. And please stop with the corporate navel-gazing. #newsletters #b2btech #ThatAshleyAmber