B2B vs B2C Content Marketing: What’s the Difference? 

The-WHub

Think of your ideal clients. Are casual customers scrolling through social media or busy professionals looking for business solutions? 

The first is the case of B2C (Business to consumer) business. For example, Maybelline sells its cosmetics to buyers directly. The second case is of B2B (Business to business) business. For example, Microsoft offers database management options for other brands.  

The type of business will determine your content marketing strategy.  

This blog presents three key differences in the content marketing strategy between B2C vs B2B. It will also include different content market formats and examples for both.  

3 Key Differences in B2B vs B2C Content Marketing Strategies 

B2B and B2C content marketing primarily differ since their target markets are separate. Naturally, this also affects their business objectives and priorities. 

	B2B	B2C
Target market	Targets well-established brands	Targets individual consumers
Objectives	Focuses on building authority, conversion, and leadership.	Focuses on mass awareness of their brand, conversion, and customer engagement.
Messaging	The tone of voice is usually very formal and dry.	Brands have a vibrant and conversational tone of voice.
Approach	B2B approaches its audience practically and generically.	B2C’s approach is more humane. They try one-on-one interactions with clients.

Let’s understand these differences in detail. 

1. B2B for Brands Vs B2C for Individual Buyers

B2B content is formal, data-driven, technical, and professional. It is because their clients range from businesses to C-suits. 50% of B2B marketers focus on analytics and data management and 44% of them consider marketing as revenue centers. 

On the other hand, B2C businesses are more inclined towards solving the audience’s informal needs, with 65% of marketers prioritizing it.   

Selling to B2B customers is more challenging than selling to B2C customers. The B2B sales chain has a long line of command. Marketers must sell to all the people who are in the decision-making process. However, B2C marketers need to strategize for an individual buyer. 

Also, B2B marketers must plan long-term content strategies as the contracts last longer here. They must create webinars, case studies, and similar content to continue helping the service users. By contrast, B2C consumers focus on product position and awareness as the sale cycle is short. 

2. B2C’s Vibrant Voice Vs B2B’s Authoritative Demeanor

Try to remember something that you bought online. Did it seem like a friendly chat or a professional presentation? 

The former is business-to-customer interaction. B2C content marketing strategy tends to be more vibrant and conversational. It evokes an emotional connection between the brand and the audience. 

The latter is business to business marketing approach. It sounds professional and dry as it focuses on brands as direct clients. However, they should focus on tweaking their brand voice to be more interactive as 48% of consumers feel B2B content to be informational but less engaging. 

3. B2B’s Practical Approach Vs B2C’s Emotional Approach

B2B and B2C content marketing approaches differ due to the difference in buyer’s expectations.  

Individual clients expect brands to be more engaging and specifically talk to them. Therefore, B2C marketers prefer an emotional approach.  

Consumer brands want more reliability, logical presentation, and accurate information. That is why B2B marketers have a more rational approach when developing content for brands.  

While B2C content strategizing is based on current trends, B2B content must be evergreen. This is because B2B focuses more on relationship building.  

Both business types have distinct formats for content marketing. Here is a list of various marketing formats, their benefits, and industry examples. 

Popular B2B and B2C Content Format 

B2B Content Formats 

1. Content type: Whitepapers and eBooks 

Industry benefits 

• In-depth, authoritative guides 

• Focus on industry trends, solutions, or technical subjects 

• Ideal for lead generation 

• Focuses on customer education and imparts expertise 

• Build thought leadership 

Example 

Cisco is a telecommunication giant that sells networking hardware to telecommunication brands as other products for IT industries. They are a classic example of a successful B2B business.  

The brand developed its graphic novel, Cyber Threat Response (CTR) and SuperSmart, to promote the importance and loopholes in cyber security. 

2. Content Type: Webinars and Virtual Events 

Benefits 

• Interactive, real-time knowledge sharing 

• Great for building thought leadership 

• Enhances engagement with potential clients 

• Increases brand visibility via promotion of webinars on e-mails, social media, and partnerships 

Example 

Pinpointe provides email automation services on demand for mid-cap and large-cap businesses. They initially used a 15-day free trial strategy for promoting their services. They then added online webinars to increase leads, sales, and awareness. 

Upon adding webinars, they could close 1000 new leads every month. They could convert 25 leads into clients and generate 200 USD per month.  

3. Content type: Case Studies and Success Stories 

Benefits 

• Demonstrates real-world applications 

• Builds trust and credibility 

• Often used in decision-making stages 

Example 

Playvox helps businesses to streamline their operational activities. This B2B brand has successfully used a case study of Sweaty Betty to target unique challenges in account assessment times in online shops and the retail market.  

They had a unique approach to this case study. Instead of stating out plain solutions and statistics they highlighted the case study from the consumer’s perspective.  

Experts at WrittenlyHub can help you target a wide audience and gain authority in niche markets with unique case studies and success stories.  

4. Content type: Blogs and articles  

Benefits  

• Versatile, regularly updated content 

• Ideal for SEO and establishing expertise 

• Helps in nurturing leads through valuable insights 

Example 

B2B brands like Kinsta, a WordPress hosting provider, and YouGov, a market research firm, use blogs to build leadership and authority in their respective industries.  

According to marketers of both companies, they target the keywords users search for daily. Content strategists use these keywords to create blogs. They also repurpose old blogs that are dormant now. 

5. Content type: Infographics and Visual Data 

Benefits  

• Simplifies complex data 

• Increases shareability 

• Enhances user engagement 

Example 

Smart Insights is a B2B brand that helps clients with the management, planning, and optimization of marketing strategies.  

They have a unique approach to infographics. Smart Insights connects a familiar concept with a new one. It helps traditional marketers to bridge gaps and embrace new ideas.  

B2C Content Formats 

1. Content type: Social media content 

Benefits 

• Highly engaging, shareable 

• Platforms like Instagram, Facebook, TikTok 

• Focus on storytelling and brand personality 

Example 

One of the top dating apps, Tinder, uses their social media handles to reposition themselves. They have launched an “it starts with a swipe’ campaign to change their image of being a place to search for hookups to build more meaningful connections.  

This campaign turned out successful as 31% of Gen Z users stated that they wanted long-term relationships  

2. Content type: Influencer Collaborations 

Benefits 

• Leverages social proof 

• Enhances brand reach and credibility 

• Tailored to niche audiences 

Example 

Skincare brand CeraVe collaborates with many influencers to promote their products using the hashtag #Ceravepartner.  

They have diverse kinds of influencers as their brand ambassadors. Lifestyle creator Niamh Adkins and Dermatologist Dr. Adeline Kikam are well-known faces for the brand. 

3. Content type: Video Content 

Benefits 

• Platforms like YouTube, Instagram 

• Includes tutorials, product reviews, storytelling 

• High engagement and shareability 

Example 

Video content can be diverse. Brands often use them for full-length video advertisements or just Instagram stories. Koala Sofas, an e-commerce brand uses storytelling and vivid images to captivate the audience. 

They have repurposed the same video to promote shortened forms on Instagram and Facebook. They have also used it on YouTube Pre-roll ads to increase reach.  

4. Content type: Email Newsletters 

Benefit 

• Personalized content 

• Promotions, new arrivals, and news 

• Effective for customer retention 

Example 

Coffee Island, a popular European coffee house uses their festive special emails. They promote seasonal drinks and holiday tips with their quintessential celebratory GIFs.  

They entice buyers using inspirational content. Coffee Island pushes them to raise their cups for a cheer and perhaps buy their product.  

5. Content type: Blogs and Articles 

Benefit 

• Less technical, more conversational 

• Focus on lifestyle, tips, and user guides 

• Great for SEO and driving website traffic 

Example 

Popular brands like Apple use their newsroom section to promote their products. They use blog posts to discuss details on their upcoming launches, new features, the latest Apple trends, and much more. 

B2C brands leverage their website and create content for guest postings to lead buyers to their websites. It is a usual marketing practice for both business types.  

Summing Up the Differences Between B2B vs B2C Marketing  

The primary difference between B2B and B2C content marketing is their clientele. It is the core reason for B2B businesses to have a formal approach. Marketers highlight the need to build more user-engaging content in this domain. 

It is because clients are quoting B2B content to be boring compared to B2C. Even though B2B targets brands, people read the content. However, B2C content is diversifying with social media channels. 

WrittenlyHub has expertise with well-known B2B brands like SleepyHug, and GrowthJockey. Sweepcasinos and many more from niche industries.  

Book a consultation with us to get your hands on customized content for your brand optimized to the current market trends.  

FAQs 

1. What is the biggest difference between B2B and B2C content marketing? 

The biggest difference between B2B and B2C content marketing is the brand’s approach based on its clientele. Both businesses’ clientele can never have a one-size-fits-all all-content approach.  

This has a few factors co-depending on it like the journey to sale for consumers. It is quick and individual-centered in B2C but takes a long time and is brand-centered for B2B.  

2. Which social media platforms are ideal for B2B vs B2C marketing? 

While some of the platforms are distinct for these business types most of them can be used by both. Social media channels like Instagram and Facebook are more convenient for B2C marketing considering their clientele.  

However, B2B brands will use LinkedIn more as professional clients or brand administrative clientele are more regular on that. They can use YouTube to develop campaigns and B2b brands can also do so equally.  

3. How does content marketing help both B2B and B2C companies? 

Brands can create content that must be placed and promoted by marketing strategies.  

Content cannot reach the audience or pitch itself without marketing strategies. It determines the target audience, the respective channels, and even the respective time of the day to place the advertisements.  

4. What are the best B2B content marketing tactics? 

B2B content is no longer generic. Here are some effective B2B marketing tactics:  

• Leverage account information of brands to personalize your offerings if you want to stand out.  

• Churn recent data and frame the strategies accordingly, there is no fit-for-all content.  

• Clearly define your KPIs before marketing yourself in the market 

• Regularly review your competitor’s content and their performance in the target audience.