The last couple of years "Guidelines for successful social media marketing" has popped up on the Internet. Along with the guidelines more and more companies and private people have started businesses online. If you just dream about starting a company online is it important to choose what market you want to target and use a specific strategy for the market. According to Arbetsmarknadsnytt three e-commerce companies / day goes out of business. This is a clear proof of that the competition online is super high. Arbetsmarknadsnytts' research shows that it's often people without experience that goes out of business within just a couple of months. We have no proof but maybe a lot of people read one of all these guides online and thinks it is an easy way of making money. What they don't take into account is that the guides are very general and often assume some kind of basic knowledge within marketing.
There are several problems with those guides. Firstly, they only tell you what do, but not HOW to do it. For example, Promote your account. I may sound easy, but how do you actually successfully promote your account? Already here a lot of people fail. Secondly, the guides don't make any difference if you are doing B2C or B2B. There is a big difference in how to use social media depending on your target market. Thirdly, the guides don't tell you how to actually make money.
We have chosen to only discuss the second problem a bit deeper and try to identify some differences between B2C and B2B before purchase that are important to understanding in order to increase your chances of success.
According to Sara Öhman (digital marketing consultant), there are several factors that are different, even though you talk to humans in both markets. B2B and B2C aren't looking and affected by the same things. B2C customers shop more with emotions and are easier to influence. For example, B2C often value products that align with their lifestyle and are fashionable. In comparison to B2B, where they are looking for a supplier they can trust and provide a product they actually need. Purchases are based on logical facts not emotions. This is very important to consider when you market your products on social media/ the Internet.
When you have succeeded to attract potential customers to your website, you have to be aware that the conversion works differently between the two segments. We earlier mention B2B looks for trustworthy suppliers. That is why you have to argue well for your products/services and base it on logic if you manage this the purchase if often made physically according to Öhman. Which puts a pressure on you as the supplier to provide the opportunity for it and in other words it takes longer to convert B2B. On the other hand, B2C are faster and easier to convert since they most likely make purchase both digital and online (Öhman 2015). Furthermore, the way you market your products don't need to be well-argued but based on your customer's emotions. You need to know your customers in order to market based on their emotions.
At last, you need to know what channels to use in order to reach and attract your potential customers. In this category the both markets are similar. You will need your own website and newsletter. However, you need to put a lot of work into your website (you can find information about that on several sites, one example is www.hubspot.com). The newsletters differ slightly, B2C need to be more personalised compared to B2B where you can have more automated. Furthermore, it is important to have ambassadors within both markets. But there is a difference in whom you use, in B2B your customers often are used while in B2C influencers such as bloggers and celebrities are your ambassadors. This difference can be explained since B2B looks for trust and logical and there for would trust you if others have used your product and are satisfied. While B2C as mentioned before purchase product that aligns with their emotions and what's fashionable, celebrities can influence them.
No matter what market you choose, you can't rely on the online guidelines in how to be a pro if you want to succeed!
It’s up to you if you want to give it a try. Good luck!
Amanda Holst and Ingvild Larsen
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