What’s the Difference Between B2B and B2C Marketing?

May 3, 2022

Marketing trends indicate that in 2022, algorithm-based content will carry the day, and marketers must create a user experience that customers demand, or their content will become less relevant. Businesses prepared to risk, invest in branding, and listen more closely than ever before when dealing with online customers will succeed in 2022 as competition grows exponentially.

In 2022, about 66% of marketers anticipate revenue growth. 90% of them believe that 2020 aided in increasing digital engagement, and the trend is expected to continue well into 2022. B2B refers to business-to-business while B2C refers to business-to-consumer, in reference to the target of a campaign or message. Let's dive in for a better understanding.

What Is B2B Marketing?

As the name aptly suggests, business-to-business marketing refers to marketing products or services to businesses or organizations. B2B marketing campaigns target individuals who influence the purchasing decisions of an organization. This includes the company's buying committees, significant stakeholders, and the c-suite.

This creates a complex and challenging environment, but as data sources become more accurate, B2B marketers' ability to approach consumers with relevant, individualized information has improved.

Because most businesses rely on products or services of other companies to function, B2B marketing is critical. It's uncommon for an organization's whole production process to be completely self-contained.

B2B takes many forms, including;

  • Software as a service(SaaS)
  • Office supplies
  • Security solutions
  • Tools
  • Accessories

Types of B2B Customers

To help you better understand the B2B business, here are four types of B2B buyers;

Producers - These companies buy goods and services then transform them into different products. For example, General Motors requires steel to manufacture cars.

Retailers or resellers - They sell products or services from other companies without materially changing them. They can sell from physical stores or online. A good example is Walmart.

Governments - Governments are the largest consumers of goods and services. They purchase anything you can think of, from papers, medical equipment, weapons to highway construction materials. They also have contracts with companies that provide services such as garbage collection and transport to the citizens.

Institutions and consultants - Institutional markets such as non-government institutions purchase large quantities of products and services to lower costs and provide services to more people.

What Is B2C Marketing?

B2C marketing refers to a company's methods and strategies for promoting its services and products to individual customers, such as developing, advertising, and selling products that customers consume daily. Unlike B2B marketing which targets companies, Business to consumer Marketing targets individual customers.

Types of B2C Marketing Models

B2C is a complex model that has many types. Some of them include:

Service-based B2C model

Service-based B2C companies earn their revenue by providing a service to its consumers. Such companies are easy to set up compared to the other B2C models. Most service-based B2C companies have an online presence, while others have physical offices.

Product-based B2C model

Companies sell their products directly to consumers when it comes to the product-based B2C model.

Software-based B2C model

Software-based B2C businesses can be classified as either "product" or "service" businesses. The former offers software products, whereas the latter delivers software services to consumers.

Challenges of B2B Marketing

Some of the most common challenges in B2B marketing include;

1. Marketing Automation

Marketers see potential in technology but find it hard to integrate it into their daily company operations. While B2B marketing is typically behind the times and lags behind B2C marketing strategies, the digital world is changing that. Despite this, many firms continue to use antiquated practices and wonder why B2B enterprises continue to be acquired by large corporations.

2. Underfunding Marketing Technologies

You will never obtain the results you want if you underfund your marketing budget. Some companies are hesitant to invest in costly marketing technology stacks. This is frequently due to a lack of understanding of their worth.

3. Attracting the Right People

Creating content that appeals to decision-makers is an uphill task for marketers. The challenge lies in influencing stakeholders to make critical buying decisions.

4. Serving Diverse Markets

It's a big job to serve different markets worldwide while staying true to your brand. Understanding the needs of markets on a local level is required when marketing products and services abroad. What works in one market may not be as well welcomed in another. Translating materials into suitable languages isn't enough for global marketing.

5. Poor Website User Experience

If you can't find what you're searching for, your customers won't be able to either. End-users are irritated by poor user experiences, and they will search elsewhere if your bounce rate is high. Users hate a poor UX.

The primary distinction between B2B and B2C firms is the target market. B2B sales are made to businesses who resell the products, whereas B2C sales are made directly to consumers. Feel free to contact us for more information.

Be a thought leader.
Layup Content helps finance and fintech leaders uncover their best ideas, craft effective messaging and stories, and deliver them with maximum impact.
Start Now