The Major Differences Between B2B and B2C Marketing.

Marketing for B2B (Business to Business) and B2C (Business to Customers) businesses share a similarity in principle; the goal in both cases is to achieve the best result from the marketing campaign. However, although the principle is similar, marketing for the two types of business has its unique approach because of their differences in nature. To develop a strong marketing campaign that guarantees success for your business, you must isolate the differences between B2B and B2C marketing. This is because you will only achieve the best result if you employ the best marketing strategies that suit your kind of business. And although they are both businesses, selling to customers is different from selling to other businesses. So, it is expected that the marketing will also differ. That said, this post will point out the major differences between B2B and B2C marketing. Let’s get to it without further ado.

 

Customer Relationship 

In B2B, the relationship between brands and their clients are usually long term. This affects the type of marketing carried out in B2B, as the marketing strategies employed would be tailored to last for long. The campaign cannot easily change, considering that the brand’s goal is to ensure a lasting relationship with its client. B2B marketing is aimed at building the clients confidence and involvement in the brand they are dealing with. A confident client is a sign of a strong relationship. 

An example is a relationship between a construction company that works with a housing real estate agency. The agency always needs to construct buildings and the construction company’s key service is constructing buildings. The company’s B2B marketing campaign would be to secure a lasting relationship with the agency, by sending emails, and even subscribing them to cheaper offers. This would allow them to build for the agency for years. 

In B2C, the relationship of customers to the brand are not usually long term. Brands use B2C marketing to generate short term value at an efficient rate. It is why the marketing strategies, messages and aims of B2C change from time to time to generate more sales. B2C marketing constantly takes new forms because customers’ loyalty to a brand is not long term. This raises the need to drive their attention back to the brand through B2B marketing.

An example is an online shopping platform that frequently performs different marketing campaigns like treasure hunts. They do this just to avoid customer poaching. The shopping platform keeps running campaigns frequently in different forms to secure the shoppers’ interest and loyalty.  

 

Nature of Content 

The nature of the marketing message is more detailed and educational in B2B marketing. Clients in B2B make logical and informed decisions and as such require full details of what they are purchasing. This is why B2B marketing gives full details on the general competence of the brand, such as expertise, B2B reviews, deliverables and achievements. 

The website structure, emails, ads, social media posts and blogs used in B2B marketing are technical and professional in nature. B2B marketing builds the confidence of the clients in the brand by showing it has carved a niche in the value it offers and not by beating around the bush. 

The language used in the marketing content is professional and consists of terminologies that relate to the clients and the industry at large. Brands use this language style to convince clients that they are well versed in their field and understand the clients’ needs. 

B2C marketing, on the other hand, follows the marketing funnel to acquire customers. The nature of the messages are emotional and fun; they are created to appeal to the customers’ emotion rather than logic. Brands in B2C marketing make use of Buyers’ Persona as a part of their strategy to understand and attract customers. Individuals most times purchase items they do not need at the time but want, because of the emotional benefit. 

Brands use B2C marketing to capitalize on the emotional irrationalities customers to make sales. The language used in the marketing messages are more personal and fun in B2C than B2B and doesn’t include any professional terminologies. This easier language style is used in B2C marketing makes leads gain interest and purchase their products or services. 

 

Decision-Making Process 

The decision process of B2B clients takes a long time. Board members or teams make the decisions to purchase from a brand and it goes through many processes. The team/board carries out research on the brand they want to patronize to make the best decisions. B2B marketing is structured to educate the potential client about the brand of interest and its ability to meet the client’s demands. Many factors can influence the opinion of the team/board during their long decision-making process. So, B2B marketing removes all potential doubts the board/team might have during and after their decision is made. 

In B2C marketing, the decision-making process is short. Though it takes some time to convince a customer to buy a product, it is similar to the case of marketing for B2B clients. Usually, customers decide to purchase a good or service in a short time even though they might not actually buy the product or employ the service immediately. This could be due to the financial constraint or other factors, however, if they have decided to, they would most likely end up patronising the brand. 

Once you realise how fundamentally different B2B and B2C marketing are, you can maximize their effectiveness in your campaign. If you found this article helpful, please share it with your community.