Since B2C companies work much differently than B2B companies, it stands to reason that the marketing tactics used between the two would differ. B2C companies conduct their business directly with consumers and, therefore, one of the primary goals of a B2C company’s inbound marketing program is to build awareness of the brand and interact in a meaningful way with customers.
Plus, when you take into account that 83% of all consumers do online research before opting to purchase a product, it makes perfect sense that B2C companies would want to make the most of their inbound marketing potential in order to draw new customers and help their business perform as well as possible. So, what can you do to draw more customers to your company?
Read on to learn more.
Choose Your Channels Carefully and Use Them to Humanize Your Company
One of the main differences between the way that a B2B company uses inbound marketing and the way that a B2C company uses inbound marketing is the marketing channel of choice. This is also an area where a B2C company has a distinct advantage over a B2B company. Because B2C companies can be reached via advertising or geo-targeting apps, a B2C company can pick and choose between the social networks and websites that form the skeleton of inbound marketing as a whole.
Once you’ve chosen your social channels of choice, the most important step to successfully marketing your B2C company is to make your company humanized and accessible. Take mega-retailer Target, for example, who has used LinkedIn to do everything from introducing new stylists to sharing exciting news about new locations. By doing this, Target has humanized its brand and created a valuable space for customer interaction and feedback.
Be Transparent About Your Prices
The next time you take to Facebook to announce a new product or head to Instagram to share a snapshot of something your customers are loving, publish your prices. While this may seem like a bold move, price is often the #1 question on a customer’s mind and publishing it serves two purposes: it helps customers make an immediate decision about whether your services or goods are within reach for them and it brands your company as trustworthy and transparent; additionally, since buyers are hardwired to look into price when making a purchasing decision, taking the guesswork out of your company’s pricing is a great way to streamline the buying process for your customer. Additionally, you may well snag customers that have left your competitors’ sites due to the fact that they don’t publish their prices.
Err on the Side of Overeducation
Think about Amazon for a minute: Amazon is one of the global leaders in B2C marketing. Now, think about how Amazon markets its products. The site gets downright granular in terms of information – it offers users pictures, precise measurements, user reviews and extensive ratings. This, in turn, inspires ample customer education and a sense of security during the purchasing process.
That said, next time you take to the web to advertise a new product or service, think about all of the questions your customers may ask (“how much does it weigh?” “how big is it?” “Is a package deal?” “What happens if it breaks?” etc.) and answer them preemptively. Doing this inspires customer confidence and creates a clear, easy, information-rich buying process.
Give Something Away
If you have the capability to give something, you should. Giving something away is a great way to get customers excited about your product while also promoting word-of-mouth advertising and gaining repeat customers. Take HubSpot, for example, who offers a free website grading service to interested customers. The service is totally free and allows users to simply enter their site’s URL and get an instant analysis of their site’s strength.
This is great on two levels: first of all, it offers some serious value to users because who wouldn’t like to have their site evaluated by powerful inbound marketing service? Secondly, this little freebie provides value for HubSpot, as well due to the fact that customers who use the website grader and find that their site is lacking are likely to dive right into HubSpot’s ample archives and services to learn how to fix it. This creates a valuable loop for the company while also offering an important service to customers.
Inbound Marketing for B2C Companies
B2C companies have immense freedom when it comes to developing inbound marketing tactics. In addition to being able to reach customers on a more intimate level than B2B companies, B2C companies also have the ability to create marked changes in traffic through simple changes to inbound marketing tactics. By following these top inbound marketing strategies, B2C companies can put a unique spin on their inbound marketing and carve out a niche for themselves within their industry.
To learn more about best inbound marketing tactics, head to Bigfoot Media. Bigfoot Media is here for all of your digital marketing needs and would love to help your business create a game-winning strategy. Call us today for a FREE consultation or shoot us a quick email to learn more.
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