Humans make purchases based on emotion and logic. Whether an individual or a business makes a purchase, humans are involved so emotions are too.
But a business’ decision to buy is also influenced by different perceived outcomes.
For example, a business might purchase a product or service to increase their company’s productivity. In contrast, an individual might buy the latest fashion trend just to fit in with their friends.
Here are 5 key differences between B2B and B2C to keep in mind:
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Audience
A B2C audience’s decision to buy is affected by what their peers are using, wearing or consuming. Fitting in with family and friends is important to people even if the purchase is ultimately made on their own.
Consumers also make on-the-spot and unplanned purchases.
For a B2B audience, buying decisions are made on behalf of a business for a business. Unlike consumers, businesses aren’t as interested with keeping up appearances, they just want the best product or service that fits their needs for the best price.
And it can take businesses longer to come to a decision because someone buying for a business has to justify their purchase to someone else.
Businesses often have a predetermined time frame for making decisions, so they tend to make bigger, more long-term repeat purchases with the same vendor to save time.
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Tone
Entertaining and humorous copywriting can work well for a B2C audience since they’re buying more directly on impulse.
An informative and educational tone is effective for businesses because they have to put more serious thought into their purchases. Positioning your business as a thought leader or innovator in your industry improves trust with B2B buyers and speeds up the sales process.
A B2B audience will also be familiar with their industry’s jargon, so you can use it sparingly to add to your insider appeal.
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Target
Writing to one person using words like you and yours helps make any audience feel that you’re speaking directly to them. With a B2C audience, compelling one person (and often their spouse 😉) to take action is the ultimate goal.
But with a B2B audience you’re often writing to just that — an audience. Buying decisions are more likely to be discussed with a group, include a contractual agreement and be part of a long, multistage sales process. Therefore, understanding the concerns of people in different departments and parts of the buying cycle is a smart strategy.
But tread carefully — when you try to write to everyone you end up writing to no one. It’s always important to have one specific reader in mind while taking into consideration the overall company’s needs.
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Emotions
Copywriting that pulls at the heart strings or makes people laugh often works well with a B2C audience.
B2B copywriting should also be emotionally compelling but focused more on the positive outcomes of increasing productivity, profitability and reducing costs.
An appeal to practical considerations using solid research, specific numbers and statistics are especially important for a B2B audience.
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Message Platform
While any message platform can work for well for both B2B and B2C, social media is particularly effective with consumers. On sites like Facebook, the influence of family and friends has a direct impact on the user’s experience.
Email and direct marketing are effective for B2B copywriting because it needs to reach those in charge of making buying decisions for their business.
Powerful copywriting is concise, clear and relevant to your intended audience. It’s important to know the differences between B2C and B2B audiences, but if your reader is uninterested or confused by what you have to say, there’s no point in saying it.
The better you engage, the less people of any audience will ignore or resist taking the action you want them to.
What are some differences you think are important in B2C and B2B copywriting?