• by Ray Schultz , Columnist, November 8, 2024

There’s no law that says B2B messages must be turgidly written. They need warmth and humor, especially at this time of year.  

For one thing, making customers “a part of your company journey is the secret sauce to creating a successful brand,” Martech Insights states. “The best way is to make them a part of your celebrations and share images and videos from your parties, which will bring your customers closer to your brands. 

For another, the holiday season is “the perfect opportunity to talk to your customers, as this discussion allows you to plan for the future and make resolutions,” it continues. “You can ask your customer about the changes they wish to see in their business, services, products, and transaction process; you can listen to them and implement those changes if feasible.”

And you can surprise customers with “over-the-top discounts on orders or add-on products or subscriptions. You can also offer them free shipping irrespective of the order value to make them feel special.” 

Sounds an awful lot like B2C, doesn’t it? But there are big differences between B2B and B2C.   

B2C typically targets one stakeholder, whereas B2B usually has from four to eight, according to DesignModo. Also, B2B has a longer sales cycle, while B2C has a shorter one focused on one-time purchases. 

And for all the holiday cheer, B2B decision-making is logical, based on facts, whereas B2C is emotional, swayed by storytelling.  

For that matter, B2B buyers increasingly want digital communications and video, marketing guru Ruth P. Stevens notes.

“Call it ‘the consumerization of B2B,’” Stevens writes. “We must treat buyers like the consumers they are in their personal lives, and develop new expertise in the media channels and messages that tend to work in consumerland.”