Digital marketing is spreading its wings across the industries. The conventional ways of marketing have become a type of marketing than simply being marketing because new ways of projecting your business have come up.
With social media being widely used across the globe, it has become quite easy to talk to an international client within a few days of setting up your new product. The world has become a very small place, and digital marketing is making it comfortable while being small.
Traditional marketing and digital marketing can be done for two types of industries; B2B and B2C. Both of these industries play an important role in the economy and have their ways to handle the business. Before dive into digital marketing for both types of businesses, it is important to understand – what are B2B and B2C?
What is B2B vs B2C?
B2B: B2B means “business to business,” which refers to any company focused on selling products or services to other businesses rather than to consumers.
Here are a few examples of B2B in action:
- A recruitment software service that sells hiring tools to HR departments.
- An interior design agency that offers services for designing office spaces.
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B2C: B2C stands for business-to-consumer. It refers to the process of selling products and services directly between individual consumers who are the end-users of its products or services.
Here are a few examples of B2C in action:
- An oral care company that sells products like toothbrushes, toothpaste, and mouthwash to individuals.
- A real estate agency that rents and sells the residential property to individuals, families, and students.
Now, it comes to the digital marketing part where B2B and B2C digital marketing strategies are differentiated by the way they operate.
Business to Business marketing happens between two firms. It usually happens for bulk production. An example of the B2B industry could be; an automotive component manufacturer having some joint venture with a passenger vehicle maker, an electric wires and equipment manufacturer (fans, lights, etc.) may have an association with a construction project.
On the other hand, the B2C industry brings the manufactured product directly to the end consumer. A bottle of tomato ketchup purchased from a retail store is a part of the B2C business. However, it becomes a B2B business if that bottle is delivered to a hotel in bulk for commercial purposes.
B2C vs. B2B digital marketing has a lot of differentiation points. They both operate in different environments and needs. Digital marketing strategies vary for both of them. Here, we can categorize them into four major points.
1. Audience
The audience plays a major role in B2B vs. B2C digital marketing strategy. While the B2C business will focus more on increasing per-unit sales as their buyers are retail clients, B2B will have an emphasis on bulk orders. B2C audiences love to consume the product that makes them feel good and things that can be cherished. They focus more on brands rather than the industry.
In the B2B industry, the focus of the traders is to build strong and long term relations. They also focus on the technology and industrial reach of both the parties so that faith can get established. Hence, the audience targeting would be different for both of them.
2. Timelines and Size of the Industry
B2C digital marketing happens for a shorter period and is highly affected by the changing trend. B2C clients always seek for a genuine purpose to purchase a product, and brand value plays a major role there. If the brand value is good, it won’t take much time to close a deal. On the other hand, B2B is all about long term relations.
Building a relation would take time as you won’t be signing a short term deal if you are interested in dealing. The size of both these industries is huge but when it comes to trading, there several players in B2C, while B2B has a limited number of players who focus on stability and constant production.
3. Content Strategy
B2B vs. B2C marketing finds different ways to project their products. The B2C end consumer usually purchases their product from retail outlets and with so many brands; they choose the one they find the most value for money or engaging. They wish to get convinced in a much shorter time.
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The to-the-point approach is the most beneficial in B2C marketing. On the contrary, B2B content strategy should have longer versions of content that can educate people about your business and products. It should contain in-depth knowledge about how, what, where, when, etc. type of queries.
4. Social Media Goals
Similar to the content strategy, the social media strategy should also focus on the interest of people. The B2C client would love to consume the content that can entertain them. On the other hand, B2B clients would like to know about the industry. B2C clients take up any deal as an expense, and hence they need something in return, and entertainment is the most suitable offering.
The B2B client will have a different view of such a deal as it will open up new sources of income and establish a trading system for them. Hence, they would love to gain knowledge about the business and the basics of the terms.
However, B2C digital marketing strategies are constantly evolving. Yet, some of the most powerful strategies include:
- Social Media Marketing and Advertising
- Paid Search Advertising
- B2C Content Marketing
- Email Marketing
- Creative Contests
- Loyalty and Reward Programs
- Affiliate Marketing
- SEO Optimization
- Giveaways and Free Add-ons
- Influencer Marketing
- Mobile-first Marketing
Conclusion: B2B and B2C digital marketing are different from one another as their consumers arrive on the platform for a different purpose. While doing B2B digital marketing, try to think from the perspective of providing as much knowledge as possible.
Dig deep into the ocean to bring facts. B2C is end consumer-driven, and you need to shell out money as an expense from their side. So try to bring value and project your product as the best one available in the market.
