Good marketers know that not every marketing strategy is created equal. Sure, there are many marketing strategies that work well across industries, such as social media and email marketing. But marketers still need to understand their audience and which strategies work for them.
When it comes to the differences in marketing for B2B vs B2C businesses, it all comes down to choosing the right strategy. Both types of businesses attract customers by promoting their products or services, but their approaches to promoting these two very different audiences differ greatly.
B2C, or business to consumer, refers to businesses that sell directly to consumers. People who buy from B2C businesses are usually buying for personal use, which means they don’t need to involve anyone else in the decision-making process. Marketers for B2C businesses have access to large audiences whose demographics are based on the people who are most likely to buy their products.
B2B, or business to Strategies and Differences business, refers to companies that sell products directly to other companies. B2B businesses include wholesalers, enterprise software companies, and business suppliers. For B2B marketers, this means that information is communicated directly to the decision makers or responsible persons of the company. Marketing strategies should focus on saving time, increasing profits, and reducing costs.
Which business model a company adopts will depend on their goals, and understanding this difference is important in developing marketing campaigns.
B2B Marketing vs B2C Marketing
Let’s break down the main differences between B2B and B2C businesses and how they impact marketing strategy. Many strategies will overlap, but the tactics used to effectively convert leads can differ greatly between the two.
Buyer Intent and Decision Making
When deciding what strategy to use, it’s important to keep the buyer’s intent and decision-making process in mind.
As consumers, we make oman phone number library many small, need-motivated purchases throughout the week. Individual consumers are making quick purchasing decisions based on their needs, wants, and moods. This means B2C businesses can benefit greatly from upsell strategies and fast, delay-free checkout processes, and B2C marketers can use some emotional language, too.
Of course, not all B2C businesses offer low-priced goods, and companies with a high average order value (AOV) must plan for a prolonged checkout process. There will be some education or nurturing involved, for example, a car dealer hopes that the customer has done research and consulted friends before coming in to view the product, but ultimately, they are still the sole person responsible for the purchase decision.
The consideration period for B2B business is much longer and may involve multiple people and departments. According to one survey, an average of seven people are required to sign off on a decision and there are at least five steps in the process of selecting a supplier, which means B2B businesses must prove that they fit the company’s broader goals to convince all relevant people to move toward purchase.
Customer Lifecycle
Another key difference between B2B and B2C marketing is the length of time it takes for a prospect to become a purchasing customer. B2B businesses have a much longer life cycle, with customers staying with them for years and developing relationships with the company, whereas B2C businesses see a lot of one-time customers.
Each business model tends to how to communicate sustainability through email marketing invest differently in customer service, education, and lead nurturing. While both types of companies may use the same strategies, their sophistication and where they are in the customer lifecycle will differ.
For example, a business that sells software to other businesses might focus on educational webinars or e-books, with follow-up email campaigns that further offer tools, resources, and demos to show how the product can save time and money. One of the selling points could be unlimited ongoing support or an easy onboarding process.
On the other hand, a business that sells T-shirts doesn’t need to host a webinar on how to design a T-shirt. They should invest in social media, photography, and showing off the T-shirt styles. An e-commerce store will also find it more valuable to hire a junior customer service team to handle basic questions rather than a dedicated customer service representative.
Marketing language and content
Consumers love impulse phone number united states of america buying, and we tend to buy items based on feelings rather than reason. This means that B2C marketers can make consumers happy, sad, or reminisce through their messages, in which case, language and images that come from the heart are needed rather than focusing too much on the benefits of the product.
B2C companies have more creative freedom in marketing. For some brands, designing a product in a variety of ways is enough to make it sell out, and this type of marketing does not need to be value-driven.
B2B businesses are the opposite, because the product needs to be an asset to the business, so the marketing language is usually value-driven. Marketing content must show how the product or service can make employees’ lives easier, save time and money, and be a worthwhile investment.
Both the language and the content should highlight the features of your product or service. How can they save your business time, money, or reduce a pain point? Remember that business audiences are often busy, so it’s best to capture new leads with a bold, short value proposition that can lead them to a newsletter subscription or webinar, nurturing them further through the sales funnel.
Marketing strategies: Which are the best?
When it comes to marketing for any business model, the first question is always: who are you marketing to? Understanding who your audience is, what their needs and pain points are, and how they communicate online is the first step in developing a marketing strategy for any business.
Let’s review some of the most common marketing strategies and how they differ from each other:
Social Media – B2C businesses want to cast a wide net, so the most popular and engaged channels are a good choice. When targeting business professionals, it’s best to use networks or professional apps they’re likely to be a part of, such as WeChat, Weibo, or TikTok.
Email Marketing – Because businesses may have already done research on your product before using email, these are best used as nurturing campaigns or to highlight lesser-known features of your product. For consumers, it’s all about volume, and with hundreds of other brands vying for their attention, email can serve as another way to stay in the loop.
Content Marketing
B2B companies make heavy use of blogs, articles, and webinars to educate potential customers, address industry pain points, and become a valuable industry resource. Webinars in particular are a great way to provide value, engage with potential customers, and position the company as a leader in the field. B2C companies see huge returns from very visual marketing, investing in graphics, photography, and videos for social media, emails, offers, and landing pages.
Marketing Automation – B2B marketing thrives through marketing automation. When you’re trying to keep existing customers happy while nurturing new leads, it’s a worthwhile investment to have an all-in-one tool that automatically tracks lead activity and sends dynamic, personalized messages. B2C companies are also turning to automation to better leverage their data and give customers what they want.
No one business model or marketing strategy is better than another. What strategy to use depends on your needs and goals, but understanding your users’ needs and motivations is the foundation of a good strategy.