Though you may find yourself writing both at some point, B2B and B2C copywriting are very different. Each has an audience of its own, and thus requires its own tone, voice, and style. Understanding the different between the two can help you cater to your audience more effectively, so the sooner you can understand where those subtle differences occur the faster you can start to see real results.

Looking at the Intention

Your business may actually employ both B2B and B2C copywriting, just in different areas. It is helpful to understand the intention and business purpose of each piece of copy. This will help the overall flow your piece and, in the end, make it more easily consumable by readers.

B2B writing can be used to try and sell goods or services to another company. This means that multiple people within an organization will be reading your copy while also reviewing similar copy from other businesses. To get yours to stand out, it is important to do several things:

  • Avoid clichés and focus on numbers. Someone working for an organization you wish to sell to will likely be working on a budget. Convey how your product or service can meet their need and can do so within their budget. This will make you an attractive option compared to any competition.
  • B2B readers are very often not impulsive spenders. Because they have one or more bosses to answer to, they will be concerned with dotting every “I” and crossing every “T.” Answer as many questions as you can before someone would even have the chance to ask. This thoroughness will be appreciated.

B2C writing is focused on individual consumers. Consumers have the luxury of making their own choices, as opposed to business who may have to answer to many layers of management.

Most consumers still need to live within a budget, and most are concerned with getting a good value. Understanding that a consumer will be looking at what is best for him or her individually can help target your messaging. A few things to keep in mind:

  • Unlike B2B readers, a B2C reader will be a little more impulsive. Because they are usually only answering to themselves, they are more likely to let emotions sway their decisions. You can tap into emotions with classic advertising themes (nostalgia, humor, fear, etc.).
  • The majority of B2C copywriting attempts to persuade the reader that they need a product or service, even if said product or service is discretionary. It is also for this reason that emotions play an important role is B2C copywriting, which you can learn more about here.

Voice and Tone

To an extent, voice and tone of your messaging depends on your product or service and industry. However, there are common themes between voice and tone for B2B versus B2C writing that can help you improve your messaging.

B2B audiences are typically expecting industry jargon and a certain level of professionalism. This usually is not the place for casual writing and laymen’s terms. Don’t be afraid to get a little bit technical with your writing when catering to this audience. Most B2B readers will appreciate that you understand their language.

B2C audiences, on the other hand, will have a wide range of readers. Some readers may be older; some may be younger. Some readers may be knowledgeable on the topic, while others may be reading about it for the first time. Because of these differences, it will be important to keep your messaging shorter and simpler than B2B messaging. As a general rule of thumb, write your B2C copy so that an 8th or 9th grader could comprehend it. You can still take an authoritative tone, if necessary, but this technique will ensure you don’t lose any consumers to confusion.

Channel

There are countless ways to get your message out, but first consider your audience. You could have the most brilliant copy ever written, but that won’t matter if your intended audience is never able to find it.

B2B consumers expect a lot of information to be sent right to them. This could be through a direct email (if you have already established a working relationship), or even an email marketing campaign. In some cases, mailing or faxing is still appropriate, but these are generally considered wasteful and antiquated.

An often over-looked channel for B2B copywriting is industry publications and publications at industry events (like programs and brochures). These publications are created with the B2B reader in mind, so they are an ideal location for your copy.

B2C consumers expect to receive information in a different way. Meet them where they are most likely to be. You can figure out your ideal audience’s habits by studying your analytics. If a high percentage of your users don’t use Facebook but often use LinkedIn, the channel for delivery becomes a little easier to spot. Most social media sites are the perfect haven for short and simple messaging, which plays perfectly into the type of copy you will likely be sending out to B2C consumers.

B2C readers are also more likely than B2B readers to view and consider print advertisements in national newspapers and magazines. This is due to the fact that most of these publications are written with a B2C reader in mind.

Always Know Your Audience

Reviewing these topics should make you aware that not knowing your audience can be detrimental to your marketing goals. There are deeper audience levels beyond B2B and B2C, but these are arguably the two most important audiences for marketers to identify. Once you have done that, it becomes much simpler to identify your average reader’s business goals, what voice and tone is most appropriate, and how you should deliver your message.

If you need further reminders of how important the distinction between B2B and B2C audiences is, try the following exercise:

Choose a classic B2C message and see if it would appeal to a B2B reader. Would a B2B reader care that a local restaurant is having a two-for-one special? Or would they be more interested that the same restaurant is offering local businesses a deal on catering for meetings?

Simple, easy-to-understand examples like that can be a helpful reminder that knowing your audience is the first step to successful messaging. If you haven’t created a list of goals this year, check out a few here and add this one to the list for your writers.