How we communicate with one another as humans is an important part of day-to-day life. Looking deeper into the professional side, how we as businesses communicate is a very important part of day-to-day life as well. Communication to different markets, consumers, and other businesses all matters. Why you might ask? The obvious answer… marketing is communication. Communication through copy, creative, tone, etc. All are interchangeable depending on where and who we are marketing to.
We may be getting a step ahead of ourselves. First, as a business you need to determine what your business model looks like. Within this realm of planning, determine the answer to the ultimate question. Who will we be marketing to? Who is our ideal customer? Is it another business? Is it consumers in general? That is for you to decide.
This is where the idea of b2b vs b2c pops in. Does your company have a business-2-business model (you sell products and services to other businesses) or a business-2-consumer model (you sell products and services to a consumer)?
Before jumping into the details of a digital marketing guide, let’s first identify the difference between the two.
Business-to-business (B2B) is a term used to describe a business relationship between at least two companies. This can be referenced to any range of business sizes. A recognizable example would be a software company designed to smooth communications across teams within a company. The software company is selling to another company wanting to develop better communication within their teams.
Business-to-consumer (B2C) is a term used to describe a business relationship between one company and at least one individual consumer. A recognizable example would be any form of chain of fast-food restaurants. The individual restaurant is selling to direct consumers of the product.
After defining which you fall under, you can begin to determine how you plan to approach your market. There are differences and similarities between b2b vs b2c. The biggest understanding is they both require strong enough business models to thrive in their markets.
In both situations, you are trying to fill a need. Answer the question, “What is your purpose and how can my solution answer their question/need?
From here, you will determine the details of your solution. In order to do this, your business needs to answer a few questions. They will defer depending on whether you are b2b or b2c.
Some of these questions include:
Relationship length?
If you are b2b, you might focus on acquiring fewer long-term relationships. Partnerships that continue on as both parties are continuing to benefit from the relationship.
If you are b2c you tend to focus on acquiring more short-term relationships. Partnerships that usually last one transaction but happen with multiple consumers.
Pricing?
If you are b2b, you will have higher prices as you sell larger-scale amounts. Quality over quantity.
If you are b2c, you will see lower pricing models for those individual buys. Quantity over quality.
Benefit?
If you are b2b, you will see larger-scale use of a product/service. Usually benefiting a whole team or company.
If you are b2c, you will see the purchasing for personal use. Benefiting, one or a couple of people.
Tone?
If you are b2b, you tend to serve as an educational voice giving your market more information about what you do and why you do it. Rational over emotional
If you are b2c, you can still share the message but it serves as more an emotional over the rational type of thinking.
Availability?
If you are b2b, your products/services need to be available ASAP for those purchasing businesses in order to maintain the relationship
If you are b2c, staying up to date with orders/purchases is just as important but has a little more leeway.
Answer these questions to better understand your business. The details are the essence of marketing and are just as important as the product/service itself. Put everything together and you have exactly what you need.
As all the aspects between b2c and b2b are different, some lines tend to blur. Knowing the difference and sticking to your business model will show you long-term success that, in both instances, you plan for.
Whether you are a b2c model or a b2b model, communication is the ultimate key. Your business model is the lock, all you have to do is find the correct match and everything will flow together. If you need help communicating, contact Set Fire Creative today for a free consultation.
Some fun facts about Olivia: She LOVES pickles! She likes to do fun things outdoors with family and friends. She also loves to watch TV shows and movies. She has a goal to travel to all 7 continents in her lifetime.
