B2B vs B2C Marketing
Definition B2B vs B2C Marketing: What’s the difference? Right off the bat, the one obvious difference between the two categories of marketing is scale. B2B stands for business-to-business, it is marketing from one company to another. A few examples of B2B: • An insurance broker that sells insurance protection and risk management to small business owners • An interior design agency that specializes in designing office spaces • A communication software service that sells video conferencing, cloud calling, online meetings (Zoom, Webex, Skype,…) B2C stands for business-to-consumer, and the type of marketing people most know. When you’re a B2C business, you represent your business’ endeavors to sell to individual buyers. That’s all of us, folks! Here are a few examples of B2C in action: • A resort that provides all travel needs for vacationers • A salon that offers skincare services • A wellness practice that offers healing services from all different angles to patients With that being said, learn the lingo! Basically, to reach your target audience, speak their language. While b2c digital marketing is often based on emotions, B2B leans more on logic. Certainly, B2B businesses are much more likely to purchase from an expert who understands their terminology and processes. This is also when content clarity comes in handy. Read our SEO and content clarity tips for success. Branding B2B focuses on building relationships. B2B International says “branding begins with the consistency of presentation that becomes the identity of a company.” Therefore, Being able to correctly portray your position in the market and have your personality shine definitely drive brand awareness and ramp up your lead generation. B2C is about prioritizing your message. What makes people click, sign up, or buy? Of course, Emotions! If you’re a B2C business, you must use a relatable voice that entices your audience to click on an ad. For social, you have to adopt empathy and create impactful posts in your messaging. Although, Through your stories, you can humanize your brand and present who you are, what you do, and how you can help people. Tactics to reach the audience Ad Campaigns We cannot stress enough the importance of keyword research and optimization in any ad campaign. With the right keyword plan, smaller businesses like you can level the playing field against bigger competitors and make your ad dollars go even further. B2C campaigns usually have bigger markets. Even if you’re targeting a specific niche, you can still take advantage of keywords that attract a more general audience. B2B is a bit trickier here – the pool of potential “buyers” is much smaller. Hence, In the case of B2B marketing, you must target even more precisely to get in front of the people who are more willing to make a purchase. Channels Customers of B2C are everywhere, really. Thus, You can market traditionally via magazines or online or radio. You should, in this day and age, have a social presence to increase sales. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram – there are hardly any limits when it comes to B2C. Consequently, Have a well-curated social media content, email marketing campaign, and relevant blog topic to drive traffic to your website (sounds like a service we know). LinkedIn has developed a reputation being the top in the B2B world; this is where you can connect to many other business professionals. Concurrently, Content Marketing Institute found that 63% of marketers rated LinkedIn as the most effective B2B social platform. No one knows your business like you do. Accordingly, we can help you save the tireless hours you might have to spend on building your brand and earning a strong reputation – so that you can focus on other aspects of your business. Additionally, If you need any consulting or advice we are here for you. Get in touch!
Forward thinking and your business
Business day to days isn’t anything like we are accustomed to. Shops are closed, local businesses we are used to supporting are only available during certain hours. Life is altered. But that’s ok, this is the new normal. We are experiencing a shift in how business as we know it will change. Instead of being distraught or focusing on the main issue at hand, we need to move forward. No one at this moment is thinking more in-depth about our businesses and how we serve our customers than us, right now. I’ve been assisting my clients in the past few weeks with adjusting to online business models. For instance, switching a brick and mortar platform to a pickup, by appointment only, delivery or online model overnight. It sucks, it’s hard and it wasn’t planned. But we can do this. I tell each and every one of my clients the same thing over and over, we can handle this, we can move forward and we will get through. So my question to you as you read this blog post, is what are your plans for the next 30-90 days from now? With an unknown plan from our government, heading into this blind territory, what can we do together to keep moving forward? Instead of adding to the unknown info that all of my contacts and clients are feeling I’d like to help and provide some input on how we can think PAST this crazy mess that we are all in right now. I’ve put together a simple list of checkpoints that every business owner small to medium, can use as a guide to keep pushing through and be ready for the comeback! Business Owners keep these thoughts at the forefront of your mind SEO – how can you focus on current online content and make it more relevant and helpful to your audience. Make sure you can be found online. As everyone adapts to the work from home life, search traffic has grown significantly and will continue to climb. Anything online right now will be consumed more than ever before. Expertise – you know it, what else can you write about to inform your audience about you are moving forward past these times and publish on your website today? If you can find other services to offer, go for it. Since now that you have more holes in your schedule, it might be a good time to experiment and see what sticks. I’d also suggest brainstorming not only within your firm but also with your competitors. Everyone is on the same boat trying to navigate ways to revamp the industry. Digitizing – what products/services can become or switch to online during this uncertain time in business? Even if you have no, what products can you possibly drop ship that will help your customers fulfill the void from the service that you usually provide them? Look into opening an Amazon Affiliate store, this can be a great resource once business and the economy picks back up again. Messaging – people are striving for normal, what can you do to serve this need, now? Reviews – Go through your database of clients and ask them to review your service or business. This is not only a great way to stay connected to them, but it also can provide some additional insight into what you can be doing better or adding to what you already do. Here is a helpful article on this and a few other ideas to marketing your business during slow times Re-Strategize your marketing Think of this as an opportunity to revisit the areas in your business that you have been neglecting. Once you’ve identified them, start to put together a plan for long-term actions. Setting a 5-year goal can really help you strategize overall growth and put things into perspective for where you want to end up. Stay forward thinking for your business. My team is here to help. Rady with an extensive knowledge base of content that is ready for your audience to respond t0. We can adapt to an online model in a matter of hours and keep small to medium businesses thriving. We are eager to help and waiting for your questions. Reach out to us today!
Are you grabbing your customer’s attention with proper marketing?
When your a small business owner, you’re already spread thin running all aspects of your business. Being able to stay focused on whether or not you are grabbing your customers attention is a tough task. Subsequently, I see it over and over with my clients that put their hard work into the “promoting” of their company. Many small businesses like yours, have a growth spurt and get pushed to a stage of growth where they haven’t defined the operational organization. Of course, I get it and I can help. Does the marketing speak clearly in all efforts of your business? Sometimes it’s best to put yourself outside of your business or do some evaluation of others to help you get some clarity on your marketing. First, try supporting a friend’s business on social media, by watching their efforts, liking, and engaging you can do some research of your own. Or visit your own website from your customers perspective and see if you notice the thought process and journey of a user. Is it easy to navigate? Is it clear what you are offering? Does the menu function as well on a mobile device as it does on a desktop? Are you grabbing your customers attention with proper marketing? Are the images scrolling too large to even appear on a smart device? This is called user experience and it’s powerful. Poor user experience and having an unclear message of the offering is the most common occurrence I see today when clients come to me. Therefore, you know what you want to obtain as far as growth and have an idea of how to get there. Additionally, Some steps seem like complete DIY, #entrepreneur things that are small and won’t affect your growth. In the beginning stages and for a short period of time, you can think this way. However, taking on these additional marketing tasks is not sustainable. What is a good starting point for a marketing strategy? As your brand grows, so does your reach, your potential responses from your customers. Certainly, by having a marketing strategy, and a clear definition of where you envision for the companies end goal, you pave the path for a simple guided plan to success. Here are five quick thoughts you should consider in your current journey as a small business start-up. Have I defined who my ideal customer is? Is my messaging on my website, marketing materials and social media cohesive? What are my strengths, and do I have time to dedicate to the company’s growing marketing needs? Am I monitoring my website analytics and social media insights to better understand my clients? Do I wish I had more time to focus on growth, customer service, and operational goals? Properly marketing your small business and finding complete clarity is a large task. Not impossible just more like a side pain. If you’re a goal-driven, ambitious entrepreneur like me you want to focus on your company’s goals hitting the mark and beyond. I’m a passionate small business marketer. Understanding what your dream is and where it came from, gives me an ability to support your goals. Which in turn will successfully grow your brand. For some additional insight, I highly suggest this article on 26 Ideas for Your 2019 Small Business Marketing. If you’re interested in having a conversation about your goals. As well as your service/product and what opportunities there are to level up, I’d love to chat. Amber
Branding 101
Branding is the emotional response a business evokes in a customer. When you think of some of your favorite brands in the world, can you clearly envision their logo? Replay commercials or visualize ads you’d seen where this brand is featured? That my friend is good branding and in this article we talk a bit about branding 101. Brand to Scale Before you even begin to think that branding is only for massive corporate products, you’re wrong. In the growing norms of small business start-ups, success will come much easier for the companies that are pre-set up to scale. Check out some of the examples of stellar branding. Brand to the customer When you think of your business from the customer’s perspective, what do you picture? What are some adjectives that come to mind from your customers? Write these out……this insight is key to our next steps in branding 101. Customer Reflection I’d be happy to review those questions with you and chat more about what steps we can take to achieve your branding 101 goals together. Let me know how to get in touch. Amberamber@theactivemedia.com
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How a ChatBot can make your life 30% better
Ok well, maybe that number is just something I pulled out of thin air. However, as a small business owner myself, I know could use all the help I can get. Having a ChatBot really can make your life better. It can also collect leads and tailor the info to your specific requirements. Your website visitors want to find an immediate answer to a question regarding your product or service, they also are most likely looking to make a connection in that moment while browsing. So while you’re busy and do not have time to keep constant eyes on what they may be searching for, your handy ChatBot can grab their attention within the first few seconds of the visit and turn that into a sales opportunity by collecting the data they provide, then sending that info to your inbox. Here are a few main talking points about what having a ChatBot on your website can do for you. Engage your Customers The key to the success of your Website is to keep your visitors engaged. The more time they spent on your website, the more likely they will become paying customers. Take UX to the next Level Having a helpful ChatBot will establish an early emotional connection with your visitor. It adds a certain delight for the visitor that achieves reliability. Increase Conversions When you get the contact information of every single visitor on your website, you have an opportunity to convert each and every one of them. Configuring your ChatBot is easy. Once you have the questions you want your chatbot to collect you can head over to this super simple site Collect.Chat and get your account set up. They have a few different options for your bot and depending on your sites needs you may not even spend a single penny on this new Automated Assistant. If this all seems overwhelming shoot me an email and I can get your bot installed for a very low rate. You can even have a quick chat with my ChatBot by clicking the icon in the lower right corner of this page. Thanks for reading 🙂 AmberMarketing Strategy and Designeramber@theactivemedia.com
Small Business Clarity
You know how your business operates, how you got started. You also know the product you offer inside and out. However, do you know who your customer is? Do you have small business clarity? Do you know their needs, their demographics? How about what they are searching for, do you stay on top of this? When I look at my business model, I see a clear vision of what I offer, market, and provide to my clients. My customers are small business owners both seasoned and newbies in the entrepreneurial space. They’re busy, they have clients to service and they need help so they can focus on their business and driving revenue. I take that pressure off them in regards to timing their marketing campaigns, refreshing their website, understanding the customer online experience and so much more. The more I work with a client closely and get to know what their truly unique offering is, I can make proper suggestions as to how they can step up their marketing game. Determine your business marketing model {B2B or B2C} Understanding the foundation of how your business operates is key. Are we marketing to another business or are we operating to consumers? You may be thinking, I don’t know, and does it matter? Knowing your audience changes everything. Take this quiz and see if you understand your customer like you think you do as and also give yourself a fair evaluation if you are offering your customers all you could be. Is it clear in my website content, messaging and imagery what my service and or product is? Can my customers who visit my website find basic information on their own (remember 91% of consumers want a do it their self method if possible)? Does my in-person print collateral match my online messaging (website, social media, email marketing)? Do I provide necessary contact information if a customer gets stuck? Is it easy to find on my website? If you feel like you are meeting the current standard of your target demographic then great! Having small business clarity is huge when it comes to getting started with your digital marketing. However, for those of you who feel like their may be some missing parts, I would love to help you get that fixed up and clarified. Contact me to schedule a free phone consultation email: amber@theactivemedia.com I look forward to connecting! Amber
Stuck updating your own WordPress website?
You’ve spent a fair amount of money on refreshing your business website and now what? Are you finding yourself stuck updating your own WordPress website and not getting the results you need? This is a common complaint we hear from people just like you. Having your own small business website to run is a much larger hassle than one might think. Especially if your busy actually operating your business and taking care of your customers. We offer low cost WordPress website updates starting at $25 for basic changes needed. Beyond staying on top of the search rankings in your business niche there are many other reasons to keep on top of updating your WordPress site. Here are two very important factors to consider. Google loves fresh content and so does your customers. Not only will Google give you higher ranking with constant updates, but your customers will also more than likely be thrilled when they arrive on your site to find that you’ve added more information to the services you provide. As well as increasing the chances of new visitors finding you! Security is key to proper updates! WordPress is the most used CMS (content management system) out there for websites, with that comes tons of software upgrades to the system itself and the plugins you’ve possibly added. When these updates are released there are lists of changelogs that the developers release stating why they are updating. Many times its security, functionality changes, or bigger additions that have become available. When you fail to update the software and the plugins this puts your site at a major security risk. Hackers can find ways through old outdated code. There are more reasons why you should keep your site fresh and we can help! Contact us today if you’re feeling stuck updating your own WordPress website? Learn what we can offer for your WordPress websites update needs. 310-272-6343
SEO & Content Clarity
When it comes to your online presence, clarity is key! Your SEO and content clarity is such an important factor, more so now than ever. Therefore when trying to find your audience in our internet content overloaded world. Your audience is searching for what you do for one of a few reasons, from what we can assume. Hence they are seeking a professional like yourself to provide them a specific service or product. Heading to Google yields them a ton of options, which can be overwhelming as we all know. SEO and Content Clarity Tips for Success! When writing out content as I am now, it is crucial to keep in mind that the more specific you write with one direct message to your user or website visitor, the more you are telling Google, Bing, and other search engines that you are attempting to deliver a clear message. Stay focused, and use your keywords as much as you can. This goes for both new production of a wedsite or even for regular website updates. Be sure to check out Why You Need To Maintain Your Website. But What are Keywords? I’m glad you asked! Keywords, loosely defined, are the specific words or phrases (3-6 words) that make up the informational content of the page data. To be clear, this isn’t the mission or purpose of your business. This is the purpose of the post or content on a specific page or blog post. This is where it can get confusing. Sometimes proper SEO can be overwhelming. Thus, it feels as if you need to have a higher understanding of how it all works. I’m here to assure you, this isn’t the case. Take your SEO one page at a time. Check out this example below: My client sells Eyelash Extension services in Orange County California. This happens to be quite a popular service here in Orange County, so she has her work cut out for her if she wants to climb the “organic” search rankings at no cost to her. Consistent, unique content is what Google is yearning for. After she learns how to write her specialized content for her site, she opens up her CMS system (WordPress) and starts to type away, informing her clients of how to properly provide themselves after-care, post and pre-service tips etc. A few weeks later she starts to see traffic pull in from her article. Yes folks, this is why all of these blog sites write specific niche content, they are pulling out all the tricks to bring you in and hook you. My client then can compare traffic data, and start to see the blood, sweat and tears put into the content she is writing is well worth the increase in her searchability, and the increase in traffic. What Can You Learn From Your Unique SEO Content? The more you write and speak directly to your audience, the more you will be able to see what they are looking for when they stop at your site. They want information, they trust you. Even if they’ve never hired you for a service or stopped in your shop, they’ve now seen your beautifully designed website as a valid source of quality information; CONGRATS! Don’t take this data lightly; data doesn’t lie!! This reminds me, all small business owners should download the Audible book “Everybody Lies”, it’ll really open your eyes as to what we are really searching for. Ok I digress… Your customer is out there, searching for you, and looking for quality content from a professional like you! It’s time you give it to them! If you have any questions about writing tips and tricks I’ve love to help! Reach out to me for ideas amber@theactivemedia.com Happy SEO’ing Amber DISCLOSURE: This post contains affiliate links from Amazon which I may earn a small commission if you purchase from the link.
5 Key Reasons Why You Need Maintain Your Website
Imagine having a storefront that you didn’t maintain. The windows are dirty, the floors need to be swept and the inventory on your store’s shelves are sparse. Now picture your online business as a store in the same manner. Think about why you need to maintain your website. Keeping your shelves nicely stocked with informational goodies, or atleast explaining where the goodies can be found? Here are 5 key reasons why you need to maintain your website. 5 Key Reasons Why You Need to Maintain Your Website Google likes it fresh! Having fresh updated content that is unique to your online business is a priority. As the spiders crawl your pages they are searching for something that they haven’t seen over and over again on the web. Think about your browsing experience, when you are looking for a specific search term or keyphrase the ones with the most niche answer to your search will be the most valuable to you and will most likely earn your clicks. Content is being created every second on the web so you must do your work to keep that fresh perspective and speak clearly about what it is you have to offer over the competition. Write from clear and consistent information. Many websites tend to boast about their services and push their product and pricing without clearly outlining what it is they have to offer. How many times have you found yourself clicking around on a site and become turned off by their lack of clarity so you bail and move on to the next search listing? Maintaining your website with clear messaging as to what it is that your unique company has to offer not only drives sales but it creates loyal customers who will return again and again for your services and or products. Consistency in your updates and messaging is equally important. Make a pact with yourself to create new content once a week at minimum. Rise to the top organically! By staying on top of your website’s maintenance and adding valuable content that relates to the awesome business you are sure to keep that google score rising. Your competition isn’t afraid to share what is going on, news and events etc. so you can’t be either. Your customers want to hear from you, they trust you know what you are selling and they are online searching for further info, give them that info! Check out this little fun fact: Americans alone conducted a staggering 20.3 billion searches in one month. Google accounted for 13.4 billion searches, followed by Yahoo! Source 404 errors and other common mishaps. We’ve all been stopped by the dreaded 404 errors one time or another and it’s an unfortunate element of being an online business that we must stay on top of. Errors like this happen when we’ve deleted old content or moved our links and forget to rename something properly or left behind an old article on accident. You can get your site set up in Google Search Console via the Webmaster Toolkit and they will notify you when this happens. It’s best to correct broken links and other 404 errors as quickly as possible. If your website isn’t maintained and a search spider catches one of these suckers, it can effort how your site is displayed in the search results. Maintaining your website is free! If you have a WordPress, Squarespace or similarly built website, then adding your weekly updates is at no charge to you. Think of your site’s content like your Yellow page ad (remember that publication?) you wouldn’t let your Yellow Page ad get old and expired with outdated contact info etc. so don’t let the same happen to your website. Those are just a few of the reasons why you need to maintain your website and your online business, it is key in this fastly evolving digital storefront space. Staying in touch with your client via your website and social media channels is more important than ever. If you have any questions about this topic please feel free to reach out, we’d love to help! Like this article and feel like other can benefit from the topic, please share 🙂
