B2B vs. B2C Content Marketing: How Different Audiences Connect to Your Business

Is your business or organization receiving quality return on investment from your content marketing?

If not, it may help to stand back and examine how different audiences connect with, and consume that content.

Content marketing 101

Content for marketing includes all information – images, text, videos, and even events – that you give your audience to use, consume, or experience.  In general, content should be posted on a regular basis, and should be engaging, while soliciting an action or reaction from your audience.

For B2B content marketers, audiences are smaller, and typically include current and potential clients, along with networking connections.  B2C audiences include a larger scope of potential customers.  That fact alone drives differences in the way B2B audiences vs. B2C audiences utilize and react to content.

Compare and contrast: B2C vs. B2B audiences

Effective business-to-consumer (B2C) content marketing is all about getting personal with a larger audience, in a shorter timeframe.  Brand recognition should be a core focus.  Consumer audiences are attracted to brands they recognize, so exposure on various platforms should be a priority.

Messaging for B2C content marketing should also be in a conversational tone, with quick messaging.  This is in sharp contrast to B2B content marketing, where a more professional tone including industry jargon, facts, and longer-form content is often more appropriate.

Another key difference?

B2C purchasers are often making quick decisions as an individual or family, while B2B purchasers include several stake-holding decision makers.  B2B purchasers also expect products and services to add value for a longer period, and hopefully establish a long-lasting relationship with their service or product provider.

Another thing to keep in mind is that in the B2C market, consumers are bombarded with information 24/7.  If you have the buyer’s attention, you must fight to keep them coming back for more.  A great tool to gain insights for maintaining the audience you already have is Facebook Pixel.  You can also use data collected on your existing audience to create “lookalike audiences.”  This helps in targeting other buyers with similar preferences.

How B2B content marketing is different

Effective content for business-to-business (B2B) marketing is all about offering value, over a longer timeframe, to a smaller audience.  Lead generation should be a core focus.

While many marketing campaigns should focus on generating sales leads, in the B2B marketing world, lead generation is considerably more important.  You are making connections with clients who may not have an immediate need for your services, but probably will in the future.

Creating content offerings such as educational materials, expert tips, or detailed information about the value of your products and services will build trust over time, creating opportunities for conversion at a later time.

LinkedIn, the social media platform for business networking, is one of the most valuable tools a company can use for B2B marketing.   With more than half a billion users, LinkedIn already has a business-focused audience coming to the platform to search for industry products and services information.

LinkedIn offers a treasure trove of B2B marketing tools, along with analytics similar to Facebook.  You can drive leads to your website from your LinkedIn company page or showcase page, or create an industry specific group.  Also, you can use the “Who’s viewed your profile” feature to track potential customers.

Not only does LinkedIn allow you to publish relevant content to establish your company as a business leader, but, unlike other platforms, it also allows you to add a call to action.  A call to action, for example, might ask the audience to subscribe to an e-newsletter.

Strategies for content marketing success

Despite the differences outlined above, both B2B and B2C content marketing do have some similarities.  At the core, all quality marketing is about making connections that matter, offering ongoing value and solutions, and ultimately creating a mutually beneficial exchange.

If you need help creating high-quality content marketing strategies or driving up social media engagement, Red Sage can help!

Give us a call at (256) 560-0098 or email info@redsageonline.com to learn more about our  content marketing and social media offerings.