How Marketing for B2B and B2C Companies Differs

Virtually all companies need marketing. They all have competition, and they must attract new customers as well. However, the marketing a company needs depends on several crucial factors.

For instance, you might hire a B2B SEO agency if you have a business-to-business selling concept. You’ll want one that does B2C SEO if that’s your business model. In this article, we’ll talk about the marketing for B2C and B2B companies and how it differs.

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What Do B2B and B2C Mean?

First, let’s give anyone a quick definition who doesn’t know about B2B and B2C business models. Companies that use a B2B business model have a product or service that they sell to other companies or larger business entities. They don’t typically target individual customers. B2C businesses, on the other hand, sell their products or services to individual customers.

When you think about the fundamental difference between these two business models, it becomes obvious why the marketing for each would differ. Now, let’s consider some of the more notable dissimilarities you usually see between the two.

The Target Audience is Different

You must always come up with different methods and ideas for marketing if you have a different target audience. If you have a B2B business model, you need to create ads that appeal to companies and the individuals who make buying decisions for them. An ad you might see for a product or service that a company sells to businesses will likely touch on different selling points than you will get with B2C marketing.

With B2B marketing, you are trying to introduce the concept that this product or service will make the company better or enhance it in some way. With B2C marketing, you might focus more on the personal fulfillment or enjoyment that this product or service can create.

The Tone of the Ad Copy is Different

It makes sense that the ad copy will look and sound very different with B2B marketing. Often, B2B marketing will follow a more traditional or conventional format. An individual or team likely won’t take as many risks with their ad copy if they’re doing B2B marketing. They’ll likely suspect that doing an ad that’s a little odd or unusual might repel some of their more desirable customers.

B2C marketing can use humor or unconventional ideas more freely. There’s often more flexibility and range with B2C ads.

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The Branding Frequently Feels Different

Branding comes into play with marketing. It must, since companies would like their products and services to stand out to their target audience for all the right reasons.

The branding immediately evident with B2B and B2C ads probably will not resemble each other very much, though. With B2B, a company will probably try to focus on return on investment and conveying experience and dependability. With B2C, you’ll likely see more branding that tries to establish an emotional connection. It’s that connection that so many individuals look for when trying to decide whether they’ll buy a company’s products or use their services.

The Marketing for B2C Companies Seldom Involves Impulse Buying

Along those same lines, you might see the marketing for a B2C company, whether it’s using social media ads, TV commercials, radio spots, etc., using persuasive language that might get a consumer to make an impulse buy. That depends to some degree on what products or services they’re selling.

If you have a B2C company, maybe that’s something like a fast-food chain that wants a customer to try a new menu item. That’s an impulse buy since that item might cost less than $5.

By contrast, a B2B company knows when they make a sale, it could cost the buying business entity hundreds or thousands of dollars. That’s never an impulse buy. Looking at the two business models in this way, it becomes clear why you’ll see a different emphasis with each kind of ad.

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B2B Marketing Prioritizes Long-Term Relationships

B2B ads often have a hook that’s based on trying to establish a long-term relationship with the buyer. That’s part of why B2B companies often stress their dependability and experience when crafting their ad copy.

Ideally, such companies want to connect with a customer who stays with them for many years afterward. While that’s not unheard of with B2C companies, you’ll see those relationships happen much more rarely.

The more you look at B2B and B2C marketing campaigns, the more differences you’ll probably notice. That’s necessary for both kinds of companies to find success.