Lately I am pondering a massive difference between B2B and B2C marketing that I have experienced numerous times the past few years. Let’s jump right in and maybe there are some opportunities for you too?
To Stay In Touch
Why do we stay in touch with existing customers?
To nurture the relationship by a) reminding them of our existence in possibly saturated markets, and b) to provide value each time.
It really isn’t necessary to sell anytime we show up though.
To Email Or Not
Here is where it gets interesting. I will use my experiences in buying B2B and selling B2C as example.
In most cases where my handicrafts webshop is concerned, I have to use distributors between myself and the manufacturer. Some distributors never email me anything, and the other extreme is the one, who appears in my inbox several times a week. A few email me irregularly, but often enough that I remember their business.
Where do you think my money is most likely to go, if it were up to these reminders to act as decision maker?
The oddest part is that these distributors most likely are obligated to buy a certain amount of goods whenever for example new fabric collections are launched, so they really should get the inventory moving to manage cash flow—yet not even this gets them emailing!
On the other hand, as a consumer I am flooded by emails. The same goes for B2B micro entrepreneurs, who want my business badly enough to show up at least once weekly.
To Invest Time Or Not
It isn’t numbers only that create divisions between newsletter writers, though, but quality and style, too, when my B2B emailers are concerned.
Most write very short emails, and all of this type feel like they were a nuisance to send. Frankly, they don’t inspire me much at all.
And then I recall some people, whose emails are an absolute delight to open. What a difference!
The take-home message is to analyse exactly what it is that makes us stay on some lists and unsubscribe from others. The reasons are individual of course, but I dare claim that part of it is because someone made effort. It isn’t the length of it either, but the “oomph”.
When we do our marketing on autopilot, “oomph” is easily forgotten about. In order to inspire others, we ourselves must first feel inspired. Why did we get into business in the first place?
Business strategy sounds boring, but if we are unsure about the foundation, it is hard to be inspirational in public.
Wrapping Up
This isn’t to say that elbow tactics, arrogance, superiority and other nonsense are a great idea to implement in a business, but analysing the competition lets us know valuable things about the industry, where it is right now and, more importantly, where it may be headed.
When we notice a competitor doing something successfully, why not take note, put our own twist on it, and see if it bears fruit?
Likewise, if a competitor misses out on a thing we think could create traction in customers, why not implement it as originally and well as possible so that copycats will have a hard time following at our tail?
Markets are certainly in a sensitive place at the moment, so to appear at least irregularly in a potential or existing customer’s inbox for quite little effort is not a bad idea. Let them remember you positively!
And speaking of which, are you on our email list yet? If not, sign up using the form below! I do my best to show up about once weekly with what I think is helpful content.
Photo credit: Allison Saeng.
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