No
business-to-consumer (B2C) company could survive — never mind
thrive — without doing some kind of marketing. B2C marketing, which
differs from business-to-business (B2B) marketing in that it focuses on
promoting goods and services to individual consumers (rather than other
organizations), is the wizardry that makes a company both visible and attractive
to their target audience.
It’s how you
create interest in your offering, how you bring in new customers (acquisition),
how you hold onto existing ones (retention), how you boost sales, and how you
turn your hard work into profit. It is, in many ways, the lifeblood of a
business. But “doing” B2C marketing isn’t as simple as shouting from the
rooftops about your new clothing line or app. You need to know who you’re
talking to. You need to be familiar with the channels available to you. And
fortunately, thanks to digital transformation, there are now plenty.
The rise of online
media and technologies has laid the foundation for a heap of new ways to engage
with customers — alternatives that allow for greater personalization,
interactivity, automation, and measurability. Think about social media marketing,
email marketing, video marketing, etc. A world of possibilities awaits you. But where
do you start? That’s where this guide comes in.
We’ll discuss the
B2C model, highlight the differences between B2B and B2C marketing and review
some of the most effective B2C marketing channels. We’ll also explore various
tried-and-tested tactics and strategies that business owners and marketing
professionals can apply today to achieve results tomorrow. By the end, you
should be well-positioned to help your company not just survive but thrive.
What is B2C internet marketing?
Before diving into
the ins and outs of B2C marketing, it’s worth exploring what B2C is more
generally. After all, you need a clear understanding of this professional
operating model in order to target your B2C marketing efforts more effectively.
Broadly speaking,
B2C business refers to commercial transactions and exchanges between companies
and individual consumers. B2C companies sell products and services directly to
the public for personal use, often via an online platform. The everyday
consumer as the target market is what ultimately differentiates
B2C enterprises from business-to-business (B2B) companies, which, as the name suggests, focus on selling their
wares to other companies. Apple, Tesco, Starbucks, Amazon, YouTube, and Lyft
are just a few examples of successful B2C businesses.
The B2C business model: Definitions, considerations, types, and examples
While definitions
of the term “business model” vary widely, it’s helpful to think of the concept as
a framework that outlines how an enterprise operates, how it makes money, who
it caters to, and how it creates and delivers value to customers. A business
operating under a B2C business model earns revenue by catering to the needs and
wants of everyday individuals. Over time, many different types of business
models have popped up under the B2C umbrella, especially as new digital
technologies and platforms have created novel means of making money.
Advantages of
internet marketing:
1. Convenience and
Quick Service
The incredible
the convenience of marketing online is one of the biggest advantages of internet
marketing. The internet has extremely easy accessibility with consumers using
the internet and reaching markets anywhere in the world. Because of this,
purchasing goods from across borders now reduces the cost of transportation.
2. Low Cost for
Operations
One of the main
advantages of online marketing for businesses is its low operating cost. You
can advertise cheaper with internet marketing than with traditional methods of
advertisement such as ads in newspapers, on television and on the radio. In
online marketing, you can easily get a free listing in a wide range of business
directories.
3. Measure and
Track Results
An aspect of
internet marketing that is rarely available with traditional marketing is the
ability to measure and track results. With online marketing, your business can
utilize varying tools for tracking the results of your advertising campaigns. Using
these tools, not only can you measure and track but also illustrate the
progress of your marketing campaign in detailed graphics.
4. Demographic
Targeting
Marketing your
products and services online gives you the ability to target an audience based on
demography. This allows you to concentrate your efforts on the audience that
you truly want to offer your products or services. With demographic targeting,
you can better target your marketing efforts on specific demographic regions.
5. Global
Marketing
The ability to
market your products and services globally is one of the biggest advantages of
global marketing for business. Within several months of aggressive SEO, you can
secure millions of viewers and reach huge audiences from across the world. With
internet marketing, you can easily reach beyond your geography to offer your
products or services to customers worldwide. Wherever your target audiences
are, you can easily reach them 24/7 and from any country all over the world. If
your audience consists of more than your local market, utilizing global
marketing offers you a great advantage.
6. Ability to
Multitask
One of the core
benefits of online
marketing is its
ability to handling millions of customers at the same time. As long as a
website’s infrastructure is efficient, numerous transactions can easily take
place simultaneously.
However, even with
a large number of transactions taking place, your website is capable of
providing satisfactory service to every customer who makes a purchase online,
without the risk of diminished satisfaction. This high adaptability of internet
marketing is an important benefit that businesses can take advantage of to
provide their consumers with the best shopping experience.
7. 24/7 Marketing
Internet marketing
reduces cost and runs around the clock. That means that your marketing
campaigns run for 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Compared to traditional
marketing, internet marketing does not constrain you with opening hours. At the
same time, you would not be worrying about overtime pay for your staff.
8. Time-Effective
Marketing
Unlike traditional
marketing, internet marketing is easy to start and quick to implement. You can
easily set up a marketing campaign at any time that is convenient for you. In
fact, you can set up email marketing for your business within only a matter of
hours. Within the next few minutes, you can set up an autoresponder and create a
marketing list for your business.
Marketing channel
Brands involved in
selling through marketing channels (also commonly known as distribution
channels) have relationships with the channel partners (local resellers,
retailers, field agents, etc.) that sell their products or services to the end
customer. Brands that aim to maximize sales through channel partners provide
them with advertising and promotional support that is pre-configured and often
subsidized by the brand. A marketing channel is the people,
organizations, and activities necessary to transfer the ownership of goods from
the point of production to the point of consumption. It is the way products get to the end-user, the consumer; and is also known as a distribution channel.[1] A marketing channel is a useful tool for
management,[2] and is crucial to creating an effective and
well-planned marketing strategy.
Producer → Customer (Zero-level Channel)
The producer sells
the goods or provides the service directly to the consumer with no involvement
with a middle man such as an intermediary, a wholesaler, a retailer, an agent, or a reseller. The consumer goes directly to the producer to buy
the product without going through any other channel. This type of marketing is
most beneficial to farmers who can set the prices of their products without
having to go through the Canadian Federation of Agriculture. Typically, goods that are consumed by a smaller
segment of the market have influence over producers and, therefore, goods that
are produced in the response on the order of a few consumers are taken into
account. Normally the goods and services of this channel are not utilized by large
market segments. Moreover, the price of the goods may be subject to significant
fluctuations. For example, high demand dictates an increase in the price.
Producer → Retailer → Consumer (One-level Channel)
Retailers,
like Walmart and Target, buy the product from the manufacturer and sell them directly to the
consumer. This channel works best for manufacturers that produce shopping goods
like, clothes, shoes, furniture, tableware, and toys. Since consumers need more time with these items
before they decide to purchase them, it is in the best interest of the
manufacturer to sell them to another user before it gets into the hand of the
consumers. It is also a good strategy to use another dealer to get the product to
the end-user if the producer needs to get to the market more quickly [8] by using an established network that already
has brand loyalty. In accordance with the form of the retail property,
operators can be an independent company, owned by a different owner or to
engage in the retail network. Intermediaries (retail service) are essential and
useful due to its professionalism, and ability to offer products to the target
market, using their connections in the industry, experience, the advantages of
specialization and the high quality of work.[9] The fact suggests that manufactories produce
large goods and products but limited in its assortment and merchandise.
Producer → Wholesaler → Retailer → Customer (Two-level
Channel)
Wholesalers,
like Costco,
buy the products from the manufacturer and sell them to the consumer. In this
channel, consumers can buy products directly from the wholesaler in bulk. By buying the
items in bulk from
the wholesaler the prices of the product are reduced. This is because the wholesaler
takes away extra costs, such as service costs or sales force costs, that
customers usually pay when buying from retail; making the price much cheaper
for the consumer. However, the wholesaler does not always sell directly to the
consumer. Sometimes the wholesaler will go through a retailer before the
product gets into the hands of the consumer. Each dealer (the manufacturer, the
wholesaler, and the retailer) will be looking to make a decent profit margin from the product. So each time the buyer
purchases the merchandise from another source, the price of the product has to
increase, in order to maximize the profit each person will receive. This raises the price
of the product for the end-user. Due to the simultaneous and joint work of
wholesaler and retailer, a trade can only be beneficial if; a market is
situated on a larger area, the supply of goods and products is carried out
small but urgent consignments (products), and it can be cost-effective and
profitable by supplying bigger consignments (products) to fewer customers.
Industrial factories are in the sleek of using advantages of mass production in
order to produce and sell big lots (batches) while retailers look and prefer
purchasing smaller consignments. This method for factories could lead to
instant sales, high efficiency, and cost-effectiveness.
Producer → Agent/Broker → Wholesaler or Retailer →
Customer (Three-level Channel)
This distribution
channel involves more than one intermediary before the product gets into the
hands of the consumer. This middleman, known as the agent, assists with the
negotiation between the manufacturer and the seller. Agents come into play when
the producers need to get their product into the market as quickly as possible.
This happens mostly when the item is perishable and has to get to the market fresh before it
starts to rot. At times, the agent will directly go to the retailer with
the goods or take an alternate route through the wholesaler who will go to a
retailer and then finally to the consumer. Mutual cooperation normally occurs
when parties, in particular, the last channel of marketing chain of
distribution meet. Due to the fact that producers, agents,
retailers/wholesalers and consumers of this channel aid each other and benefit
from each other. Their cooperation generates a greater output in terms of
further profitability, by discernment and exploring newer markets of sales and
building a better business relationship. The participants of distribution
channels must have knowledge and experience not only for the effective
maintenance of target segments but also to maintain the competitive advantage
of the manufacturer. For example, an Agent who is able to vary prices for
certain products can negotiate and or lower prices. This will assist him in
sustain the comparative advantage, stay on top of its competitors and stay
demanded on the market. A Broker works mainly to bring the seller and the buyer
and to assist in the negotiation process. An intermediary like Broker is
usually dependent on the commission of a sold product or production in terms of
goods.
Internet branding
Internet
branding (also referred to as Online branding) is a brand
management technique
that uses the World Wide
Web & Social
Media Channels as a medium for positioning a brand in the
marketplace. Branding in the digital age is increasingly important with
the advancements of the internet. Most businesses are exploring various online
channels, which include search engine, social media, online press
releases, online marketplace, to establish strong relationships with consumers and
to build their brands awareness.
Advantages
Strengthen the
customer relationship
The Internet is a
powerful branding tool for many businesses as it offers numerous ways to
promote a business. Interactivity is one of the natures of the Internet
helps companies communicate the brand messages instantly and talk to consumers
directly, generating exclusive and individual interactions with them. Consumer’s
potential purchasing behaviours can be influenced by brand knowledge and
familiarity, so that good online branding can establish closer customer
connections with brands and strengthen customer loyalty and relationship.
Develop Brand
alliances
Online branding
involves different brand positioning and marketing strategies, which can not
only differentiate separately branded products but also bring together endorser
brands. For example, Library Websites are a prime example of such linking
between the university website and other database or publisher websites such as
FirstSearch and SpringerLink. In the new economy with the convergence of
technology, online branding provides the opportunity for companies to develop
brands alliances and networks to maximise the brand influence.
Diverse the brand
meaning
Online branding
makes the company have the chance to communicate with customers directly and
also provides the opportunity to gather customer information for companies to
build a database of customer purchase pattern. The data can be used to segment
customers into specific groups with specific needs, even offer customised
services. Therefore, the customisation and targeting to smaller groups may
generate the diversity of experience with the same brand. The same brands
have different meanings for different groups of customer.
Management of
different communication channels
Online branding,
in general, will cover the most popular social media platforms with different
websites or mobile applications. Companies need to make sure the consistency of
the branding content across these channels.
In addition, it is
also, a challenge for the company to find and solve the complaint comments on
brands in time, minimising the negative effect.
Online publishing
or Electronic publishing
Electronic
publishing (also referred to as e-publishing or digital
publishing or online publishing) includes the digital publication
of e-books, digital
magazines, and the
development of digital
libraries and
catalogues. It also includes an editorial aspect, that consists of editing
books, journals or magazines that are mostly destined to be read on a
screen
The traditional
publishing, and especially the creation part, were first revolutionized by
new desktop publishing software’s appearing in the 1980s, and by the text
databases created for the encyclopaedias and directories. At the same time, the multimedia was developing quickly, combining book, audio-visual and computer
science characteristics.
CDs and DVDs appear, permitting the visualization of these dictionaries and encyclopaedia’s
on computers.
The arrival and
the democratization of the Internet is slowly giving small publishing houses the opportunity
to publish their books directly online. Some websites, like Amazon, let their users buy eBooks; Internet users can also
find many educative platforms (free or not), encyclopaedic websites like
Wikipedia, and even digital magazines platforms. The eBook then becomes more
and more accessible through many different supports, like the e-reader and even
smartphones. The digital book had, and still has, an important impact on
publishing houses and their economical models; it is still a moving domain, and
they yet have to master the new ways of publishing in a digital era.[21]
The Advantages of
Electronic Publishing over Paper Printing
Electronic
documents can contain live links: This is one of the primary advantages of
electronic publishing beyond the cost savings, allowing readers to drill down
to more detailed information on important topics.
Electronic
documents can be available to everyone who needs them instantly, regardless of
the users' physical locations worldwide. Not only are electronic documents
available at all corporate offices as soon as they are published, but they are also
available to authorized readers who are out of the office, including outside
sales and support personnel and travelling executives.
Electronic
publishing ensures that everybody is using the most up-to-date
copy. Documents change, and keeping paper copies up-to-date can be very
demanding and simultaneously very important. This is particularly true of large
“living” documents such as repair manuals. But it is also important for small,
vital documents such as price lists and other sales collateral. An outside
salesperson who hasn't received the latest price sheet might quote an incorrect
price to a customer, creating an embarrassing situation. Because electronic
publishing only maintains one, a master document that all users access, updating
is assured.
Documents are more
secure. Paper documents can be mishandled, lost, stolen, or purposely
copied and shared with unauthorized individuals. Perhaps the most dramatic such
case was a Sunday IRA bombing of a London bank office building. No one was
injured, but hundreds of pages of confidential information were blown out the
shattered windows to fall onto the street below. In another case that became
famous during the HIPAA debates of the 1990s, the medical records of a then
famous female figure skating champion involved in a one-car accident became
public when an overworked nurse left the paper file on the nursing station
counter, where a reporter read the skater's blood-alcohol level. The personal
data was on the front-page news the next morning.
Electronic
documents are parallel; paper is serial: An electronic document is
available to all authorized users simultaneously. A paper copy can only be read
by one person at a time. This is particularly important for documents that only
have one copy, such as medical records. The location of a patient file that is
on a cart somewhere in the hospital can literally be a life-and-death matter in
a medical emergency.
Electronic
documents are never misfiled or lost: Because master documents never leave
the database and are only viewed by or shared with users over the network, they
cannot be misfiled. And strong DR can ensure that, if the system itself
malfunctions, the documents can be restored quickly without loss.
Digital Copyright and electronic publishing
In the early
2000s, many of the existing copyright laws were designed around printed books,
magazines and newspapers. For example, copyright laws often set limits on how
much of a book can be mechanically reproduced or copied. Electronic publishing
raises new questions in relation to copyright, because if an e-book or
e-journal is available online, millions of Internet users may be able to view a
a single electronic copy of the document, without any "copies" being
made.
Emerging evidence
suggests that e-publishing may be more collaborative than traditional
paper-based publishing; e-publishing often involves more than one author, and
the resulting works are more accessible since they are published online. At
the same time, the availability of published material online opens more doors for plagiarism, unauthorized use, or re-use of the material. Some
publishers are trying to address these concerns. For example, in 2011, HarperCollins limited the number of times that one of its
e-books could be lent in a public
library. Other
publishers, such as Penguin, are attempting to incorporate e-book elements into
their regular paper publications.
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