Most of the time, it’s relatively obvious if a brand being promoted is a business-to-business (B2B) company – the campaign lacks creativity and is targeted to a very small audience. On occasion though, there is the rare B2B ad that makes a person stop and think: “What a great product!” or “How can I learn more?”. B2B companies who manage to have this rare campaign, such as GE’s recent one, have success in part because of their ability to adapt business-to-consumer (B2C) strategies into their efforts. Here are three ways to translate B2C tactics into a B2B marketing program.
- Engage the Customer – B2C marketers use Call-to-Actions (CTA) in almost all their ads. Whether it’s a phone number, click-through button or a contest entry, consumer campaigns constantly ask their audience to get involved. These CTA’s keep the brand fresh in the customer’s mind and B2B’s can utilize a similar approach. Offer e-books, webinars, or free consults – the point is to get your customer engaged and remain engaged.
- Rethink Target Channels– Consumer brands often have five or six social media channels. Many B2B companies forget there are over 200 social networking sites, which means there are sites that can help every B2B company connect with their target audience. Do this by sharing news, showcasing company employees or culture, and re-posting interesting articles in your industry.
- Keep it Personal – Though your brand’s customer may be another business, it is important to remember the people that run the business as well as the customers that rely on that company’s products. Instead of showing what a business does in a campaign, think about showing how it can be used in everyday life. What are the meaningful benefits to end-users?
There are important strategies that B2C marketing professionals use that can be applied to B2B campaigns. By taking note of them, a B2B campaign not only breaks the “boring, uncreative” mold but creates a campaign that your target audience, and others, will remember.
–Kerri Donner
Photo via Flickr Account opensource.com