
In this episode of B2B Business Class, I sat down with Chris Rapozo, Marketing Specialist at Hannon Hill, to unpack brand storytelling in B2B marketing.
Chris has built his career on thoughtful communication and content management. He shared valuable insights for bringing compelling narratives that resonate with decision-makers to your content marketing strategy.
Why Brand Storytelling Isn’t About You
Chris emphasized a fundamental principle of storytelling — your potential clients should be the stars.
“You never want to make yourself look like the hero," Chris explained. "You want them to be the ones that the spotlight's on… They seek you out because they realized they needed a solution.”
He highlighted the importance of understanding the audience's needs before crafting the story.
“You want to make sure it's educational. You want to [add value] when you tell the story. Don't make it… like a demo or whatever you may want to call it,” he said.
Typically, when it comes to B2C brand storytelling, a specific audience is being targeted. Yet B2B storytelling can feel complicated because it often means dealing with multiple stakeholders.
Chris stressed that unlike B2C marketing, which tends to appeal more to emotions, B2B decisions often have career implications for decision-makers.
“If that person makes a decision, it could affect their job either positively or negatively,” Chris said.
He pointed out that these branching narratives require a logical and data-driven approach.
“When it comes to B2B storytelling, it's all about connecting with the business. You have to bring a logical approach to the story to show how a product or service can improve the efficiency… or bring profits,” he noted.
Enterprise Storytelling and Long-Term Partnerships
Chris also distinguished between traditional B2B storytelling and enterprise storytelling.
“[Enterprise storytelling] is about crafting a narrative that conveys the values, culture, and mission of a large company,” he explained. “You want to aim to align everyone with the company's goals and foster strong internal brands.”
He shared an example from his own work at Hannon Hill, where he highlights employee achievements to build trust with clients.
“I always refer to it as P2P, like ‘people to people’… In the end, it's people to people. You're talking to another person,” he said.
That was perhaps one of the most hard-hitting observations Chris shared — his approach to using storytelling as a way to build genuine relationships. He highlighted the value of creating connections that go beyond the transactional.
“If you're having them on a podcast and make them sound like the incredible expert that they are, you're building a relationship with them,” he said.
This approach, he believes, lays the foundation for long-term partnerships.
“You give them something, and you may never get anything in return… But let's say, a year down the road, they're in the market for a product that you offer. The first person that comes to mind is the guy who made [them] look good,” Chris added.
The Role of Content Management in B2B Success
Our conversation also touched on the importance of effective content management in maintaining a consistent brand voice.
Chris emphasized how a good content management system (CMS) is non-negotiable, especially in larger organizations.
“A good content management system helps to streamline content creation and management,” he said. “It allows multiple contributors to create and edit and manage content in a centralized platform.”
Chris explained that in a setting like Hannon Hill, where there are hundreds of content contributors, a CMS becomes essential for maintaining brand consistency.
“Imagine a higher-ed institution… [that] has hundreds of content contributors. How are you going to keep that in check? How are you going to make sure that your brand guidelines are maintained?” he said.
Beyond content creation, Chris highlighted the role of a CMS in improving SEO and accessibility.
“A good content management system helps with SEO optimization… Even if we don’t have a native SEO tool, we integrate with other tools to help optimize your website," he shared.
This integration helps identify issues like broken links or missing alt text, which are critical for ensuring that websites are accessible to all users, including those with disabilities.
“If you don't have an accessible website for people that are handicapped, visually or hearing impaired, and they can't get what they need from your website… There have been a lot of lawsuits about that,” he noted.
Observations like these underline the importance of combining authentic storytelling with diligent content management to build strong, trust-based relationships in the B2B space.
The Power of Brand Storytelling in B2B Marketing
For more insights from Chris Rapozo on brand storytelling and content management, you can listen to this episode of B2B Business Class on Spotify, Apple, or wherever you get your favorite podcasts.
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