B2B vs. B2C Marketing

When working with prospective clients you need to realize the difference between marketing to a business and marketing to a consumer. The experience for each is different and needs to be approached correctly. Marketing to a B2B is based more on logic because businesses want to use their time and money efficiently. When marketing to B2C the focus is placed upon emotion, which in turns helps build customer relations.  To fully understand the differences between the two types I have broken it down a little further.

B2B Marketing

The key when marketing to a B2B is focusing on the logic of the product. This is done by gaging your attention to the overall features. There is not as much personal emotional emotion involved in regards to the purchasing decision. Rather, you should focus your attention on understanding the buyers. Be strategic and effective. Know what the organizational buyers want and how they operate. Discover what’s important to them. Business buyers are aware of your services and are looking for a company to help them stay profitable. The B2B market seeks information and wants what’s most effective for them. When making pitches to business to business clients be more in-depth with your marketing. Your most effective pitch will focus on how your service helps them save time, money and resources. While the main focus is placed upon logic, you can’t forget emotion completely. You need to keep in mind that behind the business are people. These people are looking for the best of both worlds; businesses that offer the right needs and attitude. B2B customer service is done with the initial contact of your company. Be aware of their overall needs, but back it with logic, strong data and financial benefits.

B2C Marketing

When marketing to a consumer the focus is placed on the benefits of the product. Consumers are not as interested in lengthy marketing messages. Instead, they want you to get straight to the point.  Rather than understanding your benefits they want you to directly point them out. Your overall message should be concise and easy to understand. The most effective marketing strategies will target the results and benefits of using your service. Business-to-consumer market is more interested in the benefit of the product. Specifically, they want to know how the company’s service helps them and what benefits it brings to them. Their overall goal is to convert shoppers into buyer as quickly and efficiently as possible.

Know Your Brand

Having a strong brand is valued in both B2B and B2C markets. However, each one views brand differently. In business-to-business market brand will only help with consideration of your service. Whereas business-to-consumer can become encouraged by your brand. B2B buyers are more rational when selecting a service. For consumers, brand plays into the equation. In either case a quality brand is needed, in order to make a good first impression. Be conscious of the type of market your clients are in to ensure your resources are being used effectively.