How B2B and B2C Companies Use Social Media Differently

  • Date: 19 November 2019
  • reading time: 4 Minutes
  • Blogger: Sydney Wess


With effective social, companies can generate engagement from target audiences, attract leads, and drive conversion. 

Each social media platform helps meet different marketing needs. As such, business to business (B2B) and business to consumer (B2C) social media strategies vary significantly. 

This article explores core qualities of each type of social advertising and how both B2B and B2C companies can structure their social media marketing strategies for success.  

B2B and B2C Marketing Serve Different Purposes

B2B companies benefit from using social media as a source to drive traffic, earn leads, and improve conversions.  

Companies searching for business services value credibility and professionalism. As such, B2B firms must take a professional approach, directing their energy at a niche audience looking for their specific deliverables. 

Customers of consumer products, on the other hand, want to visualize how a product or service will benefit them in their everyday lives. 

According to Brafton, B2C companies are able to cast a wider net, allowing them to experiment with videos, infographics, and other visuals. 

Visibility and engagement are most important for this group. For B2C firms, using social media to establish their brand in the marketplace is more beneficial than leveraging their presence to exclusively generate leads. 

Marketers Play to the Unique Strengths of Various Platforms

For B2C firms, visual platforms like Instagram offer great opportunities to encourage audience engagement. 

The app’s main photo-sharing feature is visual, allowing for customers to accurately identify a brand identity and its associated products. 

The app also offers stories and live video streaming that can be utilized as a part of a unique, engaging marketing strategy. 

For instance, B2C businesses taking part in community events can use Instagram’s unique streaming functions to capture their connection to their community while inviting followers into an exclusive, behind-the-scenes brand experience. 

B2B service providers looking to bring traffic to their site don’t have as much to gain from platforms that focus heavily on visuals and likes. 

While it's still important for buyers to be engaged with B2B companies, it is more likely that they’re searching for providers on business-centric platforms like LinkedIn.

linkedin

source:Linkedin

LinkedIn is built to represent the professional interests of individuals and companies while also detailing the services they are able to provide. 

The platform is able to connect buyers to the right services, generating the leads B2B companies target.  

Influencers Create Trust for B2C Brands as Reviews Do for B2B Companies

B2C companies concerned with increasing brand awareness and reaching a wider audience turn their attention to social media influencers to endorse their product. 

For example:

89% of these companies find influencer marketing to be comparable or better than using other channels

Only 1% of brands had a notably bad experience using influencers to market their products. 48% saw greater ROI from influencer marketing compared to other methods and channels

meidkix

Source: mediakix

With thousands of followers and their own personal brands, connecting with the right influencer could mean winning more conversions and increasing the value of a brand. 

Influencers encourage follower interactivity as well. This helps brands seamlessly integrate themselves into the conversation. Users generally trust the influencers they follow and also are more likely to act on a review or recommendation on products from them. 

instagram photo

Source: @joandkemp

While influencer marketing is great for reaching consumers directly through a trustworthy source, what’s most credible to businesses in search of services is a proven ability to perform at a high level. 

B2B and B2C Companies Can Use Social to Drive Success

While generating leads, conversions, and sales is the ultimate goal for firms, B2B and B2C companies leverage social media in different ways. 

B2C vendors prefer to use visual platforms to elevate their brand to a wide audience, while B2B service providers are searching for ways to prove their talent and project management skills to a professional, more niche audience. 

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  • Blogger: Sydney Wess
  • leads social media at The Manifest
  • Sydney Wess leads social media research efforts for The Manifest, a to learn about business services and leading providers.
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