Most of what I discuss relates to content marketing, including how to develop it, make it more effective, and how to get more people to see it. I don’t talk as much about the differences between content marketing for businesses that sell to other businesses (B2B) as opposed to businesses that sell to consumers (B2C).
Both B2C and B2B content marketing come with their own, unique challenges. To cover both sides fairly, I would essentially have to write two versions of the same post.
Instead of getting bogged down in specifics, I try to provide general tips and ideas that can be applied in many different situations.
I’m going to talk about the difference between the two types of marketing and give some tips on creating an effective content strategy.
Setting Goals
While the end goal of any good marketing strategy is to increase sales and ROI, this is approached in different ways for B2B and B2C. For B2C, the focus is more on acquiring new customers and expanding brand awareness to as wide an audience as possible. Therefore, goals and objectives are set with this in mind, such as increasing website traffic or social media engagement. In B2B, the focus is less on acquiring new customers, and more on deepening relationships with existing ones. The goals and objectives are set accordingly, such as increasing conversion rates or generating leads.
All businesses have one goal in common: to build brand awareness.
Most brands want to be known and trusted by their target market since this is usually the best way to get consumers to respond.
After you build your brand, your goals will probably be different than what your audience wants.
B2B Goals
Content marketing is beneficial for B2B companies as it helps with raising brand awareness, generating leads, and boosting engagement.
It is not surprising that brand awareness is the most important factor for businesses. Companies want to associate themselves with brands that are successful and considered leaders in their industry. Therefore, B2B brands should create content that is informative and instructional, which will show that they are one of the best at what they do.
B2B transactions are often more expensive than B2C transactions. Companies are more likely to make repeat purchases from the same retailer because it is more efficient.
In business-to-business transactions, it is more likely that a contractual agreement will be necessary. These transactions are often completed after a long sales process that has several steps. If you want to be successful in this type of business, it is helpful to be known as a thought leader and innovator in your industry. This can help you get new business opportunities, and can also help make the sales process quicker.
B2C Goals
The stats show that, on the surface, the goals for marketers in B2C industries are not significantly different from those of B2B marketers. The greatest difference between the two groups was in their number one goal, but both B2B and B2C brands think building brand awareness and getting consumers to engage with their content is very important.
B2C companies are more likely than B2B companies to focus on creating excitement about their products and making them seem aspirational.
Not convinced? Think of it this way…
Did you choose Coca-Cola over Pepsi because you think that Coca-Cola knows more about the industry than Pepsi does? Did you eat Wheaties for breakfast because you believe that General Mills is more of an expert on cereal than anyone else?
One of the main things that influences a person’s decision to buy something is what other people around them are using, wearing, or consuming. Keep this in mind when you are setting objectives and planning your content strategy.
The needs of businesses don’t necessarily align with what is popular or the current trend. Businesses are typically more focused on finding the most effective product or service for their needs, rather than what is popular.
Regardless of your industry, you are likely to share similar goals with others in your field. These goals would be building brand awareness and encouraging engagement with your content.
However, “build brand awareness” is not a goal. You need to be more specific about what drives your target market to make a purchase.
If you want to appeal to B2C customers, it helps to show them that other people are enjoying your brand and products. Creating content that generates excitement around your brand is a good way to do this.
B2B customers want to make sure they are getting the best product for their needs. They look to content to see if your brand is a thought leader and innovator in your field.
Subject Matter
Businesses buy for reasons that are different than consumers.
Businesses buy because the product or service fulfills a specific need. Whatever the product or service is offering, this need will usually boil down to one (or more) of three things:
- Saving money
- Saving time
- Making more money
Businesses purchase things based on need, not want. Their decisions are usually made using data.
Sometimes people buy things because they need them, not just because they want them. If something breaks and they need to replace it, they don’t do it because it’s fun. People also need things like food, a place to live, and health care for their families.
Even things that are considered necessities, like clothes, are often bought in excess, making them into luxuries.
Many of the things we buy are based on how they make us feel rather than practicality.
There is a big difference between the reasons businesses buy things and the reasons consumers buy things. This should be taken into account when deciding what your content should be about.
While breaking the rules may be tempting, it’s generally a good idea to remember that business-to-business content should be informative and educational, while business-to-consumer content should be inspiring.
There are plenty of examples of brands that are successful at content marketing in both types of industries. For example, let’s take a quick look at one brand from each industry.
B2B vs B2C Marketing
B2B marketing focuses on logic and processes, while B2C marketing focuses on emotions.
B2B and B2C search marketing are different in many ways. However, there is some overlap between them. For example, relationship building is important in both types of search marketing. However, communication strategy is different between the two. Marketers must take different approaches to maximize the effectiveness of their marketing tactics.
Here is a quick overview of the comparisons we’ll be making in B2B vs B2C marketing:
- Customer relationships: While B2B marketing focuses on building personal relationships, B2C marketing has a bit of a more transactional focus.
- Branding: In B2B marketing, branding is more focused on positioning while in B2C marketing, it’s more about messaging.
- Decision-making: In B2B marketing, B2B businesses strive to maintain open communication in the decision-making process. For B2C marketing, businesses strive to make the process as quick and easy as possible.
- Audience targeting: While B2B marketing involves finding a niche for audience targeting, B2C marketing is a little more funnel-focused.
- Ad copy: In B2B marketing, ad copy tends to use the terms their clients are familiar with, while in B2C marketing, ad copy can be more playful and emotional.
Customer Relationships
B2B marketing emphasizes creating personal relationships while B2C marketing is more concerned with transactions.
B2B Marketing Builds Personal Relationships
B2B marketing should emphasize building strong relationships with clients to ensure repeat business. Therefore, developing strong relationships with potential clients during the sales cycle is essential.
Why is it important for businesses to have strong values? Businesses with strong values are able to connect with their target audience on a deeper level, which sets them apart from their competitors. Having values also allows businesses to build their brand and establish themselves as leaders in their industry.
The most important thing for B2B businesses is to generate leads. Having good personal relationships is essential for this type of business, since repeat and referral business is so important.
As search marketers, we are often asked to try to hide negative reviews on Google, which can be a lot of work. However, by creating honest and genuine relationships, we can hopefully avoid getting poor reviews altogether. Although this might not be the only way that reviews can be useful.
The majority of customers read online reviews, and a negative review can be devastating, but 72% of B2B buyers say negative reviews give depth and insight into a product.
When a website only has positive reviews, it can come across as fake and untrustworthy. However, responding to both positive and negative reviews can show that you truly care about your customers’ opinions and that you are a real person. This can help to improve your business approach.
B2C Marketing Builds Transactional Relationships
The goal of B2C marketing is to increase website sales by creating a near-perfect customer experience.
Ever heard the phrase “time is money”?
Efficiency is important to businesses that deal directly with consumers because it minimizes the amount of time spent getting to know the customer, which can cause the relationship to become transactional. This doesn’t mean the relationship can’t be personalized, but it will not involve direct communication between customers and the business.
The marketing strategy focuses on selling the product, and the majority of the time here is spent on delivering high-quality products as quickly as possible.
If you want more reviews for your business, try reaching out to your customers or offering deals for completed reviews. This will help increase the number of reviews you get.
If you want to collect B2C reviews, a popular tactic is to offer store credit or personalized discount codes through email marketing or remarketing.
After a customer makes a purchase, they will receive either a trigger email or a pop-up asking for their feedback. If they provide feedback, they will receive 20% off their next purchase.
If you want to improve user experience and create brand ambassadors, focus on providing more value to your customers.
B2B vs B2C marketing: Branding
In B2B marketing, branding is focused on how a company is positioned in the market. In B2C marketing, branding is more about creating an emotional connection with consumers.
B2B: Focus On Positioning
Branding is important for B2B marketing, but it often happens through building relationships instead of traditional advertising methods. According to B2B International, branding starts with being consistent in how you present and deliver your products or services.
In order to be successful in B2B search marketing, it is important to be able to show where you fit into the market and to have a strong personality that will help promote brand recognition and generate leads.
When it comes to developing relationships with your target market, it’s important to be able to identify different personality types. This will help you to adjust your brand accordingly, which in turn will lead to increased brand awareness and more sales leads.
B2C: Prioritize Your Message
Brand messaging is essential to marketing because it allows the marketer to deliver a clear and concise message. Brand loyalty is built when customers have an emotional connection to the brand. This connection can be created through effective branding. Credibility is essential to effective branding. When customers believe in a brand, they are more likely to become loyal customers and make purchases.
This is also the top priority for B2C marketers.
The customer-company relationship is not very interactive, so it’s important to create a good experience for the customer so they will come back.
Creating messages that are both credible and motivating is essential to your success.