B2B vs B2C Lead Generation: The Guide

B2B and B2C are two very distinct business models.

While one focuses on selling to other businesses, the other aims to create value for the end consumer.

All business processes might be highly similar at first glance, they are differentiated by various factors, from values to practices, quality, levels of excellence, business ethic, and strategies, among others. 

Today, we take a really quick look at B2B vs B2C lead generation and try to look at the factors that differentiate them, and they we’ll finally end with how you can deploy lead generation on LinkedIn.

This is useful if you’re thinking of setting up a new business or if you figuring out where your services fit in.

What is B2B marketing?

B2B means business-to-business.

Simply put, it is when a business does a commercial transaction with another business. 

Essentially, B2B is focused on customer engagement, achieving small targets, a multi-step buying procedure, and a longer sales cycle, to mention some. It is highly relationship driven and develops brand identity through establishing personal relationships. Furthermore, this kind of approach exercises rational buying decisions based on business value. 

The B2B process normally begins when a business obtains materials used to produce materials or products, uses other businesses’ services in order to meet operational aims, or re-selling goods and services. 

To succeed in B2B lead generation, you need to look at a more personalized approach, usually involving some ABM.

Read more: What is ABM? Here’s the Full Guide to Growing Your B2B Business

What is B2C marketing?

Known as business-to-consumer marketing, this approach involves a transaction directly between a business and its consumers, the latter being the ultimate end-user of a product or service. Businesses commonly involved in this kind of approach include electronics, software, gaming companies, restaurants, clothing apparel, cosmetics, cars, food, and drug companies. 

B2C marketing differs from B2B in a variety of ways.

B2C is focused on brand building, large target markets, a single-step buying procedure, and creating a shorter sales cycle. 

It is highly product-driven and achieves brand identity through repetition and imagery. Additionally, it exercises rational buying decisions that are based on desire, price, or status. 

This kind of approach works best with customers who have already been exposed to several positive feedback about the brand. 

How to Maximize B2C Lead Gen on Your LinkedIn Profile

Here are five tips on how marketers can maximize the potential of LinkedIn for B2C lead generation:

1. Find out what interests consumers nowadays especially after leaving work
2. Pursue engagement by using content to promote brand awareness
3. Leverage consumer data to create relevant offers
4. Combine organic and paid avenues for awareness
5. Create short offers that you can deploy

How to Maximize B2B Lead Gen on Your LinkedIn Profile

1. Optimize your profile since you’re developing trust for a long-term engagement
2. Add social proof, B2B deals with bigger budgets so you want to make it comfortable to develop a relationship
3. Provide value, you can use lead magnets or run special offers
4. Make sure you establish yourself as a thought leader
5. Use gentle nudges to push people through your funnel

Read more: LinkedIn InMail: Is It Worth It? Here’s How You Can Use It

Ways to Further Your Hold on LinkedIn

1. Make sure to interact with other people within the social media platform. 
2. Introduce your own content and be creative about it. 
3. Ask Q&A questions. 
4. Post new job openings, customer testimonials, and customer successes. 
5. Make sure to tag brands and people in your posts that are relevant to them. 
6. Learn more about your competitors and what they have been doing in the past years.
7. Personalize your approach for every ideal customer profile that you maintain on the platform.

LinkedIn will continue to be a very lucrative social media platform where businesses can connect with the right people to add value to their existing brands.

With more than 900 million users coming from 200 different countries, LinkedIn has the ability to connect like-minded individuals. 

Imagine how it has been effectively helping businesses over the past few years. 

Takeaways on B2B vs B2C Lead Generation

At the end of the day, lead generation relies on one major pillar.

Looking for people to build a relationship with.

It doesn’t matter if you try to build the relationship in a matter of minutes as in the case of B2C or if you take a year trying to predict when you will close with ina B2B industry that does their budgets once every fiscal year.

You need to create a sustainable relationship between you and the prospect, where you can both add value to each other.

That’s the goal of any sort of lead generation.