What will B2C marketing look like in years to come? It’s hard to say for sure, but we can make some educated guesses. Here are ten ideas that should be on every marketer’s radar screen.
Remember that some of these may be more relevant than others, depending on your particular business and industry. But all of them are worth paying attention to. So read on and see which ones you should start planning for now!
What Is B2C Marketing?
B2C marketing, or business-to-consumer marketing, refers to the promotional strategies and tactics used to reach individual consumers. B2C marketing is distinct from business-to-business (B2B) marketing, which targets businesses and organisations rather than individual consumers.
While B2B marketers typically focus on selling to large organisations with complex product needs, B2C marketers typically deal in smaller transactions. They aim to generate brand awareness and conversions among a mass-market audience.
Examples Of B2C Marketing
Some common examples of B2C marketing campaigns include ads that focus on family values, aspirational messages, and emotional appeals. For example, a company selling jewellery might market its products as symbols of love and commitment.
Similarly, a company selling vacuum cleaners might play up the idea that its products will help keep families safe from harmful allergens. In both cases, the goal is to appeal to consumers’ needs and desires to encourage them to make a purchase.
What Distinguishes B2C Marketing From B2B Marketing?
There are a few key ways in which B2C marketing differs from B2B. First, the target audience is different. In B2C marketing, businesses are targeting individual consumers, while in B2B marketing, they are targeting other companies. Second, the message is usually different.
In B2C marketing, businesses typically focus on the benefits of their product or service for the consumer. In contrast, in B2B marketing, they may focus on the features of their product or service. Finally, the sales cycle is usually shorter in B2C marketing than in B2B marketing. This is because individual consumers tend to purchase more quickly than businesses do.
10 Highly-Effective B2C Marketing Strategies
Following are a few B2C marketing ideas that can exponentially boost your marketing strategy.
Targeted Ads And Recommendations
It’s no secret that personalisation is vital when it comes to marketing. In a world where consumers are bombarded with advertising messages, tailoring your message to the individual is more important than ever. Luckily, there are several ways to personalise your marketing campaign.
One of the simplest ways to personalise your marketing is to segment your audience. By dividing your customers into groups based on factors like age, gender, location, or interests, you can ensure that your message is relevant to each group. For example, a clothing company might segment its audience by age and target its ads accordingly.
Another way to segment your audience is by purchase history. By understanding what each customer has bought in the past, you can make recommendations for future purchases. For example, Amazon uses purchase history to make product recommendations for its customers.
Personalise Your Marketing Campaign
Nowadays, customers expect businesses to know their names, products they’ve purchased, and past interactions.
It’s essential for businesses to personalise each customer’s experience by using the data they already have.
For example, imagine you own an online store that sells men’s clothing. A customer comes to your site and looks at a few pairs of trousers but doesn’t purchase anything. A few days later, he gets an email from your store with a coupon code for 20% off his next purchase. The email also includes a link to the same pair of trousers he was looking at previously.
By personalising the customer’s experience makes you more likely to make a sale. And as businesses increasingly rely on technology to interact with customers, personalisation will become even more critical.
Incorporate A Virtual Try-On Feature
In the digital age, businesses must keep up with the latest trends to remain competitive. One such trend that is set to take off in the next few years is virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR). These technologies have a wide range of applications, and one of the most promising is in the area of marketing.
Specifically, businesses can use VR and AR to create a more immersive customer experience. For example, let’s say you’re considering buying a new piece of jewellery. In the past, you would have had to go to a store, try on the item, and then decide. With VR and AR, you could simply put on a headset and be transported to a virtual jewellery store.
This would give you a much better idea of what you’re looking for, and it would also save you time and money. As VR and AR become more ubiquitous, we expect more businesses to start incorporating these technologies into their marketing plans.
Add Quizzes, Contests & Surveys
In order to succeed in B2C marketing, businesses need to be able to connect with their target audience on a personal level. In recent years, we’ve seen a shift away from traditional marketing methods such as print ads and television commercials in favour of more interactive content such as quizzes, contests, and surveys. This trend is likely to continue in the coming years, as more and more consumers prefer content that is both informative and interactive.
Quizzes are a great way to engage prospects and customers while also providing valuable information about your products or services. Contests are also a popular marketing tactic, as they provide an incentive for people to learn more about your brand. Surveys can be used to collect customer feedback or to generate leads for your sales team. Whatever type of interactive content you choose to create, make sure that it is relevant to your target audience and aligned with your overall branding strategy.
Use Of Blockchain Technology
In the age of data breaches and identity theft, consumers are increasingly concerned about the security of their personal information. Businesses that can allay these fears by securely storing customer data using blockchain technology will have a competitive advantage in the marketplace.
Blockchain is a tamper-proof, decentralised database that can be used to store sensitive information such as financial transactions, health records, and other personal data.
More businesses have started adopting blockchain technology to protect their customers’ data from cyber criminals. As a result, consumers will feel more confident sharing their information with businesses that use blockchain, leading to increased sales and customer loyalty.
Greater Focus On Social Media Marketing
Social media platforms like Snapchat, TikTok and Instagram have seen continuous growth in recent years, and this trend is expected to continue. As a result, businesses will need to focus more on social media marketing in order to stay relevant and reach their target audiences.
There are a number of ways to effectively market on social media, such as creating engaging content, running ads, and interacting with users. By utilising these strategies, businesses can reach a large number of people at a relatively low cost.
In addition, social media provides an opportunity for companies to build relationships with their customers and create a more personal brand.
Add Gamification To Your Marketing Campaigns
In today’s fiercely competitive marketplace, businesses need to find new and innovative ways to engage customers. One marketing trend that is gaining traction is gamification. By turning marketing campaigns into games, businesses can add an element of fun and excitement while also driving customer loyalty.
There are a number of ways to integrate gamification into your marketing campaigns. For example, you could create a scavenger hunt that leads customers to different products or locations. Or, you could launch a contest where customers can earn points by taking specific actions, such as sharing a post on social media or making a purchase.
Not only does gamification help to engage customers, but it can also lead to improved brand awareness and loyalty. Gamification can create an emotional connection between customers and your brand, encouraging them to stick with you even when times are tough.
Work With Social Media Influencers
One marketing idea that is gaining popularity is working with social media influencers. By partnering with influencers who have a large and engaged following, businesses can tap into a whole new pool of potential customers.
In recent years, social media influencers have become an increasingly popular marketing tool for businesses. By working with influencers who have a large and engaged following on social media, businesses can reach a wider audience and promote their products or services in a more organic and authentic way.
There are a number of advantages to working with social media influencers. For one, influencers can help businesses to reach a target audience that may be difficult to reach through traditional marketing channels. Additionally, influencers can create content that is more engaging and relatable than traditional advertising. And finally, working with social media influencers generally tends to be more cost-effective than other marketing strategies.
There are a few things to keep in mind when choosing an influencer to work with. First, it’s important to make sure that their followers align with your target audience. Second, you’ll want to consider the kind of content they typically produce. And last but not least, you’ll want to be sure that they are someone you can work with on a long-term basis.
More Video Content & User Experiences
Businesses need to start thinking about how they can break through the noise and connect with consumers on a deeper level. One way to do this is by creating more video content and user experiences that are interactive, engaging, and informative.
Video has become one of the most popular forms of content online, and users are more likely to watch a video than read an article or blog post. Furthermore, videos can be used to show off products and services in a more user-friendly way, while also providing an opportunity for customers to get to know the people behind the brand.
Finally, businesses should also consider creating consistent content that aligns with their brand identity. By doing so, they can build trust and credibility with consumers, leading to lasting relationships.
Increased Focus On Seo
Search Engine Optimisation or SEO is the process of optimising a website for better ranking in the search engine results pages or SERPs. The end goal of SEO is to improve the visibility of a website so that it may attract more visitors from the online space, through the organic or unpaid search results.
However, SEO is not just about improving the visibility of a website, it is also about improving the user experience so that the visitors may have a better time while interacting with the website. Therefore, it can be said that working on SEO is a unique B2C marketing strategy, as it focuses on making a website more visible as well as user-friendly.
It is important to focus on SEO when creating a marketing strategy for the following year because search engines are how most people find websites. If your website is not optimised, you could be missing out on valuable organic traffic. Also, SEO allows you to improve your return on investment by improving conversion rates and organic click-through rates.
Some unique and engaging examples of SEO strategies that could be used include:
- Repurposing old content and giving it a fresh spin to make it more relevant for current searches.
- Creating evergreen content that will remain relevant and useful for a long time.
- Conducting keyword research to find out what terms people are searching for related to your products or services.
- Optimising your website for voice search by using natural language patterns and long-tail keywords.
- Utilising social media platforms to share informative blog posts or articles that link back to your website.
By using some or all of these examples, you can create an effective B2C marketing strategy that focuses on SEO and sets your business up for success in the coming year.
Example Of Campaigns Run By 7 Fast-Growing B2C Brands
While there are countless ways to market your business, some brands have taken more unique approaches in order to stand out from the competition. Read on to explore a few campaigns run by fast-growing B2C companies that have utilised creative marketing techniques. Whether you’re looking for new ideas to implement into your own campaign or simply curious about what’s working well for others, you won’t want to miss this!
In today’s retail climate, it’s more important than ever for brands to have a strong social media presence. Boohoo Group has long understood this, and their savvy influencer marketing strategy has been integral to their success. With over 6.6 million followers on Instagram, Boohoo is able to target and engage a young audience in a way that resonates.
In 2018, the brand reportedly spent £80 million on influencer marketing, and this has continued to be a successful strategy for them. As other retailers struggle to keep up, Boohoo’s social media dominance is helping them stay ahead of the curve.
With a whopping 18.7 million followers, Sony’s PlayStation is the most followed brand on Twitter. According to UnMetric, PlayStation has seen a 376% growth in followers in only the past five years- adding 12 million followers from 2014 to 2019.
Why? well.. for starters, the company is continuously active on the platform- regularly posting a mix of content to engage fans. This includes new game trailers, gaming footage, and streaming events. Plus, who could forget when PlayStation generated positivity on Twitter with its #PlayAtHome initiative? The aim was to encourage users to stay at home by providing free downloads of its “Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection” and “Journey” games.
It’s safe to say that with creative campaigns like this, it’s no wonder the brand has seen continuous growth in recent years.
Depop has made a name for itself as a go-to second-hand fashion source, with a massive community of 15 million fashion-savvy young people. Its success can be largely attributed to its embrace of user-generated content, which provides an authentic and engaging experience for users.
Head of digital marketing Yoann Pavy told Marketing Week that Depop’s content strategy revolves around highlighting the coolest products on the app. By giving users a platform to show off their personal style, Depop has created a community of customers who are also loyal ambassadors for the brand.
Depop is a fashion app that’s been growing in popularity lately, and for good reason. Not only does it offer a great selection of unique and vintage clothes, but it also has a huge focus on sustainability. One of the unique campaigns that Depop runs is called “Depop Challenge.” The challenge is simple: to encourage people to shop second-hand for one month. This not only reduces waste and helps the environment, but it also saves people money.
TikTok has quickly become one of the most popular social media platforms, with users spending an average of 52 minutes per day on the app. For brands, this presents a unique opportunity to reach a young and engaged audience. Chipotle was one of the first brands to take advantage of TikTok, and its investment has paid off. The restaurant chain’s #ChipotleLidFlip and #GuacDance challenges have generated over 240 and 430 million views respectively.
By creating fun and unique content, Chipotle has been able to tap into the power of TikTok and reach a wider audience. As a result, the brand has seen digital sales growth of 88% and revenue growth of 14.6% in just one quarter. These numbers are proof that investing in TikTok can be a highly successful marketing strategy for brands looking to engage with younger consumers.
One way that fast-growing B2C brands are unique is through their use of novel marketing campaigns. A great example of this is Warby Parker, which has achieved a lot of its success thanks to viral social media content. Recently, the brand has been getting extra exposure from its ‘Spinnies’ campaign – a spinnable pair of glasses supposedly created by US comedian Jimmy Fallon.
Another excellent example is Warby Parker’s April Fools Day ‘Warby Barker’ spoof, which fooled customers into thinking the brand was launching a line of eyewear for dogs. Even though this stunt dates all the way back to 2012, it’s still going strong today in the form of the @WarbyBarker Instagram account, which is full of user-generated content. By coming up with creative campaigns like these, Warby Parker has been able to stand out from the competition and attract a loyal following.
Gymshark is a fitness brand that has experienced immense growth in recent years. A large part of this can be attributed to their understanding and utilisation of social media platforms like Instagram. With nearly nine million followers across three channels, they are one of the most visible brands in the fitness space.
Gymshark has a network of brand ambassadors and athletes, who are all popular influencers in the fitness world. This allows them to tap into a combined audience of millions of people. Nikki Blackketter, for example, is an influencer with 1.8 million Instagram followers. She is just one of the many Gymshark ambassadors who have gone on to release their own line of products with the brand.
Some notable examples from Gymshark include their paid social ads and their 2017 Black Friday sale. Paid social ads have been a key part of Gymshark’s success, yielding a 6.6x return on ad spend and resulting in 40% of their sale purchases coming from Instagram.
These strong results are likely due to the fact that Gymshark puts a lot of effort into making their ads engaging and relevant to their target audience. Additionally, the brand frequently rephrases their ads to make sure that they are being seen by as many people as possible.
These strategic partnerships have helped Gymshark to solidify its place as a leading fitness brand. As they continue to grow, it will be interesting to see what other innovative campaigns they come up with next.
In 2019, Greggs had a unique campaign which they began to release on YouTube. The ad was created to help promote the bakery chain’s vegan sausage roll. This commercial was a parody of Apple’s famous commercials. In response to a tweet from Piers Morgan, Greggs’ used a cheeky reply which went on to receive over 140,000 likes and 20,000 retweets.
By rephrasing what was originally said, Greggs’ created attention and curiosity surrounding their brand and product. This was an effective way of marketing their product as well as introducing their brand to a potentially untapped market.
In other words, this type of campaign helps brands to grow by attracting new customers who may have never considered trying the product before. As we can see, unique campaigns such as this one can be highly effective for fast-growing B2C brands.
Greggs, a UK-based bakery company, received widespread attention and a considerable upturn in business due to their unique campaigns. After releasing their vegan sausage roll in early January, Gregg’s ‘Buzz Score’ (a net measure of whether consumers have heard anything positive or negative about the brand in the last fortnight) spiked to an all-time high of +8.2.
Furthermore, according to Marketing Week, in the seven weeks following the launch of the vegan sausage roll, Greggs’ like-for-like sales were up an impressive 9.6%.
It’s clear that Greggs’ quick thinking and keen understanding of social media trends paid off big time. The brand’s sense of humour and ability to connect with its target audience was evident in the success of these campaigns. Continuing to produce content that is both unique and resonates with consumers will no doubt help Greggs maintain their momentum as a fast-growing B2C brand.
Conclusion
So what does all this mean for the future of your business? The 10 highly-effective B2C marketing ideas and strategies we’ve listed above will continue to be important, so make sure you implement them in some way. You should also focus on developing unique campaigns that speak to your specific audience.
We’ve seen examples of this from some of the fastest-growing B2C brands out there – they understand their customers intimately and craft campaigns that resonate with them on a personal level. Keep an eye on these companies and see how you can emulate their success in your own marketing efforts to take your business to new heights.
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