Strong opinions are what make people pay attention. They give shape to our expertise and personality to a brand.
The quality of our content can be good, bad, or somewhere in-between. But in marketing, that middle ground is the real danger zone. Bad content gets ignored, but “just fine” content quietly erodes our brand, by making us look like everyone else.
To stand out, we need to create content that’s either exceptionally useful or exceptionally opinionated. In B2B, the first is easier. When we can make someone think, “that’s genuinely useful – I’m going to use that idea”, we’ve done our job. Being useful earns trust, credibility, and a following.
But the second (being opinionated) is where the real opportunity lies, and it’s also where most B2B marketers hesitate. Many of us operate in cautious industries where being outspoken feels risky. We worry about alienating customers or being seen as unprofessional. Yet strong opinions, clearly expressed and rooted in experience, are what make people pay attention. They give shape to our expertise and personality to a brand.
This doesn’t mean being loud or reckless. It means having a clear point of view and the courage to express it. It means saying, “this approach doesn’t work anymore,” or “most people are measuring this wrong,” and backing it up with reason.
When we look at the B2B brands that people respect, I reckon we’ll find that most lead with ideas or they lead with value. The ones that do neither are training audiences to expect less. We need to be bold or be helpful; otherwise we’re just adding to the noise.