In our previous blog post, we’ve touched upon that B2B and B2C companies differentiate at the target audience level: customers. However, it doesn’t matter if one of them aims at companies and the other aims at end-user when it comes to digital marketing. Moreover, B2B models that see companies as customers can even take lessons from end-user-oriented B2C marketing. It’s surprising, isn’t it? Let’s take a look at the 4 B2C marketing tactics B2B companies should implement!
It might be a good idea to try looking at the big picture in digital marketing!
If you are one of those people who think that there are essential differences between B2B marketing and B2C marketing, you are not wrong, however, on the normative side. We know that these two models stand at different points in terms of sales cycles, decision-making processes, and communication dynamics with their target audiences. Thus, when it comes to digital marketing, we see that serious energy is spent to draw distinct borders and not go beyond these borders. That’s what we have meant by being normative! So what if we become more accessible and try to jump on these borders? What if we only see the big picture without putting B2B marketing on one side and B2C marketing on the other? We have tried to do this and found four tactics B2B companies can learn from B2C marketing! Let’s get started if you are ready!
1. Treat companies as end-users!
B2C marketing strategies are based on end-users. We hear you say, “Well, isn’t B2B marketing strategies in some way based on companies who are also end-users?”. Technically, yes. However, here, we mean positioning companies as individuals. In B2C marketing, target audience or customers are segmented by considering many data such as their purchasing habits, demographic features, hobbies, and digital platforms they actively use. This segmentation must closely know the target audience like a friend and develop the digital marketing strategy with the proper steps. So before developing B2B marketing strategies, B2B companies can also see their current and potential customers as individuals that have unique behavior and character features. After all, even if you aim at companies, an individual will use the product or service you offer! As in B2C marketing, B2B companies can also address the end-users of their product or service, regardless of whether they are sales representatives, marketing managers, or financial advisors.
2. Don’t hesitate to interact
Creating content is just as essential for B2B marketing strategies as for B2C marketing strategies. Creating content in digital marketing is to interact with the target audience and even initiate such interaction. Within the scope of digital marketing practices they conduct, B2C companies closely interact with their end-users through blog content, social media posts, and e-mails. They even receive the opinions of their end-users, answer their questions, and sometimes carry out a joint project with them. However, B2B companies can choose to avoid having this kind of interaction because they think they need to establish a formal relationship with their customers.
On the other hand, companies require asking questions, trusting, and establishing bonds as well. Such as personalizing informative e-mails, creating blog content to answer the potential questions of company professionals who will use the product or service you offer or learning their opinions by creating surveys on the platforms they use actively… These are only some of the B2C marketing tactics B2B companies can use to build trust and make their target audiences feel that they understand them and care about them.
3. Prioritise user experience
B2C marketing also focuses on the experience that end-user has with the company, brand, or product. However, this isn’t only about how much the end-user is satisfied with the product or service they purchased. The critical point is what kind of a process the target audience experience when the product/service in question reaches the provider. For instance, there are many details such as the efficiency of the end-users’ website visits, whether they find what they look for, and swiftly receiving answers to their questions. As in B2C companies, all of these criteria directly influence the purchasing process for B2B models. Thus, it is important to examine the professionals’ experiences who will purchase from B2B companies, and improvements need to be made.
As we’ve stated at the beginning of this blog post, an individual will make the purchasing decision even if your target is a company on paper. So that means a user-friendly website or chatbots that enable constant communication need to be a priority for B2B companies, as well.
4. Forget your biases against social media
Many of us know how much B2C companies give importance to being active on social media. Sometimes we even witness the sincere dialogues they have with their target audiences and think highly of them due to this effort. Because we know this is one of the most effective steps towards brand loyalty. Since it allows to obtain insights into the target audience, it is also a unique data source! Considering B2B companies, we don’t usually see them using social media actively apart from celebrating a special occasion, making announcements, or sharing press releases, excluding the successful examples.
We can even say some of them open a social media account to state this: “We are using this platform.”
However, interaction is crucial to a professional looking for the best CRM software as a wafer consumer! However, which social media platforms? When answering this question, B2C companies benefit from the customer segmentation we have discussed at the beginning of this post. By taking the same road, B2B companies can eliminate their biases that only LinkedIn appeals to professionals. A corporate social responsibility project can be viral on TikTok.
A photo to be shared on Instagram can establish genuine bonds between you and your target audience by reflecting the in-house dynamics of your company. A “How to use?” video to be published on Youtube can instantly attract the attention of thousands of company professionals. Remember: Particularly in this digital age, the essential requirement to thrive is thinking out of the box and stepping out of your comfort zone!
