Recently I have a brief discussion with another person about how B2B marketing is different from B2C marketing and how the method to approach them is different. So for example, if you are selling to business owners (B2B), your landing page (and probably the website) should be formal, professional and “business-like”. While if you are selling to general customers (B2C marketing), you can use a different landing page, probably more colorful and fancy look of your website so that you can have your customer to buy from you.
Should we approach B2B and B2C in different way?
In the world of direct response marketing, B2B and B2C should be treated the same way. It is because, no matter what product or service you are selling, you are selling to people, not company or organization.
For example, if you are a marketing company and your clients are business owners, your website should include direct response elements. For example, you can write a free report and put it on your website and your headline is:
Free report reveals the 7 critical mistakes small business made on marketing that are mostly overlooked
And you put an opt-in box and a simple web form (with only name and email fields) and offer it for free, if people are filling their name and email address. That is the way to build your prospect list. Once visitor signs up to get your free stuff, you can continuously send to them some valuable information and build relationship with your subscribers. For example, you can tell them how to do Facebook marketing in an effective way, or how to lower your PPC cost etc etc. And finally, you sell them your solution to their problem and make some money.
This formula applies to B2B and B2C model, the key is to build a relationship with your prospects, find out what they want and give it to them.
Under this concept, are there any difference between B2B and B2C? Apparently not.
The key to successful marketing
Successful marketing, no matter you are selling to business owner or normal people, requires targeted leads (people who are interested in your product/services) and good relationship. People will pay for stuff that can avoid pain and approach happiness, and they will buy from people they trust. That’s why targeted market leads and good relationship are so important. So if you are business owner, don’t put too much effort to make your website “professional” and “formal”, instead turning your website into prospects generating machine: understand your market and help people to solve their problem, and make a lot of money by doing so.