More than 40% of B2B companies have an in-house marketing team to analyze, plan, and implement their campaigns.
We don’t quite know how that compares to in-house marketing teams for B2C companies, but we do know that using an external agency is a second option.
What are the actual differences though between B2B vs B2C marketing? Are there significant differences in the way their marketing teams are structured? Or perhaps the differences come in with the content they create?
You’ve come to the right place to get a clear understanding of these differences, read on to find out more.
Quick Definition Of B2B Marketing
When it comes to marketing to other businesses and organizations, B2B stands for business-to-business.
B2B marketing content tends to be more informative and straightforward than B2C marketing content in a general sense. Purchasing decisions by businesses tend to be more focused on bottom-line revenue impact than those made by consumers. Corporate decision-makers place a high priority on return on investment (ROI).
B2B marketers are increasingly selling to buying committees that include a variety of key stakeholders. Complexity and challenges abound, but as the world of marketing has evolved, so too have B2B marketers’ abilities.
Quick Definition Of B2C Marketing
“B2C” stands for business-to-consumer marketing, and it refers to the practice of selling products or services directly to end-users. When compared to B2B (Business to Business) marketing, B2C (Business to Consumer) marketing focuses more on eliciting an emotional response from the target audience.
B2B vs B2C Marketing
Understanding the differences between B2B and B2C marketing takes us directly to the foundations of each concept.
At the very core of each marketing concept lies the fact that their audiences are vastly different. This in itself is what drives the marketing strategy and tactics moving forward, let’s see how that is so.
1. Difference In Relationship Building
One of the ways that B2C marketing and B2B marketing are fundamentally different is the way in which each one builds relationships.
B2B marketing will have a strategy that looks to create and build long-term, personal relationships with key stakeholders in business customers.
B2C marketing on the other hand is built more on finding and creating transactional relationships which are more about direct exchange. You would generate a lead, convert that lead to a sale, nurture the buyer’s journey, and generally, send them on their way.
With B2B marketing, your relationship itself is nurtured directly with an individual, although, you can see some crossover.
2. The Difference In Branding Focus
Yes, the very essence of branding remains the same for both B2C and B2B marketers. But, when you compare the two, larger portions of the brand strategy are focused on different areas.
With B2B marketers, you would see a focus on brand positioning as a priority. Priority is placed on the delivery of consistent brand elements of your business, from colors to messaging to values.
In a B2C world, branding focuses more on what emotional response it can invoke from your ideal target audience. The concept of logo, design, typography, and colors remains the same but the marketing efforts become more about making a connection with a very particular demographic.
What Do B2B Customers Want?
For B2B marketers, there is nothing more important than being able to measure ROI (return-on-investment). They can achieve this by knowing the following things about their B2B customers:
- B2B audiences want efficient expertise because purchases are driven by logic and budget
- B2B audience members want to be educated and equipped with impeccable industry knowledge
- For B2B buyers, the level of detail should be more in the content that you create
- B2B buyers are often higher up the chain, so it takes a while for marketers to get up there
- The B2B buying cycle is usually much more time-consuming
Taking in all these factors, you can see that B2B marketing is more of a long-term commitment, a marriage proposal if you will.
What Do B2C Customers Want?
In a B2C environment, it is much more difficult to build long-lasting, loyal relationships with consumers. This is evident in our information-overloaded, fast-paced digital world.
Here are the key characteristics of a B2C audience:
- B2C followers are not always looking for commitment, following might have a spur of the moment decision
- Consumers won’t understand complicated industry phrases, so simplicity is key
- A B2C audience is more driven by emotion and feeling connected to brands
- You have to stick out in creative ways
In the world of B2C marketing, your main goal is to be seen through all the ‘chaos’. This is done by allowing your ideal target consumer to drive your marketing decisions based on extensive research. This is different from marketing to companies because you need to understand the demographic of your audience.
Who are they? What do they value most? Where can you find them?
Difference In Advertising B2C vs B2B
The final difference you would notice between B2B marketing and B2C marketing is the advertising material.
Any advertising efforts by B2B companies focus on the facts. B2B advertising is all about how you can help them, what can your product do for them, and what will it save them? You would focus on saving them time or money or optimizing something that they offer. Adverts would remain professional.
B2C advertising on the other hand is completely creative. It is about being entertaining and catching consumers’ attention. Although, it does still need to follow keyword strategies and other brand strategies at the same time, which can be difficult to achieve.
Marketing B2B Or B2C Beautifully
Understanding the differences between B2B vs B2C marketing harnesses the ability to create high-performing strategies. These strategies will ultimately drive up the bottom line.
Knowing how your marketing should be adapted to the ever-changing industry your brand operates in, is what will bring you success.
You’re in the right place if you’re looking for a partner to help implement marketing campaigns for your brand, schedule a consultation with us now.