Our company is a B2B (business-to-business), but our expertise in ecommerce packaging solutions has given us a great deal of insight into B2C (business-to-consumer) marketing as well. If your company is trying to determine the best marketing channels, the recommendations below will help.
1. Social Media Is Great for B2C
Individuals love using social media to connect with brands, seek word-of-mouth recommendations for household products and services, post reviews of companies and products they like, and for a multitude of other B2B-related activities. In the B2B market, this kind of activity is much less widespread.
By the way — if your B2C is using or plans to use social media for marketing, don’t forget to highlight your packaging — consumers really care about eco-friendly and consumer-friendly packaging.
2. Paid Search Marketing Is Great for B2C
B2Cs also have an edge in paid search marketing on Google and other search engines, although there are many exceptions. Since B2C purchasing tends to be less complicated and involves fewer decision-makers, paid ads are easier for consumers to say “yes” to and order on the spot. In B2B, buyers may convert on an ad with a “softer” call to action such as “send me information,” but this sort of strategy may not be the best or fastest way to boost sales.
3. Email Marketing Still Works for B2B
Business buyers still use email as their primary means of digital communication. That being the case, buyers remain receptive to email marketing campaigns as long as they follow best practices, such as being opt-in and conveying useful content. Of course, email campaigns are certainly feasible for B2C, but here, you are really fighting the problems of email overload and a growing consumer preference for text marketing. So, if you want a B2C email campaign, it had better be really, really, really awesome!
4. Content Marketing Can Be a Game-changer for B2B
To establish credibility and expand brand awareness, content marketing activities such as marketing a company blog, and writing articles on prominent, widely read industry websites and print publications will help a small or midsize B2B ramp up inquiries and orders in a hurry. B2Cs can certainly use these techniques as well, but again, because B2B sales tends to be more complex and involve more people, your authoritative and persuasive content can influence all the buying influencers in one fell swoop — and that, my friend, is efficient marketing.
5. SEO Works for B2B and B2C
SEO (search engine optimization) can produce results for any kind of company, provided it has the right strategy and an adequate, sustainable budget to execute the strategy. SEO takes quite a bit of time (six months to a year at least) to gain traction, which can be a deterrent for start-ups and small companies. Nevertheless, high organic rankings on Google and other search engines still impress B2B buyers and consumers alike. It may well make sense to launch an SEO campaign of whatever scope you can afford and just stick with it and build it as time goes on. A few years down the road, you might be pleasantly surprised at volume of your search engine-driven website traffic and conversions.
Let’s Talk Marketing with Packaging!
Your custom corrugated containers and packaging should not only protect your products, but also support your marketing. We can help you do this — and possibly reduce your packaging costs at the same time.
Call us at 630-551-1700 or contact us through the website to discuss options.
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https://www.salazarpackaging.com/the-difference-between-b2b-and-b2c/
https://www.salazarpackaging.com/what-is-the-true-cost-of-a-dtc-shipping-box/
