What Is B2B Marketing?
B2B marketing, or business-to-business marketing, is the strategy and practice of promoting products or services from one business to another business rather than directly to individual consumers.
B2B Marketing, Explained Simply
In B2B marketing, the customer is an organization.
That means marketers are often trying to influence multiple people involved in a business decision rather than a single consumer making an individual purchase.
B2B marketing can include content, email, digital advertising, events, account-based marketing, demand generation, thought leadership, sales outreach, and other programs designed to reach relevant companies and the professionals within them.
Because business purchases can involve larger investments and longer decision cycles, successful B2B marketing requires a clear understanding of both the target organization and the people involved in the buying process.
Why B2B Marketing Matters
Effective B2B marketing can enable organizations to:
- Build awareness within target markets
- Reach relevant companies and decision-makers
- Educate buyers throughout longer buying cycles
- Generate demand and qualified opportunities
- Support sales conversations
- Strengthen customer relationships
- Connect marketing activity with pipeline and revenue
PAULA'S PERSPECTIVE
B2B marketing starts with knowing who you are trying to reach.
A strong message delivered to the wrong companies or the wrong people is still a missed opportunity.
Marketers need to understand the organizations that fit their strategy, the professionals involved in buying decisions, and the channels where those audiences can be reached.
The creative, technology, and media strategy all become more effective when they are built on a strong audience foundation.
— Paula Chiocchi
B2B Marketing in Practice
- Step 1Cybersecurity Company
- Step 2Mid-Market Healthcare
- Step 3Security, Tech & Executive Buyers
- Step 4Targeted Content & Outreach
- Step 5Relevant Engagement
Imagine a cybersecurity company wants to grow within mid-market healthcare organizations.
The marketing team identifies the companies that fit its target profile and the security, technology, and executive professionals involved in purchasing decisions.
It then develops educational content, targeted advertising, email programs, webinars, and sales outreach designed specifically for that audience.
Instead of marketing broadly to everyone, the company builds its strategy around the businesses and professionals most relevant to its offering.
KEY TAKEAWAY
B2B marketing promotes products or services from one business to another, requiring a clear understanding of target organizations and the people involved in buying decisions.
Related Glossary Terms
About Paula Chiocchi
Paula Chiocchi is the Founder and CEO of Outward Media, Inc. and host of B2B Influence: Spotlight on Industry Game-Changers, with decades of experience in data-driven marketing.