Why You Should Stop Worrying About the Difference Between B2B and B2C Marketing

Nov 10

FOCUS INSTEAD ON THE UNIVERSAL SIMILARITY.

You can find a nearly infinite amount of articles on the differences between B2B and B2C marketing, and for good reason. The two audiences are indeed different. B2B marketing can be wordier, more technical, more feature-focused and have a much longer buying cycle.

But there’s a danger in focusing only on the differences. It’s far too easy to allow your B2B marketing to ramble, drown your audience in jargon and, in general, develop a voice that shouts “Here’s our stuff! It’s good! BUY IT NOW!”

Here’s what we believe:

B2B businesses are run by humans.

Whether your focus is B2B or B2C, humans always make the final purchasing decision. Knowing that, here are three things we urge you to keep in mind as you plan and execute your B2B marketing campaigns.

1. TALK ABOUT YOURSELF LESS.

Humans have a universal question when they meet you. “Why should I care about this?” It’s the job of your marketing to answer that question. If you focus on the benefits to your customers and what makes your products different, your prospects will become customers with more regularity.

2. TALK LIKE THEY TALK.

It’s true that B2B marketing is often lengthier and more technical than B2C. But that does NOT mean B2B prospects have endless free time and attention spans. Focus on keeping your marketing collateral concise and written in your audience’s conversational voice.

3. SHOW AND TELL.

If you simply shout features incessantly, your marketing will not resonate with your audience. Show prospects and customers HOW your products work, and be benefit-driven when you talk to them. Video is an excellent tool for communicating the “show and tell” idea effectively.