In business-to-consumer marketing (B2C), businesses use multiple marketing strategies to increase their brand awareness, improve relationships with their customers, and drive sales. B2C marketing trends and practices go far beyond content creation – businesses must make informed decisions based on their buyer personas and client data to connect with their audience, establish their brand identity, and influence consumer demand positively.
In this article, we look at some of the top trends and effective strategies in the B2C marketing sphere this year, so your business can stand out.
Navigating B2C vs. B2B Marketing
B2C marketing strategies cater directly to the consumer and B2B marketing strategies cater to institutions and businesses.
Where B2B marketing focuses on showcasing the practical factors such as pricing and location, B2C allows for creative inspiration. Whether B2C or B2B, the focus is on selling the product and the marketing campaigns curate brand messaging accordingly. Whether it is a new product launch, promotions, or giveaways, B2C marketers must ensure that the message is conveyed in an easy-to-read manner with an aesthetic appeal.
B2C marketing provides a lot of creative freedom and the ability to create eye-catching campaigns that resonate with consumers.
It is also important to remember that B2C marketing tends to be more transactional than B2B marketing. B2B marketing products typically have a higher price point, so companies must focus on negotiations and long-term relationships, while B2C marketing focuses on selling goods or services once. Relationship building is still an essential part of B2C marketing; however, B2C campaigns must be able to quickly demonstrate the price and the benefits of the products they offer to establish a loyalty and product preference among consumers.
Top Trends in 2023 for B2C Marketing
Our research identified noteworthy trends in the B2C marketing world. It is a very competitive market and here are some tips on what your business can do to stay ahead.
Short Form Videos
Tiktok has gained a great deal of popularity in the past few years. Several businesses have started deploying marketing campaigns on TikTok to showcase product information in a timely and engaging manner. Regardless of whether it is influencers or user-generated content (UGC), the quick clip cuts and catchy background music captivate viewers.
With popularity of short form videos increasing, Instagram also launched Reels and YouTube launched YouTube shorts thereby creating additional channels for short form video creation.
Short form content is the one of the most effective content formats for B2C marketers. Creating trending content across these channels will put your business on the map.
Influencer Marketing
Despite B2C marketing focusing on transactions, brands can build personalization through influencers. As a result, influencer marketing is now a key component in the B2C marketing world.
Businesses reportedly spend almost $15 billion per year on influencer marketing. As influencers have an extensive following, their recognition of a product or service can generate the desired level of attention for a brand.
As well-known influencers showcase their daily lives, their followers put their trust in them. If a reliable influencer recommends a product, their followers are likely to trust the product and purchase it.
However, in recent times, we also see a shift away from the focus on mainstream influencers. While popular influencers might still be the biggest channel for brand awareness purposes, viewers understand when these brand promotions are paid ads by the company.
A trend we see in 2023 is brands branching out to niche micro-influencers to retain their authenticity.
Micro-influencers (2,000 – 50,000 followers) cater to specific groups rather than being a one-stop channel for all products. In terms of marketing strategy, they are much more cost-effective to work with and can produce content faster than a well-known influencer who likely has their time spread out across multiple brand deals.
Overall, combining marketing efforts across well-known and niche influencers is likely to lead to better results.
Email Marketing
Email marketing is making a comeback, and we anticipate it will remain an important channel in 2024. Email marketing is an effective way to personalize marketing content for consumers. The use of email marketing strengthens the relationship between a brand and the customer, whether it is through discount codes, sale reminders, or even short messages that get sent if a customer leaves an item in their cart without purchasing it.
Email marketing can support closing the buyer’s journey with reminders and incentives.
Furthermore, B2C marketers can use customer emails to create profiles and keep track of customer preferences to trigger the appropriate messaging and product placement across emails. With these email sequences, marketers can gently nudge their clients and remind them to buy the product they have been considering.
Mobile Optimization
More than half of annual website traffic comes from mobile devices such as phones and tablets. As consumers spend time on social media applications such as Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok, B2C marketers are leveraging their content across these channels to grasp customer’s attention while they are in their spare time.
Business owners marketing to highly connected generations will need to support mobile-optimized digital experiences.
This not only applies to websites but also email marketing channels. 56% of marketers who work with email are focused on delivering mobile email experiences to subscribers. Mobile optimization allows businesses to ensure that their content is not overlooked nor limited to times when customers are logged onto their desktop or laptop.
Social Responsibility
For the modern consumer, a business is not only represented by its products, but by its values and missions. Social responsibility, ethics, and transparency drive sales as much as product features. Gen Z and Millennials want companies to take a stance on social justice issues such as racial justice, LGBTQ+ rights, gender equality, and climate change, rather than avoiding controversial topics.
Companies are creating social media strategies that focus on inclusivity initiatives, charity, and support for marginalized groups.
These initiatives must be backed by proper research and knowledge around these topics so that .these B2C campaigns do not come off as performative but as a genuine concern from the company in alignment with its values.
Accessing Marketing Support and Grants
Mentor Works understands that establishing a solid marketing plan requires resources, research, and creative thinking. Your company might be too busy to pursue your marketing efforts right away – but don’t forget, a marketing plan is crucial for generating leads. Without it, all you are left with are missed opportunities.
If your company is in the agricultural industry, we can support you with funding applications for SCAP – AgriMarketing. With this program, the Canadian government supports economic growth by increasing the visibility of Canadian products worldwide and growing the capacity of exporting producers to identify and seize market development opportunities in targeted markets.
Contact us today to learn more about government grants offered to support or reimburse marketing costs. Our marketing articles also provide further specific insights and tips for developing marketing plans. You can also subscribe to our newsletter for regular funding updates and business strategy guidelines.