If you're a product-based business, chances are you cater to two sets of clients: B2C (retail) and B2B (wholesale). And while you most likely realize these are two totally different types of customers for your business, have you ever considered how you market to each of them? It might feel like i'm ridiculous for even mentioning that you wouldn't know you need to handle these two groups in different ways from one another, but have you actually stopped to consider how you're handling your marketing strategy for each group?
If that question just left a sinking feeling in your stomach, I've got your back. Here are the first areas you should tackle when deciding a marketing strategy for B2B or B2C clients:
Pricing Strategy
While this might seem like a no-brainer (obviously you've got different pricing for wholesale and retail customers), consider how you're marketing those prices in your promotional materials. Are you creating specific packages (seasonals, bestsellers) that tells your client what to buy? I always recommend creating easy-to-buy packages of your products to take out overwhelm and help move select inventory. Even if you're creating gift bundles for your website for Mother's Day, consider creating wholesale packages that market the benefit of your products (easy selling points for a specific occasion, or maybe an "organic only" collection) that will give your wholesale buyer just as much reason to purchase as your retail customer.
SEO and Online Marketing
If you've got the ability to do so, then having separate websites for B2B and B2C clients is the best strategy for online commerce, as you're able to completely separate keywords, pricing strategies, shipping terms, and even payment options without having to overwhelm a single shopping cart platform. Mezzo SEO has an amazing article about SEO and online B2B customer acquisition that can help you nail down how to create a specialized online strategy for your wholesale or professional website.
Policies
What policies do you have in place for your B2C marketing in terms of returns, payment, damaged items, or samples? Have you taken the time to cover all of these in your B2B terms, as well (or vice versa)? Spend an hour or two reviewing the policies you have for both of your client bases, making sure that you've handled contingencies on both sides of your business.
If you get one thing from this article, get this: It doesn't have to be difficult to create separate marketing tactics for B2B and B2C's, but it does have to be intentional. Don't feel overwhelmed (if you do, I have these tips on how to make those feelings go away), make a plan, follow through on it, and soon you'll be on your way to having a comprehensive marketing strategy that you can feel confident will give your team the guidelines they need to boost your profitability.