What is B2B marketing?

B2B marketing refers to the collection of strategies implemented by a company aimed at promoting its products or services to potential buyers.

Unlike the B2C variant, which targets only other companies, B2B marketing refers to a business-to-business environment, that is a commercial space where companies exchange products, services, or information with other companies.

The phenomenon of B2B marketing occurs when:

• A company procures materials for its own supply chain: a machinery manufacturing company that purchases all the parts needed to build them;
• A company that uses the services of another to facilitate its own business activity: a software company that turns to a tax consulting firm for the preparation of tax returns;
• A company that resells the goods and services it purchases: that is, it buys from another company and resells to a customer.

Companies that take advantage of B2B marketing need to promote their products and services, and to do so they must have an effective marketing strategy.

B2B Marketing Strategies

As we have already mentioned, the term B2B or Business-to-business is used to refer to commercial exchanges between companies.

Furthermore, it is also used to talk about the relationships established between companies during the transition period during the exchange of goods and services between a company and its suppliers or between a company and other companies in the same sector.

The market operating in the B2B sector is a very complex market where the type of exchange can take various forms: it ranges from basic transactions to a real partnership between companies.

The products for B2B markets most in demand by the market are:

• Input goods: raw materials, semi-finished products, materials, components and all goods that will be part of the finished products;
• Capital goods: plants or machinery;
• Facilitating goods: support of organizational processes and maintenance and repair of the goods themselves.

Customer loyalty is a fundamental element for a B2B company, especially during off-peak periods, due to changes in seasonality.

Thanks to loyalty programs, one can count on the purchases of regular customers.

Moreover, the use of social media is very important.

This usage can make a difference and set you apart from the competitors.

Social platforms represent a clever trick to reach potential new customers and to keep in constant contact with existing ones.

Benefits of B2B Marketing

A proper B2B marketing strategy can lead to various conversions and advantageous results for the company:

• Increase in sales: thanks to online research, consumers are always looking for more convenient prices and products, so it's important to be well-indexed;
• Loyalty: one of the most used strategies in B2B digital marketing is email marketing, which allows contacting potential customers and building loyalty;
• Branding: namely, the development of the brand and all its characteristics to gain value. If you have an established brand, it is easier to reach future customers before the purchasing process. 

To conclude, we can say that with B2B marketing it is possible to find your potential customers by leveraging their needs and following them throughout their decision-making process.