Even B2B Buyers Are Human: Why Serious Tech Videos Still Need Personality

Here’s the problem:

Most B2B tech videos are about as exciting as watching paint dry.

They’re packed with jargon, overloaded with PowerPoint slides, and painfully forgettable.

The worst part? They fail at their only job—keeping the audience engaged.

And yet, video is one of the most powerful marketing tools in a tech company’s arsenal.

Done right, it can make complex concepts digestible, showcase a brand’s personality, and build trust faster than any whitepaper ever could.

So what’s the fix? Not more polish. Not more production value.

It’s recognizing a simple truth most B2B companies ignore:

Even B2B buyers are human.

They binge-watch YouTube.

They laugh at memes.

They share oddly satisfying videos.

Then they walk into boardrooms and make million-dollar decisions.

The companies that win aren’t the ones that talk “professionally.” They’re the ones that communicate clearly, memorably, and humanly.

Why B2B Buyers Still Respond to Human-Centered Video

B2B buyers may operate in regulated, high-stakes environments—but they don’t stop being human just because the deal size grows.

Personality works in B2B video because it:

• Reduces cognitive load when concepts are complex
• Improves recall when multiple vendors sound identical
• Signals confidence instead of corporate fear
• Builds emotional comfort before logical evaluation

This isn’t about being goofy.

It’s about being recognizable, relatable, and real.

1. Storytelling: Make It About the Viewer, Not the Tech

What Most B2B Videos Get Wrong

Most tech videos open with features, platforms, and credentials.

Bad move.

Nobody cares—yet.

Buyers care about their problem, their risk, and their reputation inside the organization.

Your product earns attention only after you show you understand that reality.

How to Do It Right

• Start with a relatable problem “Ever had five teams involved just to move one workflow forward?”
• Use a human hero A CIO, product lead, compliance officer—someone your buyer recognizes as themselves.
• Build tension before resolution Show the friction, the delays, the internal pressure.
• Keep it simple If it can’t be explained to a non-technical colleague, rewrite it.

Example: Salesforce’s storytelling-driven videos make CRM feel like momentum, not software.

How to Reframe a B2B Tech Video Without Losing Credibility

This is where most teams get stuck. They think “human” means “unserious.”

It doesn’t.

Here’s what reframing actually looks like:

Before (Typical B2B Framing) “Enterprise-grade platform designed to optimize workflow efficiency.”

After (Human-Centered Framing) “Ever spent weeks aligning teams just to move one process forward? This is how teams remove that friction.”

Before “Robust, multi-layered security architecture.”

After “When security reviews drag on for months, deals stall. Here’s how teams shorten that cycle without cutting corners.”

Reframing works because it:

• Anchors complexity to lived experience
• Creates recognition before explanation
• Makes the buyer feel understood, not sold

2. Humor: Lighten Up Without Losing Credibility

Why It Works

Humor improves retention and recall. It disarms resistance. It signals confidence.

The key isn’t jokes—it’s shared truth.

Types of Humor That Work in B2B Tech

• Witty analogies – Explaining tech through familiar comparisons
• Situational exaggeration – Highlighting industry pain points buyers already know
• Self-aware humor – Acknowledging industry absurdities (without mocking the buyer)

What to Avoid

• Overused corporate jokes
• Forced memes
• Inside jokes only engineers understand

Example: Slack’s videos exaggerate workplace chaos just enough to feel honest—and memorable.

A Simple Framework for Humanizing B2B Video (Without Dumbing It Down)

Use this framework to keep personality aligned with clarity:

1. Name the buyer’s reality first
2. Anchor complexity to something familiar
3. Position the product as relief, not hero
4. Show progress, not perfection
5. End with clarity, not cleverness

If buyers can’t explain your video to a colleague, it didn’t work.

3. Interactivity: Turn Passive Watchers Into Active Participants

Why It Works

People don’t want to watch—they want to engage.

Interactivity increases:

• Watch time
• Message retention
• Buyer self-qualification

Ways to Add Interactivity

• Quizzes and polls mid-video
• Clickable product demos
• Choose-your-own-path experiences

Tools: Wistia, Vidyard, H5P

4. Gamification: Make Learning Stick

Why It Works

Gamification leverages:

• Progress
• Reward
• Momentum

How to Use It

• Points and badges for key moments
• Knowledge checks that reinforce understanding
• Timed challenges to boost focus

Example: IBM’s gamified cybersecurity content improved retention and engagement across teams.

When Personality Hurts B2B Video (And How to Avoid It)

Human-centered video can backfire when:

• Humor mocks the buyer instead of the problem
• References require cultural decoding
• Interactivity exists without purpose
• Style overshadows clarity

Human doesn’t mean louder. It means clearer.

5. Pop Culture References: Familiarity Builds Comfort

Used sparingly, pop culture:

• Reduces abstraction
• Creates instant relatability
• Makes complex ideas approachable

Use evergreen references. Tie them directly to the message. Let visuals do the work.

Why Do B2B Tech Videos Need Personality?

B2B tech videos need personality because buyers are still human—even when decisions are complex and regulated. Personality improves attention, comprehension, and recall, especially when products are technical. This doesn’t mean sacrificing professionalism. It means framing information in ways that reduce cognitive load, validate buyer experiences, and make complex ideas easier to understand. In high-stakes B2B environments, clarity and memorability matter more than sterile delivery.

Human Signals vs. Corporate Signals

Human Signals Buyers Respond To

• Recognition
• Progress
• Relatability
• Momentum

Corporate Signals Buyers Ignore

• Feature dumping
• Credential stacking
• Jargon-first language
• Over-explaining

Real-World Examples That Got It Right

Final Thought

The challenge isn’t making a B2B video.

It’s making one that people actually watch, remember, and repeat.

B2B buyers don’t want less professionalism. They want more clarity.

Make your videos human—and your message will travel further, faster, and stick longer.

Now go make your tech videos interesting—without making them cringe.

Written by: Tony Zayas, Chief Revenue Officer

In my role as Chief Revenue Officer at Insivia, I help SaaS and technology companies break through growth ceilings by aligning their marketing, sales, and positioning around one central truth: buyers drive everything.

I lead our go-to-market strategy and revenue operations, working with founders and teams to sharpen their message, accelerate demand, and remove friction across the entire buyer journey.

With years of experience collaborating with fast-growth companies, I focus on turning deep buyer understanding into predictable, scalable revenue—because real growth happens when every motion reflects what the buyer actually needs, expects, and believes.