B2B is one of those acronyms that seem to recur in the world of digital marketing, especially when talking about inbound marketing strategies.
Actually, it refers to a type of business or marketing model that focuses mainly on large-scale distributors and not so much on individuals or people.
In this article we will explain what B2B is, why it would be interesting for you to apply it within your business model and what are the main advantages of this type of commerce on a digital level.
What does B2B mean?
As we already pointed out, B2B is an acronym that refers to a specific type of business model, which is based on companies selling their products and services to other companies and not individual consumers.
B2B is the acronym in English for business to business, which translated into Spanish would be business to business.
We are talking about companies that provide services to other companies or sell to large wholesalers and distributors, and these are the ones that ultimately deal with the individual customer.
A bit of history about the rise of B2B on the Internet.
At the beginning of the Internet, most large companies could not find a way to use the new medium to contact the end customer, since the web was understood more as a catalog or yellow pages.
This perception of the digital world led companies to use their websites as magazines for products that would be of more interest to suppliers, wholesalers or specialized companies than to the common consumer.
Thanks to this vision of the digital world, B2B commerce developed much faster on the web than other types of business models such as B2C (Business to Customer) or C2C (Customer to Customer).
What are the differences between B2B and other types of business models?
Selling directly to other companies has always required the application of specific strategies for each sector, mainly because companies buy rationally and not emotionally like users.
Previously, the way to contact a client of this type was through fairs, congresses, cold calls or visits to their headquarters.
Although these actions continue to be carried out, technological progress has also led to certain changes, all related to inbound marketing strategy and lead generation, which make SEO for B2B strategies different from those aimed the final consumer.
Details to take into account to implement successful business to business strategies:
- Business culture: Today it is much more important that the values and culture of your company be similar to the culture of the other organizations to which you provide, in order to avoid Digital PR and Authority problems.
- Image is everything: In the midst of the current cancellation culture, avoiding discrepancies or brand crises on social media becomes a rule to follow, so as not to lose potential customers.
- Online presence: This is where Page Rank can make the difference between your products and those of the competition. If leading companies support you, you will have credibility, authority and an excellent reputation.
- Added value: In this business model it is necessary to provide a greater amount of information and valuable content to the client, because it is a much more specialized group of individuals.
- Business model fundamentals: What makes you much more attractive than the competition? It is not only about a more competitive offer, but also about a more human vision of your brand.
Strategies that allow you to implement a B2B model.
Although there are many strategies that can be carried out to attract the attention of other companies and businesses, most revolve around inbound marketing.
Here we tell you some of them:
1. Improve the reputation of your brand:
Most companies are motivated to build relationships with brands that have an excellent reputation, both online and offline.
To achieve this level of prestige, public relations departments focus mainly on transmitting values, associating the company with charity events and providing support to its workers, so that they are the main ambassadors of the brand.
2. Guarantee your online presence:
In a B2B strategy, content marketing must be of a higher quality, not necessarily more technical, but much deeper and more useful for your client.
The managers of the companies buy in a visceral way, so they are aware not only of better prices or benefits, but also of the opinions that there are about a certain product and the presence in the SERPs of a specific brand.
In simple words, if your company achieves the success that everyone is looking for on a digital level, such as web positioning, valuable content and quality interactions, other organizations will feel motivated to close deals with you.
3. Nurture your database:
B2B models require a good lead nurturing strategy, because to the extent that you nurture, convince and retain your customers; you will be able to keep your business going in the long term.
It is extremely important to ensure that the companies and distributors that you recruit become part of your team and wish to continue working with you in the long term. This can only be achieved by providing them with personalized attention.
This is where CMRs like HubSpot are of great help, because they make it easy for you to classify your leads according to parameters of specific needs or profiles. In short, segment them properly.
Summary of the post and frequently asked questions about B2B:
What is B2B?
The acronym B2B means business to business, or what is the same, from business to business. This refers to companies whose end customer is really another company or distribution business such as large wholesalers.
What are the most common problems of a B2B model?
In addition to always being aware of generating a good brand image and having a high level of authority or reputation, B2B businesses periodically face some challenges such as:
- Develop new business proposals or diversify the offer.
- Improve the lead scoring of your databases.
- Stay up to date with market trends to generate competitive and attractive offers.
- Acquire new customers frequently.
How does inbound marketing help B2B strategies?
Honestly, inbound marketing is the core of a good online strategy for B2B businesses, since:
- Increase domain authority.
- Improves brand reputation.
- Helps capture leads.
Conclusion
As you can see, the B2B model has many advantages, in addition to paving the way for your business to become a supplier for other brands and organizations.
But remember, in this type of model the most important thing is to be able to connect with your client from the point of view of values, philosophy and credibility.