“I need a marketing agency specialized in B2B marketing!!” Maybe you have read such post requirements before, or it’s your requirement, and in both cases, you wonder: what is the difference between B2B and B2C marketing? Is there a difference between the two of them to begin with? To start our upcoming conversation, yes, there is a huge difference between B2B and B2C marketing, and in this article, we will show the difference in B2B marketing. Welcome to the world of B2B marketing!
What is B2B marketing?
B2B meaning is business to business; it’s a term that is concerned with the companies/entities supplying products or services that other companies/entities will use to solve a problem they have in their business. B2B marketing is how you will advertise to reach another big entity most appropriately. To give an example, CRMs companies’ creators are a B2B business as CRMs will be used by other companies no matter the size.
There are a lot of differences between B2B companies and B2C companies; let’s put marks on the most diverse characteristics between the two of them:
The audience: B2C audience is the actual end-user, and any end-user loves to be addressed in a friendly, optimistic way giving solutions to his daily struggles with life. On the other hand, a B2B end-user is another company’s end-user, so B2B business talk solutions: how can I help you reach the most satisfying relationship with your clients? How can I help your business grow? How can I help you track your market and your position in the market?
The Sales funnel: although they are the same steps in the funnel; Awareness, Interest, Consideration, Intent, Eval, and Buy but the behavior itself is the thing that tells the difference between the two. The two start from searching for info, the B2C customer looks for product specifications that satisfy his needs, then he checks the reviews as the most dominant behavior here is the trust in the word mouth. He compares similar products then he buys. In the B2B customer, the searching process is way longer as the customer here looks for every tiny detail and starts to extend his search to other stakeholders, then he requests a trial demo. Sometimes it’s a free trial month or even a free trial for a device on a patient or a product, and this is not the final step. The B2B customer starts to compare prices, the ROIs, case studies, Etc… then he takes the buying decision.
Social platforms to be presented: before we begin planning for our marketing strategy, we look for where our potential clients spend most of their time. For B2C business and according to Egypt’s numbers, people spend most of their time on Facebook and Instagram. But when it comes to B2B business, we are looking for other big companies, and you can find them on emails and LinkedIn. And you grant your main focus to the platforms where your audience is found.
Common B2B marketing strategies for effective results:
1- the people’s voice tactic: When talking to a business owner, don’t argue how you will help him, start arguing that your solution will help him reach his clients, and focus on how you can strengthen his relationship with his end-user. Meaning you have to speak with his people’s voice of need and make your service the thing that can feed the hunger of the lion.
2-Numbers win strategy: Create case studies that show that such a solution can improve growth rates, and sales numbers can fly high up in the sky. Such cases and numbers can act as your word of mouth the other end can trust.
3-Build your inbound marketing campaign: When you start thinking about your brand positioning in the market and people’s minds, make sure that this won’t happen unless you are there in front of their eyes on multiple platforms in different content types to fit all tastes. So you have to create a plan that will make your customer- who is hooked through LinkedIn- ends up on your website requesting a meeting or calling you directly. Read the plot twist of inbound marketing and the know-how you can fulfill such a campaign?
4-you must be heard, listened to, and seen: Creating E-books, podcasts, short educational videos, and even events are optional tools that can give you the strong position you want to have. A long-term effect can be achieved through such tools, which will have an amazing impact on your future sales. But if you are looking for short-term revenue, we suggest postponing such a step for a while and focus on the things that will create the short-term effect you need in the time being.
5-Collaborations and Partnerships: There will always be another company that will make a complementary effect if both of you collaborate. You have to start looking for such entities and create a strong partnership with them so both of you can benefit from such a relationship. from the partnership revealing moment and to every announcement you will make together, you will get doubled coverage, doubled spreading, and of course, doubled revenue. Check the following campaign and learn from Chipsy and Pepsi’s collaboration with the Egyptian Food Bank
What are the most common mistakes when it comes to B2B marketing?
1- They are looking for on-spot revenue, and the B2B sales funnel takes a longer time than the B2C sales funnel.
2- they forget to study and analyze both the audience and the market before setting up a marketing strategy.
3- skipping the awareness and consideration phases and go to the purchase phase automatically!! Whether it’s a B2C or a B2B business, all businesses must go through the brand phases and give the answers the customers look for in each phase.
4- Create appeals that talk to the “C” segment instead of the “B” segment we are targeting.
5- overlooking the accurate methods of advertising cause it takes effort and time!
The accurate platforms to advertise for a B2B business:
LinkedIn:
LinkedIn is the main platform where all the huge corporations and entities are found. So you can target them directly there through paid campaigns and emails. On LinkedIn, you can also find the decision-makers, the heads of management responsible for approving any deal, and you can target them directly with your sales team. Last but not least, the content LinkedIn supports, the educational and informational content we need to boost on your social platforms to create the positioning needed among the big heads in the same market.
Email campaigns:
The statistics show that Email Campaigns are the most effective way to generate interested leads in the past few years and upcoming ones. What is amazing regarding the email campaigns is the many conversions you can add in a single mail to achieve multiple goals through one channel. People in management positions open their email daily, so email campaigns can achieve the brand positioning you need in every single one in your audience.
Websites & SEO:
A powerful entity ID is a powerful, well-designed, and elegant website. The website gives the image needed to achieve the brand positioning and gives your audience a chance to find when they come searching for you through optimizing your SEO. SEO, “the search engine optimization” service, is helping you reach the first rank in the search pages through specific keywords. These keywords are the ones your audience searches for when they require your service.
Conclusion:
The world of B2B marketing isn’t turbulent; you need to know how to play it accurately and according to the previously mentioned points to reach your real audience and hit the perfect desired goals.
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