Top 10 B2C Marketing strategies

There are several kinds of ways and techniques that prevail and the experiments keep on going so as to be able to find that perfect business technique that can benefit the business and fetch them maximum profit. 

 

The one which is typically followed is this: 

• The company manufacturers a product

• Sells it to various distributors and retailers

• Retailers in turn sell the product to the end consumers.

This is called a business to business or a B2B model. 

 

But here in this blog, we are going to highlight in detail the B2C model.
 

 

What is a B2C Business Model? 

In 1979 English entrepreneur Michael Aldrich invented online shopping, or teleshopping, to enable online transaction processing between consumers and businesses, or from business to business. Aldrich's technique later became known as e-commerce; it did not become economically viable until the Internet. 

 

A B2C model means a business-to-consumer model of selling products or services. As the name suggests, this refers to any business that takes place where the consumer directly receives the goods or services. Mainly it can be seen in case of restaurants or doctor’s offices.

Most often it refers to e-commerce businesses, which use online platforms to connect their products with consumers. The online B2C can be of several types:

Direct Sellers: People that sell goods from the online websites or applications of the default brand.  Example H&M. 
Intermediaries: The websites that put the sellers and buyers in the same place, without owning the actual products. Example: Amazon, eBay, Flipkart.

Advertisement-based: The companies use targeted ads or to lead customers to their website via other applications or websites like Facebook.

Fee-based: Direct-to-consumer sites e.g. Netflix charges a fee so consumers can access their content.

B2B vs B2C 

 

As mentioned above the fundamental difference that prevails between B2B and B2C models is the technique that the companies use to sell their products to the consumers. The pricing structure of both models is slightly different. 

Also, in a B2C model, the transactional relationship is important as to give a coupon in exchange of feedback on the next purchase but in the B2B model during the sale time, personal relationships are important. 

In a b2b model, there is no need to worry about the branding as a retailer always deals with multiple brands but in a b2c system, this becomes crucial to have a brand's name, fame, and features. B2B asks the expert to learn the language or the terminology but in a b2c model, to attract consumers one needs to sell a message or an idea that is emotionally connected and surging.
 

 

In 1979 English entrepreneur Michael Aldrich invented online shopping, or teleshopping, to enable online transaction processing between consumers and businesses, or from business to business. Aldrich's technique later became known as e-commerce; it did not become economically viable until the Internet. 

 

 

Some Successful B2C Examples

Flipkart:  Flipkart is an e-commerce website that connects sellers and buyers in a virtual space. With its progress and success, it has also launched its own products under the name Flipkart Smartbuy.

H&M: It is a successful fashion brand that has sold its products directly to consumers via both an online portal and brick-and-mortar shops. 

Netflix: It is an online streaming platform that gives consumers and access to various movies and shows at the cost of a monthly fee. 

B2C Marketing Strategies

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Popular B2C Marketing Strategies

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1. Connection on a Human Level

This so far is termed as the most important factor for forming a marketing niche, the marketers need to realize that there are people who need to be treated with importance. They need to be given the reasons why they should purchase the particular product. 

 

A successful marketer should refrain from considering their consumers as a mere profit-generating machine, they need to be given emotional and viable reasons so as to have a link to the product and understand its usage and this is done in a way where the marketing is done to create solutions for one’s needs.
 

 

2. Use of Content as an Efficient Tool

Once the consumer psychology is understood and their needs are justified it becomes important to gain the consumer's attention for your product and turn them into potential and loyal customers of your brand. 

 

When we talk of engaging content we don't mean lengthy and over-detailed blogs or articles or advertising through highly paid advertisements, we simply mean the creation of easy and interesting material which is clear and articulate and sticks to the brand image. It is crucial to understand the audience and give away something that will generate traffic to your brand and website. 

 

This can be in the form of blogs, social media posts, or even a backlink to your website on a relative page to generate the ranking on the website organically.

 

3. Social Media Marketing
 

The most effective way to generate traffic and promote one's brand is nowadays social media, social media not only connects people but at the same time it can serve as a great platform to create a niche for your brands. Social media marketing focuses on providing the users with content and product that they have been looking for and they find valuable on which. 

 

It also provides a way in which people can intersect like share and comment to not only expand its reach and abide by the algorithms but also at the same time can connect to the brand on a personal level even more and can take your brand to reach more and more people connected to your consumers.
 

 

4. Holding Membership Programs

 

Advertise and promote membership programs for customers where they can be loyal members of your brand community. This would not only increase customer engagement in a brand but also would make them believe that they will be provided with additional benefits, which tend to increase with every purchase.  

 

As consumers move up the membership levels, they gain access to more rewards, which enhances their relationship and loyalty with your business. Most companies hold silver gold platinum membership programs to gain the benefits and keep on engaging their customers with them.
 

 

5. Give Out Rewards
 

Purchases done through the website once delivered can be of personalized link for the customers where if they put on feedback or a rating they will get a discount offer on their next purchase. Also, this could be seen as a gift with every purchase. 

 

This not just adds more value to the product you sell but also lets the consumer have the satisfaction of being a loyal customer to you and lets them know that they are getting something extra always with the product they purchase without having to pay for it. 

 

This offer could be anything, even a questionnaire post the purchase of a course on your website  Win-win for everyone.
 

Recommended blog - What is Hyper-personalization

 

6. Prioritize Retargeting
 

This is not as complex as it sounds, anyhow investing in a good retargeting program can help your customers to have a long-lasting image for the company even if they do not buy it immediately.

Retargeting works with the associated social media apps for example if after making a contact with your application or business this would create a sequence which in turn would generate an advertisement on the next social media platform visited. 

 

That customer might not immediately click on the ad or buy from you despite having the direct link to do so. However, seeing the ad reinforces your brand image and helps the consumer remember your company in future purchases. 

 

7. Understand the Role of Influencers
 

Various influencers among the common audience as their role and your brand can help marketers in this business model strategy as they have a loyal set of people who follow them and take decisions based on what their role model uses. Influencer promotion and relationship can also give it a personalized touch and emotional attachment to your products and add to its value. 

 

Although some influencers might be charging but try seeking out for those who would not create a dent on your profit. You might even begin by sending a free gift or a sample copy of your product to get them interested in your free businesses as well.

 

8. Guest Posting
 

Guest blog on the websites and other guest engagement on social media pages, for your brand , discussions and hashtags and comments on other blogs can serve as a great way for engaging people and getting traffic via organic backlinks to improve SEO.
Not just this the personalized blogs and media engagements can help people get more attracted towards your services. 

 

Recommended blog - Customer Behavior Analytics

 

9. Feedbacks and Testimonials
 

It's always better to make your potential customers know what the existing customers think of your brands. Feedbacks need to be taken seriously not because by them you can clearly settle your faults but it can serve as an honest personal connection to your other people.

The testimonial corner of your website can let the customers see what good others are speaking of your brand with an addition to you yourself. 

 

10. Direct Selling 

There can also be an option to open a brick and mortar store to sell your own products where the costumes can arrive and try it and see it for real and here also the membership benefits and the coupon and former discount codes can be availed that would diminish the barrier of online and offline shopping so as to give them the convenience of shopping however they want. 

 

Conclusion

 

The various models of businesses come with a new tactic to promote it attached to the small and medium enterprises. Business Consumer marketing described as B2C marketing needs the business to take an extra responsibility of taking the brand to their consumers too, this needs a specialization of its kind. That's where the rules of B2C marketing come into the picture.