B2B Verses B2C Marketing

Marketing to a business and marketing to a consumer are very different situations. It is very important to really know your target market and part of that is understanding the differences between a business and a consumer. It goes far beyond just the surface differences between businesses and individuals.

Marketing Business to Business  (B2B)

A business will work hard to make buying easier. At a business a lot of time is taken to research companies they do business with. They will make choices that will help them save on money and time. Businesses base buying on logic. This is a very important point to keep in mind when you start developing your marketing materials that you will use for B2B sales.

Marketing to a business requires focusing in on the features of the product. You need to make it very clear why your product or service is the best choice. You have to prove yourself and prove that buying from you is the decision that makes the most sense/cents.

Focus on providing a lot of information. The buyers for the businesses that you are marketing to will be looking for information. They want to read about statistics and figures. They want to learn as much as possible so they can be positive they are making the right purchase.

Also keep in mind that they will be looking to save. You need to tell them how your product or service will save them time, money and resources. Make them see that buying your product or service will actually do them good.

Marketing Business to Consumer (B2C)

Consumers are quite different from a business. They don’t have a group of people researching different products or services before they buy. They often do not have the luxury of taking their time before making a purchase decision. They do want to buy products that save them time and money, but a consumer is more likely to buy based on emotion rather than logic.

Consumers really want to buy products that will make them feel good about buying it. You need to show them how the product will benefit them. If you have a specific angle, like a product or service that is environmentally friendly, then capitalize on that. Something of that nature will really speak to a consumer.

Consumers also want things that will make their life easier. Show the consumer how your product or service will make things easier for them. Show the benefits of how the product is better than a competitors.

Keep your marketing message short. Unlike a business, a consumer is not too interested in hearing a lot of information. They want the basics. They want to get to the heart of what you have to say without having to read or listen to a lot of information first. You have to be direct and clear with your sales message.

Get personal with your marketing to consumers. You have to make it touch them emotionally and make them see how they will benefit from buying your product.

Adjusting your Marketing for B2B verses B2C

There are two main points you have to keep in mind about the difference in marketing to B2B verses B2C. The first one is that with B2B you need to appeal to the logical side of the sale and with B2C you need to focus on the emotional side of the sale. The second point to keep in mind is that when marketing to B2B customers you have to focus on the features of your product or service and when marketing to B2C customers you need to focus on the benefits of your product or service.

By understanding these important points you will better be able to create a marketing campaign that will bring success no matter who you are marketing to. Creating one campaign to market both B2B and B2C is a huge mistake. You may never reach your goals with both sets of clients if you do this. Even if you are just marketing to B2B or B2C it is still important to understand just what these types of customers look for and the best way to market to them, so you can launch a successful marketing campaign.