Creating fire usually requires a spark; a sudden momentary disruptive discharge of energy that ignites anything flammable around it. Under the right conditions, a spark can set off a chain of events leading to a raging fire. But outside of a combustible environment, sparks are relatively harmless. They are short-lived flashes, quickly forgotten with little residual effect.
We don’t mind sparks. In fact, we tend to enjoy the occasional diversion they provide.
This is the reason why commercials are short, why brief summaries are printed on the back of books, why movie trailers are released in advance, why articles have headlines and why social media has exploded in popularity. They’re sparks; brief flashes of information completely harmless and disregarded until they connect with the right audience.
But we are weary of fires. And if they appear out of control, we avoid or extinguish them.
This is the reason why telemarketing calls are detested, why timeshare presentations are evaded, why pyramid scheme pitches are avoided and why legal documents and academic research papers are largely unread. They’re fires; long, invasive information dumps that burn unacceptable amounts of time and scorch the minds of the audience. Our time is limited and thus no one likes someone else burning it up without their consent.
And so when it comes to creating B2B marketing content start with a spark rather than an all-consuming fire. Be like Bon Jovi and put the chorus at the beginning to get the audience signing along. Be like The Usual Suspects and reveal the conclusion upfront to make the mystery about ‘the how’ rather than ‘the what’. Be like Billy Crystal or Neil Patrick Harris and deliver a jaw-dropping opening.
Granted these analogous examples are probably reflective of my age, but don’t let that undermine my point: You have to engage your target before you can message to them. So don’t be hesitant to spend an inordinate amount of time on the proverbial book cover…your content will be judged by it. Make your content polished, pretty and inviting. Format your white papers so 70%+ of the white space is allocated to infographics, charts, photos and other visuals. Start webinars with humorous stories delivered by a quick-witted, funny and dynamic speaker. Edit your expert interviews and produce them like an episode of This American Life. Don’t exaggerate, misrepresent or outright lie—like click bait such practices will tarnish your brand—but do the work necessary to best enhance your content with lots of sparks—short, brilliant flashes that ignite fires in the minds of your target customer.
Shortly after, they’ll come to you asking for more to feed the flames and keep it burning.
