B2B and B2C marketing, what are they and what are the differences?

Surely more than once you have read B2B Marketing or B2C Internet Marketing and you have wondered what they mean, in this post we are going to tell you what both terms mean and the differences that exist between them, as well as the points in common.

what is B2B marketing?

In sales there are two different models that depend on the company's end customer, these two models are B2B and B2C, which are respectively companies that sell to other companies and companies that sell directly to the end consumer.

We are going to talk about B2B or companies that sell to other companies, whose acronym comes from business to business, in this model, the company acts as a supplier, the clients it has are other companies in a specific sector within the market. This supplier company aims to make other companies see that its products are necessary for them and that it will improve the operation of the same. A company does not think like an individual person when buying, a company makes a purchase decision when what it is acquiring is completely necessary for its process or because it needs to solve a problem. Also taking into account that the company has a specific budget and cannot go beyond it, so the decisions it makes are based on reason and thinking in the long term.

It is true that the process to close a sale is longer than with an individual customer, but we are also selling in a much larger volume.

what is B2C marketing?

On the other hand we have B2C marketing or companies that sell directly to the consumer, this model is the acronym for business to consumer, in which, as we have said before, the company sells directly to the end consumer. In this model companies offer goods and services, as in B2B but this time on a massive scale, the market is much broader and customers are segmented.

B2C is based on offering the customer the personal benefits that our product or service will provide. Not everything that customers buy is for mere survival, they also consume to indulge their whims, products not only cover needs, they also make the customer feel a certain way. If our product is going to bring a positive feeling, they will buy it. The sales process of a B2C is much faster than in B2B, but it is also a much smaller volume individually, that is, a single company in B2B is sold a much larger amount than we sell to an individual person. However, the number of operations is much higher in B2C marketing as there are many more sales even if they are smaller in size.

Differences between B2B and B2C marketing

Now that we have defined both concepts, let's clarify how they differ from each other:

1. The motivation to buy
   In B2B marketing, we have to demonstrate to our customers, i.e. companies, that our product is really beneficial for them and we have to show them these advantages so that they opt for our product or service. On the other hand, in B2C marketing, this is not the main objective, as people often buy because of the feeling that buying a certain product evokes in them.
   
   
2. Raciocinio vs. Emotion
   As we said in the previous point, in B2B the strategy should focus on the rational aspect of the purchase, the main argument is why the company should buy our product. On the other hand, in B2C marketing, the strategy focuses on connecting emotionally with the customer, on provoking a feeling in the customer when buying the product.
   
   
3. Type of language
   In B2B marketing, the language used to sell is much more technical and formal than in B2C marketing. In B2B, the company is specialised in the sector to which our product belongs, so it will be familiar with it. On the other hand, in B2C marketing, people do not necessarily understand certain technical terms, so using them would not benefit us when it comes to selling.
   
   
4. Decision time
   In B2C, what we are looking for is an immediate purchase, that is, we want the consumer to buy without much thought, immediately. On the other hand, there is B2B marketing in which the purchase decision is not immediate and requires a specific time to make that decision, especially due to the fact that they are buying in much larger quantities, the decision must be much more thought out.
   
   
5. Market
   In B2B marketing you must have a very segmented audience and know for sure who you are targeting, whereas in B2C marketing you are basically targeting a mass market.
   
   
6. Sales
   What is clear is how the two terms are similar, and that is that they both aim to achieve the same objective: to sell. But they do it through different strategies, on the one hand, B2B marketing is based on outbound sales, which focuses on fairs or even visits to the company itself, which could be called cold door. On the other hand we have B2C marketing, which is based on inbound sales, which involves generating valuable content that gets your potential customers to come to you thanks to what you bring and transmit to them.
   
   
7. ROI
   Within B2B marketing, one of the most important points that will be taken into account when buying is the benefit that this will bring them, that is, the return on investment or ROI, however, in B2C marketing, this is not something they take into account, what they need is that the product they have purchased solves their problems or gives them the feeling they expected.

In conclusion, B2B marketing and B2C marketing are two methods that seek the same goal, which is the sale, but they do it in a very different way, B2B marketing is more technical and cold because its target audience are other companies already experts in the sector. On the other hand, B2C marketing is more personal and seeks to make the customer fall in love with its content.