B2B Social Media Advertising

B2B or Business to business advertising is the marketing of products and services exclusively to bulk consumers such as business establishments, hospitals and other institutions and even government bodies. Although business to business advertising does include advertising to dealers and stockiest, when we refer to Business to business advertising, we generally exclude this category because wholesale dealers and stockiest are not consumers. Business to business advertising to wholesale dealers and stockiest is purely on the basis of the popularity of the product or its potential and profit margins for the wholesale dealers and stockiest for pushing the product to the retailers. Business to business advertising to wholesale dealers and stockiest therefore requires a different approach altogether.

The basic fundamentals of business to business advertising are the same as those used when advertising to small consumers. The difference is in the way the product or service is presented. For example, all business establishments require filing cabinets. Typically, they buy two types of filing cabinets – fire and burglar proof and ordinary cabinets that may simply have a lock. A business to business advertising for cabinets would not only need to be able to provide both types of cabinets but should be better priced than the nearest rival. Apart from that, the ability to provide the cabinets in custom sizes with the client’s business logo as well as the name of the department would be an additional incentive.

Business to business advertising therefore is advertisement that primarily offers two incentives; a more competitive price and customization of the product – the latter being offered without any additional costs to the client. You might wonder why the same is not offered to the small customers. The reason of course is the expected size of the order. While individual customers might buy one or two units, business establishments, hospitals and other institutions and government bodies would generally buy thousands of units. The profitability and size of order dictates the size and value of the offer.

Given the potential size of each business order, whenever you plan a Business to business advertising it obviously needs to be carefully put together. It needs to be racy, appealing and at the same time present a compelling reason for the business client to buy the product or service. When putting together Business to business advertising, you have to also remember that your business client will in all likelihood, be fully aware of your product or service as well as the competitors products and services. Business to business advertising can be carried out via newspapers, magazine, direct mail, catalogs, television adverts, F.M. radio marketing, special sales promotions, billboards and the internet. Business to business advertising is also often carried out at an individual level in social clubs. Indeed, it is often said that more sales is done through “old boy network” than through high profile business to business advertising. “Old boy network” refers to contacts and word of mouth references. Securing business orders oftentimes also involves paying commissions or giving gifts to the purchase managers.

B2B Advertising

Business to business advertising – how does it differ from ordinary advertising?

Business to business advertising basically refers to advertising aimed and directed at business and corporate customers. With a few exceptions, the items sold to business are the same as those sold to individuals. The main difference between business to business advertising and advertising aimed at individual customers is the size of the order. Typically, individual customers buy very small volumes and have to pay a retail price for the product whereas the business customers buy in high volumes and pay a wholesale price for the same product.

Why wholesalers and manufacturers should pursue business to business advertising

You would be amazed to know that less than 40% of wholesalers and manufacturers vigorously pursue corporate customers or indulge in business to business advertising. Quite simply, they fail to realize the potential right under their noses. This happens because of the misconception that corporate or business customers do not buy their products. For example, last year only $170,000 was spent in business to business advertising promoting personal hygiene products to the corporate world. Now consider this; there are millions of Americans going to work i.e. when they are not at home they are in their offices. Office and business establishments too require personal hygiene products such as soaps, shampoos, sanitary napkins, hair gels, shaving creams, hand towels and so on. Because there is not much business to business advertising in personal hygiene products and no effort at promoting these items to the corporate houses, the purchase managers end up buying these items in retail by calling up the local supplier.

The potential for business to business advertising

Business establishments buy just about everything that individual customers buy. Their maintenance departments require hardware tools and consumables, they require electrical items and consumables, the office cafeteria requires food stocks and cooking implements, the stationery section will require stationery products and so on. All this business is at present being garnered by the local retail suppliers.

Given the potential size for each order, a conscious effort has to be made to ensure that your business to business advertising must be ultra-sleek and captivating. Ditch the dull business to business advertising of yesteryears. The idea that advertising to businesses requires a different approach is totally obsolete and false. Businesses are run by humans – the same humans at whom we aim glitzy ads for the purchase of cars and consumer durables. When it comes to business to business advertising, somehow we tend to forget that these very same individuals might also be CEO’s or purchase managers in the corporate world and instead aim some dull ads that look like they might be made in the 18^th century. If nothing, the very potential size of the order should make the wholesalers and manufacturers think twice.

So the next time you do some business to business advertising remember to make it as sexy, glitzy, and racy as any other ad that you might aim at individuals.