When addressing another company or an end consumer, the speech and the commercial method are completely different. So why would we have the same SEO strategy?
BtoB (business-to-business) is commerce between two companies, whereas BtoC (business-to-consumer) is aimed at the individual market. Professionals and individuals today seek information on the Internet to find the solution to their needs.
However, if in both cases it is necessary to offer them quality content, to guide them in their decision, the latter will differ from one target to another. The arguments, the tone, the type of content and even the distribution platforms differ between B2B Content Marketing and B2C Content Marketing.
To help you better understand the differences, conexgo.com today invites you to study the 9 points that differentiate these two strategies.
1. Two audiences with different expectations and purchasing behaviors
Sandra, consumer
An individual makes an immediate purchase. He has a more specific need: to buy a property.
This notion of immediacy leads him to do precise research and to be more emotional and impulsive in the act of purchasing.
Sandro Expertise, a professional client
A company or organization is looking for a solution to a problem. She will first consult information and compare services.
The purchasing decision here is rational, considered and supported.
2. One or more decision-makers
In BtoC, you are the only one on board to decide to go for this pair of shoes. On the other hand, when it comes to a company, several decision-makers can have weight in the final decision: buyer, business manager, manager, panel of users, etc.
This is why you will need to design landing pages addressing different personas and issues. Each URL, title tag, target query and content must be oriented towards the particular audience targeted.
3. Choosing keywords
To adapt your SEO strategy to these very distinct audiences, you will need to adapt your content strategy and keyword choice.
In BtoB, technical terms must be preferred. Each feature must be detailed. It will be interesting to analyze the long tail and niche terms which perhaps attract less audience but bring more qualified traffic.
It is therefore natural to have a denser list of keywords than in BtoC. Each keyword must cover the major issue of the stage of the customer journey in which the decision-maker finds himself in his conversion tunnel.
In BtoC, competition will be tougher on expressions with high search volumes. The challenge will then be to find a differentiating keyword that still describes the product.
As for the link strategy, BtoB companies will have an interest in creating partnerships with blogs and increasing the number of editorial advertorials in the specialized press. On the BtoC side, investment will focus more on social media content.
4. The objectives of your SEO campaign
The conversion funnel of an e-commerce site and that of software are fundamentally different.
In BtoC, it is now possible to purchase 90% of goods or subscriptions online. Whereas in BtoB, there will perhaps be a registration form, a demonstration, a trial version and a physical purchase with a contract from a sales representative.
These different steps complicate your SEO objectives. You will then need to consider the following objectives:
- Generate traffic to a landing page;
- Encourage the completion of a form;
- Invite and publicize a webinar;
- Boost contact information collection and prospect recall.
Your SEO performance indicators are therefore not limited to transformation through a sale.
5. Your engagement on different social networks
We know it well in SEO, the first search engine results are often social networks. Your Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram accounts are essential to take positions in the ranking.
To streamline your costs and efforts, choose to invest in the social network most relevant to your audience:
- BtoB : Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook
- BtoC : Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, TikTok
Since YouTube has an almost equivalent impact on both targets, it is advisable to use it as well.
Use them as means of information and vectors of traffic to your site.
6. The purchasing decision cycle
Companies have a very specific way of studying offers before making a purchase. They must first identify the problem, the need, then finally the available solutions. Then, several actors often intervene during the reflection process which can last several weeks.
A service will often be used by several collaborators and even if the final decision rests with the project manager, he will often take the opinion of his team to make the best possible choice.
Therefore, your B2B Content Marketing must start by making professionals aware of the benefits of your services . We must open their eyes to a problem, to trigger a need, before offering them effective solutions to remedy it.
Conversely, the individual is often the sole decision-maker, even if sometimes he will involve his immediate relatives (parent, spouse, etc.) for a major purchase (car, house, computer, etc.). But generally speaking, when it comes to classic everyday consumer goods, people will find out about them independently and very often give in to a crush.
B2C Content Marketing must therefore inform the consumer of the existence of a product/service that can be useful to them, in a subtle way, by teaching them how they can use it in their everyday life.
7. The nature of the content
Individuals and professionals will not be sensitive to the same arguments. Companies are looking for an investment rather than an expense. So, they want services that will bring them a profit.
To this end, professionals will be sensitive to case studies which prove to them through A + B that you can help them achieve their objectives. They are also fond of white papers allowing them to better understand your services and their usefulness within their service.
For a B2C Content Marketing strategy, it will be necessary to focus above all on the pleasure, emotion and crush side. In addition to the main characteristics of the products/services, it is necessary to show potential customers, via blog articles and publications on social networks , its usefulness in their daily lives.
8. The tone of the content
Your B2B Content Marketing strategy must adopt a language specific to the world of the company. It is necessary to speak directly to the brain of the professional and to ensure a return on investment by using terms from the economic environment:
- More productivity
- More sales
- Better margins
- Less costs
- Etc.
The arguments must be concrete and quantified, the tone professional and dynamic.
For a B2C Content Marketing strategy, it is about addressing affect more and presenting what hedonistic objective the product/service will fulfill:
- Be more beautiful
- Look trendy
- Do something better
- Be faster
- Etc.
The language will be less concrete and more focused on the emotional. The tone could be more friendly and even sometimes funny, for brands aimed at a young audience.
9. Different distribution channels
The distribution channels for your content is another difference to observe between a B2C or B2B content marketing strategy.
In the B2C sector, the opportunities to address potential customers are almost unlimited: local press, social networks, etc. B2C customers are also accessible through other media such as advertising, for example.
Conversely, these opportunities are more limited for B2B companies. You will actually have more difficulty getting in touch with or attracting the attention of professionals rather than individuals. However, there are distribution channels specific to this B2B sector, in particular the professional network Linkedin.
Generally speaking, the choice of distribution channels is more limited for a B2B content marketing strategy than for B2C. It is therefore important to move towards more targeted and relevant channels.
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