1. What exactly is B2B marketing?
As you may already know, B2B marketing (Business to Business) is that which, through the use of different strategies, aims to publicize a business, attract potential customers and sell their products and/or services to other companies that do target the end consumer, that is, B2C companies (Business to Consumer). Until now you have allocated all your efforts in conventional marketing practices, since the construction industry is one of the sectors where until recently the traditional marketing practice was viable. However, with the rise of the internet among consumers, the way they shop has evolved.
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While in the construction sector this change has taken place gradually, companies, as well as other professionals such as architects, designers and others, have also joined the changes in user attitudes on the internet. And what have these changes in attitude been? For example, there are companies or professionals who no longer buy materials from their trusted companies, because they have discovered a new need among their end customers, and require finding companies that do sell those products that they currently need. If end consumers require new products, or require solutions that follow the latest trends in construction techniques, companies or construction professionals must know how to adapt to this new demand. And because of this, the way companies buy construction materials has also evolved.
Due to this evolution in the market, it is essential to understand the true nature of B2B marketing. For both B2B and B2C companies, marketing is a fundamental tool for their development, for the sale of their products and their growth as an organization. But being two different kinds of companies, the way in which one or the other addresses its potential customer is not going to be the same. In other words, a consumer does not follow the same criteria to make a purchase decision as a businessman, an architect, a designer, etc. Taking into account the new level of demand in the construction world, it is essential to know how to approach your potential customers in the right way.
In the case of a B2C customer, everything they purchase, or are looking to purchase, is based on the intention of meeting their needs. Needs that, in turn, are based on their consumption preferences. The decision making of these consumers is individual, even emotional, hence the most successful marketing strategies appeal to emotions. But in the case of a B2B customer, you can imagine what happens: their purchase decision depends on the needs of their organization and the needs of their own customers.
For example, imagine the case of an architect facing a new demand for new environmentally friendly building materials, as their customers want their homes to be refurbished in a more sustainable home model. And the architect finds that the company he has relied on in recent years does not offer such materials. In this case, the architect would no longer go to an agenda to start consulting by phone calls which company can offer those materials. The architect will go to the internet to look for companies that sell those specific materials he needs.
But he will not select just any company, but the one that fits the right solution for the architect’s clients. That’s why the architect would appreciate, among other things, a website with valuable content to help him learn more about environmentally friendly products, or educate himself about construction techniques that can improve his service. This interest in educating himself also comes because he is acquiring new clients who share this same demand, and as the architect must close a number of sales in the coming months, he definitely needs to inform himself and look for suppliers of those materials. In this way, what leads you to decide in a purchasing process is the need of your own customers, and also your need as a freelancer or as an organization.
Concerning yourself with both aspects is what defines the essence of B2B marketing. In other words, the key to successful marketing for selling building materials to businesses or
