Business to business (B2B) and business to consumer (B2C) are both large and complex marketing segments. As you know, the key goal of b2b content marketing or b2c content marketing is to grow the customer base. But, you may not know, there are a few differences between B2B and B2C. This can help you when it’s time to start crafting your marketing messages.
Here is the answer to how B2B content marketing differs from B2C content marketing
But let’s start with the basics:
What is B2B content Marketing?
B2B content marketing is a marketing strategy in which a company uses the skills and expertise of its employees to market its products or services in the business market rather than the customer market. It is a pre-meditated strategy to get the attention of prospects.
The content marketing is based on long-form content. Many B2C content marketing campaigns focus on social media, however the b2b marketing might focus on other platforms based on the prospect’s preferences. Many companies feel that social media is where consumers spend the majority of their time online. And that may be true. But b2b marketers have an uphill battle when it comes to content marketing because of different target audiences.
To design your B2B content marketing strategy, refer to The Complete Guide To B2B Content Marketing Strategy – How To Succeed In A Competitive Market.
Some key elements of B2B content marketing
B2B content marketing is more likely to be project-based rather than effort-based. This means that you will be building a list of qualified prospects for your next project rather than driving to increase the number of sales leads. You create content around the key business milestones that will help you achieve your company’s goals, then you build a list of prospects for your next project. B2B content marketing is about an end result rather than a process.
Building Brand Identity
Both B2B and B2C have created a recognizable brand image in the minds of the customer. However, the beauty of the brand identity of B2B businesses is their reputation. They can reach a wide range of clients in different industries. B2B businesses can target smaller or larger businesses based on the strategy.
The companies can often have very specific and specialized business areas. Because they can reach so many businesses in different geographical areas. B2B content marketing strategy can have many touch points across the platforms.
To learn how to create a brand identity, keep reading.
Establishing Value
In B2C, people are typically purchasing a product or service for themselves. In B2B, however, businesses and entrepreneurs are usually selling or delivering solutions that are related to their services, products or offerings. This means that your marketing messages and content will need to consider the needs, wants and demands of your audience, and tailor your message to suit.
For instance, instead of offering a marketing collateral package or link of a giveaway, you’ll need to offer a giveaway to clients who sign up to your whitepaper. Engaging benefits with B2C, people purchase things and consider the value in their purchases, but in B2B, people are considering the value and features of the solution that they are purchasing.
What is B2C Content Marketing?
In B2C content marketing, you have to target the right segment of customers to increase your business. It is relatively easy to think of how B2C content marketing works, as you will start a blog. You start a blog and, within a short time, you have developed readers. Then you ask people to sign up for your mailing list. You ask people to subscribe, and you then send them information based on the readers’ interests.
You could send them a list of your services that they need to know, or you could send them a mailer explaining the main points that your blog post covered. Once you have built a mailing list, you can keep in touch with people on a regular basis by emailing newsletters, or by following up with them once a quarter with a reminder of a special announcement or marketing campaign.
Some key elements of B2C content marketing
B2C content marketing is primarily about gathering a customer base for your product or service. It is designed to sell . In order to do so, you need to answer the four questions:
- What is my target audience like?
- How do they behave?
- What do they want?
- What do they need?
Having a strong grasp of your target audience allows you to create clear, concise and descriptive descriptions that help customers find your products. In turn, this helps you get more sales and customers. This is often not the primary objective in B2B content marketing, but it is very important for it to be a success.
The key components of B2C content marketing focuses on addressing the needs and concerns of the target audience. It includes a human element.
Reputation Building
Achieving brand reputation is the number one focus for B2C content marketing. You won’t have a ready-made audience, but you will have enough knowledge to craft compelling B2C content that can resonate with any target audience. Each business has its own language, mission and problem to solve.
If you want to give your audience valuable information that addresses their pain points, you have to understand what makes your audience tick. Your audience will see your message as trustworthy because it comes from the source, which in this case, is you. So, from the start, your B2B content marketing strategy needs to take account of this principle.
Emotional Impact
While it’s clear that the ROI of an ad is influenced by its emotional pull, studies suggest that in B2C content marketing, customer experience may be more important than a straight financial impact. A marketing research firm, Gartner, recently found that a strong emotional response by the consumer was just as likely to drive decision-making as financial benefit.
They also believed that even lower prices result in better customer service. They elaborated that a brand will invest more in providing compelling content if it has a strong emotional connection with their customer base. In the survey, they found that 80% of respondents said that their customers understood and appreciated their brand values.
What is the difference between B2B and B2C content marketing?
The first difference is that B2C is about individual consumers. B2B, on the other hand, is about helping the entire organization (buyer and seller) by delivering content that improves operations and helps the buyer complete their purchase or sell the product.
In addition, B2B content marketing addresses the whole organization, while B2C is usually customer-centric and tends to be more focused on individual consumers. B2B content marketing for buyers is often delivered in a partnership fashion and it’s designed to drive additional revenue for the organization. That’s not the case for B2C content marketing.
A B2C content marketing experience is very simple. You put out one blog post per week, maybe a few blog posts during the year. In return, your customer gets a new post to read and an opportunity to share.
However, the typical B2B content marketing process usually involves much more research. You will first put together a report analyzing your current customers. You will then take that information and put together a list of possible customers to target. Once you have found these customers, then you can start a content marketing campaign.
Summing up
SearcHound is a reputed b2b content marketing agency in India. We can sail through your content marketing journey without any hiccups. You believe in results and constructive efforts in our creative content marketing projects. If you are looking for a reliable partner, here we are!