Description

What is a B2B company?

Business to Business (B2B) companies is reassuring enterprises that offer other companies in need to operate and grow. Including activities like payroll processors or industrial suppliers. In dissimilarities to business-to-consumer(B2C) models, which sell directly to individual customers, and consumer-to-business (C2B) models, in which an end-user creates products or services for business. B2B companies have an utterly different target audience: They offer the raw materials, finished parts, services, or dialogue that other companies need to operate, grow, and profit.

Examples of B2B companies

There are B2B in every industry, from manufacturing to retail. Business conducted, you can be sure a multitude of B2B suppliers and executive firms are involved. Every B2C company needs certain products, services, and professional counsel, so every B2C company creates B2B activity.

An example of an established B2B market is in automobile manufacturing. Some of the largest consumer-facing brands, but in every model of car or truck, they put together dozens of other companies’ products. This includes tires, hoses, batteries, and electronics. That is essential for the final consumer product – the vehicle – to operate correctly. The manufacturer purchases these products from numerous suppliers and integrates them into the final product. When you buy a car from one company, you’re buying parts that were created by dozens, if not hundreds, of other businesses from all around the world. Business-to-business sales are a vital part of every industry’s supply chain.

Examples of B2B activity are prevalent and more visible than you might guess. An example of this, the cloud-based document storage company Dropbox serves businesses as well as individuals. General Electric makes plenty of consumer goods, but it also provides parts to other enterprises. Perhaps you’ve worked at a company where the paychecks stamped by ADP, a company that provides payroll and financial services for businesses. Xerox is a household name but makes billions giving paper and print services to businesses.

How to develop a marketing plan for a B2B company

Marketing and branding B2B products or services require an unrepeatable approach. Unlike B2C companies, the target audience isn’t a consumer, but another company. That means B2B marketers must speak directly to those in charge of the decision-making process. Driving sales means understanding another company’s business processes and developing a business-specific strategy with your sales team to turn potential customers into buyers.

Devising B2B marketing campaigns requires some headful planning, said Brent Walker, vice president and chief marketing officer at healthcare marketing firm C2B Solutions.

“B2B typically relies on its sales function and account management team to establish and strengthen customer-client relationships,” Walker said. “Marketing may include advertising in trade journals, having a presence at conventions and trade conferences, digital marketing – and online presence, SEO, email outreach – and other traditional awareness efforts.”

While the processes may be similar to those of B2C, messaging and branding are often dissimilar. Instead of discussing with a consumer’s desire to get something new, fun, or convenient, B2B companies face the task of convincing company decision-makers that their products or services will provide a return on investment (ROI). Some B2B companies, such as digital marketing firms that specialize in content creation and social media management, this can be a tough sell; this type of work doesn’t turn out immediate results, so making the sale requires educating and selling potential customers on it. That’s where a well-informed sales team comes in.

The key to B2B marketing is demonstrating significant differences of value to a business’s bottom line. If the solution streamlines processes, focus on the efficiencies your potential customers could gain. If your services increase traffic to a website or enhance conversion rates, highlight the potential for added revenue. In business, it all comes back to profitability: If you can make the case that your products or services will enhance the bottom line, landing the sale becomes much more manageable.

Digital B2B companies

The rise of B2B in e-commerce has redefined the relationship between businesses and suppliers. A product of the digital revolution, these businesses sell products directly to other companies using e-commerce platforms, they also share information and updates about products or services. There are many types of B2B e-commerce companies, but three of the most common are web development, supply and procurement exchanges, and infomediaries.

Web development

Every business needs a website, but few business owners have the time or skillset to build an optimized site from scratch. Web development companies (more generally, digital marketers) are B2B services that handle the creation and maintenance of company websites, plus other digital advertising services like content creation and search engine optimization. These services are of the utmost importance in the ever-expanding digital environment that controls the modern business landscape. Though web development, some companies didn’t exist until a few decades ago, they’ve become essential components for partners in any business that wants to get off the ground.

Supply and procurement exchanges

Otherwise known as e-procurement sites, companies such as these serve a range of businesses and often focus on a niche market. A company purchasing agent can shop for supplies from vendors, request proposals, and even make bids for purchases at specific prices. These B2B websites enable the exchange of product supplies and procurement.

Specialized or vertical industry portals provide a subweb of information for a specific industry or vertical, such as healthcare, construction, or education. These sites offer list products, have discussion groups, and other features. Vertical portal sites have a broader purpose than procurement sites, though they may also support purchasing.

Brokering sites fulfill companies’ supply and procurement needs in another way. These sites act as an intercessor between service providers and potential business customer. An example of this is a construction company may need to lease equipment. A broker site can help the construction company find the equipment manufacturer that is willing to lease out the required equipment. Brokering sites and services include the Neostratus B2B Cloud Brokerage Platform and Axway B2B Integration.

Infomediaries

There are also infomediaries, which provide precise data on distinct industries for companies and their employees. These technoscientific search sites often used as trade and industry standards organization sites.

No one-size-fits-all

B2B is significant to the success of many industries, when analyzing your company’s potential, don’t limit yourself to one plan. B2B, B2C, and C2B models need not be respectively exclusive: Combining their distinct strengths can produce new possibilities for your business.

“A business can package consumer insights and consumer-centric solutions to sell or provide as a value-add to its business customers/clients,” Walker said. “In a consumer-driven marketplace, such a service can be precious to a business.”