Business and sales are influenced by customer opinions, trust, awareness and perceptions which makes implementing B2C strategies into your marketing plan an important component. This is why we have outlined 5 common myths of B2C marketing so you can build a strong plan of action to get customers on your side and build brand ambassadors to do the dirty work for you.

Myth 1: Branding Works Better for B2B than B2C

Strategic branding is as important for B2C marketing as it is for B2B marketing. It doesn’t matter if you’re selling rainbows or mufflers, branding influences the decisions of customers and what they know about your brand. Yes, branding is good for B2B because it sets you apart from your competitors and allows you to put a stake in your claim, but customers want to do the same. What your branding tells them is your values and if it fits their values and beliefs.

Myth 2: LinkedIn Isn’t For B2C

B2C marketers aren’t confined to Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest. The Content Marketing Institute reported that 71% of B2C companies use LinkedIn as a marketing platform. There are a few ways to use LinkedIn strategically:

• Consider if it works for your business. Is your audience made up of young professionals or C-level executives? If your product is best for those in the workforce who can be found on LinkedIn, leverage this access to them because your products will most likely be of natural interest to them!
• Market wisely. You should market your product as helping individuals be successful in their personal and professional lives.
• Form strategic partnerships. It’s not just people on LinkedIn who signed up to connect. Companies also have pages and even if you are marketing directly to consumers your business may still need to work in partnership with other businesses to grow. You can build and cultivate relationships with key influencers.
• Find Suppliers and Staff. Since companies are on LinkedIn it’s natural that they would offer jobs there as well. You can use LinkedIn to find new staff and find suppliers for your own business.

Myth 3: Content Marketing for B2B is the same as for B2C

No way! Consumers prefer shorter content and content with pictures, content that evokes emotion and personality from the business and trendy information. Businesses want How-to type of articles and informative pieces that are also actionable. They want to be able to read an article, apply its advice to their businesses, and see some sort of change.

Myth 4: You Need a Big Budget to be a Big B2C Brand

Content marketing is affordable and can take your company far. Many small sized companies are finding content marketing to be a really successful tool, at a lower cost than more traditional forms of outbound marketing. In fact, 60% of B2C small business marketers are planning on increasing their content marketing budget over the next 12 months. Why? Content marketing is an effective strategy for building brand awareness and lead generation, so get on the content train! In addition to improving your SEO (when done right), content marketing is far less costly than many other traditional marketing practices but can provide the same if not better outreach.

Myth 5: They Love Us, Why Change?

People love your product but that shouldn’t stop you from evolving with technology. The information you put on your site and your social media needs to make sense to your readers and hold their attention. If you keep marketing your product or service the way you did a year ago, or at the pace we’re moving, a few months ago, you may be falling behind. Stay ahead of trends to stay on top of the industry as a thought leader.

What myths have you busted? What are you best marketing practices with consumers? How has content helped you engage your audience?