“B2B marketing is more important than B2C. It’s what drives the economy forwards, not just outwards.”- Tom Gatten, CEO, Growth Intelligence and pioneer of AI-driven B2B marketing.

The B2B Marketing landscape is evolving rapidly, filled with buzzwords and innovative tactics. Almost 23.6% of businesses in the US are part of the B2B market, which is currently estimated at $6.7 trillion. This clearly indicates that the B2B Market is on a significant upward trajectory.

While some strategies in B2B Marketing may mirror those used in B2C marketing, the path to success requires a distinctly different approach for both. Let’s delve deeper into what sets B2B Marketing apart.

What is B2B Marketing?

Traditionally, businesses sell their products directly to consumers. They target specific audiences, run advertisements, and influence purchase decisions. This model is known as Business to Consumer (B2C).

In contrast, B2B involves no direct transactions with consumers. Here, B2B buyers are typically retailers, stores, or wholesalers, and transactions occur between these entities.

Unlike B2C where the focus is on delivering a finished product, in B2B, the end goal isn’t always a finished product; often raw materials and other components are delivered instead.

What Makes B2B Marketing Unique?

A few marketing trends and strategies set B2B Marketing apart:

1. You Deal with an Expert Audience

B2B Buyers are not your average consumers who need to research extensively before making a purchase. They are businesses with specific needs and requirements. For instance, if you’re a sports goods manufacturer dealing with a wholesaler, you won’t need to explain product features and quality; they will already know based on their expertise.

2. You Deal with Long-Term Buyers

Consumers tend to switch brands frequently while shopping. However, B2B Buyers usually make long-term commitments and repeated purchases due to the nature of B2B products which often require installation or implementation service.

3. Personal Relationships Play a Role

With a smaller consumer base in the B2B Market, communication between businesses becomes more effective. The individuals involved often have established relationships and one-to-one interactions are common.

4. Limited Number of Buying Units

In B2C markets, it’s common to see hundreds or thousands of consumers purchasing from one company. However, the B2B Market typically has fewer clients whose purchases significantly impact the business.

5. Sub Brands are Less Effective

While a new sub-brand may attract individual consumers in B2C, it often gets overlooked by others. Conversely, in B2B markets businesses concentrate on nurturing their primary brand which buyers recognize over time.

6. B2B Market Forces Less Innovation

Consumer preferences drive innovation which is less prevalent in the B2B Market where businesses rely more on strategic planning rather than adapting to ongoing consumer trends.

7. B2B Products are Generally More Complex

Unlike B2C where commercial products dominate sales, in B2B sectors products tend to be more technical and sophisticated making them complex to sell.

8. **B2B Markets have Complex Decision-Making