B2C companies are responsible for selling their products or services directly to end consumers, while B2B companies direct their offers mainly to other companies. Both B2C and B2B marketing have the main objective of influencing purchasing decisions and guiding a customer (user or brand) towards a successful purchase. However, each category has its own particular characteristics, in addition to focusing its strategies on completely different audiences. Below we invite you to learn about the most notable differences:
Audience size
Regarding the target market: B2C sells products or services to end consumers, so the market is broader, while B2B sells products or services to other companies, that is, a more limited sector. The number of Internet users with needs tends to be much greater than the companies that request services. Roughly speaking, there are more people than companies in the world, so of course the size of the audience changes, therefore, B2B marketing and B2B applied to them usually have different reach platforms or at least, not to the same extent of impact.
Price and repeat purchase
If we start from the previous item, in B2C marketing the competition is greater than in B2B . So in B2C companies the prices of the products are lower with a greater repeat purchase (demand), in B2B orders are usually made for fewer units at higher prices. This difference is due to a simple market dynamic that during the 18th century Adam Smith dedicated himself to explaining in his work “The Wealth of Nations” and called “Law of Supply and Demand”.
In it, the author explains that when demand exceeds supply, prices rise (there are more buyers, i.e., the need increases). On the other hand, when supply exceeds demand, prices fall (there is greater competition). Since demand is greater in a market with a larger audience, marketing must be focused differently.
Purchase decision
Since in B2C the final customer is the one who usually decides, the type of marketing aimed at this market bases its purchasing strategies on “impulse and emotion” figures, while in B2B several people can be involved in the purchasing process and a much more rational decision is made.
In B2C marketing , the consumer does not give as much importance to the objective characteristics of the product, but to what it brings to his life or what it makes him feel and experience. Therefore, in this type of marketing, communication is more creative, subjective and emotional. Since in B2B marketing , transactions have a higher value and sales arguments are more rational. What matters are not the emotions, but the characteristics of the product or service.
The B2B market is thirsty for information and knowledge and wants the most complete information possible through content offers, catalogues, success stories , statistics, growth reports, etc. In short, it is about explaining the objective characteristics of the product in an extensive and detailed manner.
Acquisition times
As we have already seen, while in the B2C market impulse purchases are a fundamental poland number for whatsapp ingredient, when the sale is between businesses, the times change and are no longer as rushed as in retail. In B2B , thanks to the analysis made of the available options, the time to make a purchase decision can take much longer, even weeks or months.
Remember that in these cases, it is not just one person who decides to buy a product and/or acquire a service; the purchasing decision is usually made by a purchasing committee made up of several people. Reaching a collective consensus that everyone agrees on can take a longer time.
This is why marketing strategies are developed under a long-term time frame, meaning that the results and sales objectives will be seen over a longer period of time. In addition, payments in the B2B market usually take much longer to be made or are even paid in installments. In the business-consumer relationship, purchases are made immediately and are most often paid in full.
Use of platforms
B2C marketing emphasizes social media and traditional media advertising to attract consumers, drive a purchase decision, and monetize its marketing and content campaigns. In parallel, B2B leverages email marketing to communicate its content offerings and close its sales. At the same time, business meetings and personal encounters in this market also take on a high importance, especially if they involve successful bids and long-term contracts. In agreements made between businesses, protocols and legal responsibilities are greater, so the platforms used have a much more formal character.
Although social networks and blogs have been the most widely used platforms for attracting customers in inbound marketing ( both for B2B and B2C markets), we can say that it is through email that the relationship between businesses is consolidated more strongly. Likewise, these social interaction platforms are excellent for attracting companies if the language used points to a corporate environment and economic growth.
Throughout this article, the multiple differences between the use of marketing aimed at consumers and marketing aimed at companies are made explicit . Analyzing which of the two practices to follow will depend on your business model, the market in which you operate and the value proposition you offer in it. Knowing the gap that exists between both categories is a first step to having success in your strategies.