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Do pesky B2B fintech marketing problems have you down? Do you feel like you’ve tapped your B2B marketing toolbox to no avail? It might be time to look at B2C marketing tactics.
It’s a common thought that business-to-consumer (B2C) and business-to-business (B2B) marketing strategies are completely different and unrelated. While they are distinct in many ways, it’s a mistake to think there are no transferable tactics between the two.
While most people think B2C marketing focuses on speaking to individuals directly while B2B focuses solely on businesses, it’s flawed thinking. Businesses are made up of people, and those people have emotional responses just like anyone else.
Yes, B2C and B2B have differences when it comes to marketing, sales cycles, and positioning. But the lines can sometimes blur. We’ll look at the valuable insights that can be garnered from B2C marketing and see how and where they can be applied to B2B fintech marketing problems.
1. Lack of Engagement
Lack of engagement can plague B2C and B2B marketers alike; it’s not just a B2B fintech marketing problem. Whether you’re seeing an engagement drop off at a certain point in your funnel or seeing lower-than-average results across the buyer’s journey, personalization can help.
Personalization is applicable in both the B2C and B2B realms and is all about connecting one-on-one with your target audience.
B2C Application:
B2C marketing excels in offering personalized experiences, tailoring content, and suggestions based on individual consumer behaviors and preferences.
How to Solve the B2B Fintech Marketing Problem:
In the B2B fintech landscape, personalization means creating bespoke content and solutions that address the unique needs of each business. Where this differs from the B2C application is in the depth of customization – it must resonate with the organizational goals and challenges rather than individual preferences. But remember, businesses are made up of people, too.
2. Lack of Trust
The need to build trust with buyers is a common B2B fintech marketing problem. Often, new entrants must not only prove the value of their solution but also offer evidence that they are trustworthy to do business with.
This can be a tall order, especially for newer businesses that are still establishing themselves in the market.
B2C Application:
In the B2C domain, brands often leverage influencers to connect with consumers by leveraging their trust and reach.
Solving for B2B:
In the B2B fintech realm, marketers can use influence, too. Rather than working with popular Tik-Tokers or Insta influencers, marketers can partner with industry thought leaders and experts to create thought leadership content that offers value to their audience.
These collaborations can build credibility and foster trust among professional audiences. The key is to focus on what would be useful to the audience rather than trying to sell. Collaborate with influential figures to create industry insights and solution-oriented discussions rather than product endorsements.
3. Being Boring
You may not want to admit it, but it can be a common B2B fintech marketing problem. B2B content often comes off as dry, stale, or downright boring. There are many reasons for this, including having a bad read on what your audience wants or not producing enough personalized content.
In any case, it can be fixed. Content is king in both B2C and B2B, and brands that use it well can grow and forge connections with audiences faster than their competitors.
B2C Application:
B2C leverages content to engage, entertain, and inform, utilizing a variety of formats like blogs, videos, and social media posts.
Solving for B2B:
This is one area where B2B should work harder on trying to replicate how B2C marketers enrapture and entertain audiences. Discard the idea that B2B content must be stiff and serious.
Discover areas where you can simultaneously use content to educate and solve problems while being entertaining and engaging. Lean into humor (where appropriate) and focus on connecting with your audience on an emotional level.
4. Lacking Connection
The inability to establish or maintain direct connections with your audience is not uniquely a B2B fintech marketing problem. Connection requires consistency, value, and meeting expectations. So how does that translate into marketing?
For one, it means meeting your audiences where they are at – and for many, that means meeting them on social media.
B2C Application:
B2C brands use social media for direct consumer engagement, building relationships, and brand visibility. Primary channels may include TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, X, and more.
Solving for B2B:
While the platforms may vary, the idea remains the same: find your people and distribute and promote your content where they prefer to spend time. For B2B fintechs, this often means spending time on LinkedIn and X.
Look at these channels as the gateway to network with industry peers, share insights, and showcase expertise. Each channel may require a slight shift in tone and content to cater to your audience’s preferences and the general tone of the platform. This is where having a tone of voice guide can be helpful.
5. Proving Value
Obviously, selling a good or service means proving to existing and prospective customers that you can provide value. One way to do this is by showcasing how you have added value for other customers e.g. via case studies.
Case studies highlight, in concrete terms, how your product or service works, how well it integrates with other existing services, and how customers can expect to quantify value. It’s the gold standard for proof of value.
B2C Application:
B2C marketing often utilizes customer reviews and testimonials as social proof to build trust and credibility among potential customers, leveraging positive user experiences to influence purchasing decisions.
Solving for B2B:
In B2B fintech marketing, customer testimonials and case studies serve as powerful tools to demonstrate real-world applications and benefits of your solutions. The emphasis should be on detailed success stories and the tangible value provided to other businesses, showcasing the versatility and reliability of your offerings in addressing diverse challenges.
6. Appealing to the Human Element
In addition to trust, this also tops the list of B2B fintech marketing problems. Not surprisingly, the two are intertwined. People do business with those they like and trust. What B2B marketers often miss is that it’s difficult to get people to like and trust you without tapping into their emotional side.
There are effective ways to do this without coming off as unprofessional or glib. The most important element that should be incorporated into every marketing activity you do is authenticity. Keep it real. Keep it honest. Keep it human.
B2C Application:
B2C marketing thrives on emotionally charged campaigns to form deeper connections and evoke consumer responses.
Solving for B2B:
Even in the rational, ROI-driven world of B2B, emotional appeals have a place. The approach should focus on building relationships and addressing the human elements behind business decisions. Campaigns might emphasize the peace of mind that comes with secure fintech solutions or the empowerment derived from efficient financial management tools.
Having strong audience personas makes it much easier to understand what your target customer might want and need – and the appropriate emotional appeal to get their attention.
B2B Fintech Marketing Problems are Not Necessarily Unique
Blurring the lines between B2C and B2B strategies can open up new avenues for engagement, trust-building, and value creation. Consider how you might use the B2C strategies above with thoughtful modifications. The results should allow you to create resonant campaigns that speak to both the logical and emotional sides of your prospective customers, fostering deeper connections and driving sustained growth.
