How to Make the Move from B2C to B2B Marketing (and from B2B to B2C)

Feeling stuck in B2C Marketing?

Or working in B2B marketing, but want to try something new?

Maybe you just want to learn more about marketing.

We are here to help.

In this article we will cover:

Major Differences in Skill Sets between B2B and B2C
How to Transition from B2B to B2C or vice versa
Barriers to Entry (Why people get rejected)
Tips for Marketers moving from B2C to B2B in Japan

Here at Wahl+Case, we have helped hundreds of people land marketing jobs at some of the hottest companies in Tech. Companies like Amazon, Facebook, and Twitter. So, read on if you want to learn how to make the transition from B2C to B2B marketing.

Let’s get started.

Major Differences in Skillsets

Marketing is marketing, right? Wrong.
When it comes to marketing to businesses instead of customers there are some overlapping skills, but there are also major differences.

Differences

First, let’s dive into the differences in the skills needed for B2B and B2C marketing, here is a graphic going over specific skills that vary between B2B and B2C marketing:

Marketing Skills B2B vs B2C - B2B: 360 Marketing, LinkedIn, Lead Generation, Inside Sales, PR, Case Studies, Webinars. B2C: Specialization, Social Media, Experiential, SNS, In-Store, Affiliate, Influencer

Responsibilities

One major difference in B2B Marketing when compared to B2C marketing is the level of responsibility. In B2C marketing, even with smaller brands, there is a lot of specialization. You have an area that you are good at such as Influencer Marketing, Digital Marketing, Experiential Marketing, and the list goes on.

In B2B Marketing, the expectation is that you will know how to do all of that. This will change depending on the size of the company, but most businesses in the IT space have limited resources for marketing and need someone to cover everything from traditional to performance marketing and everything in between.

Targeting

“There are more people than businesses.” I haven’t investigated this claim recently, but I am pretty sure it is still true.

This means that the targeting in B2B marketing needs to be exact.

There is a limited number of customers who have a need for your solution, so if you miss the mark with your efforts, they will likely make the decision to purchase from another vendor, which could mean another year-long sales cycle.

This is why ABM or Account Based Marketing has become so important.

Obviously, we are not saying that B2C marketers have less of a need to be on point.

In fact, because of the emotional element in marketing to consumers, your messaging needs to land in order to avoid backlash. As Joshua Grant, Director of Analytics and Innovative Solutions at Dentsu, and I talk about on our podcast M/AD Culture, listen here.

Shared Skills

Now, let’s cover the shared skills. Here are the top 3 overlapping skills that both B2B and B2C marketers need:

Data

A data-first skill set has become a crucial tool in any marketer’s toolbox. This means SQL, Excel, Python, R, or any data input language is going to bring up your value as a potential hire.

Digital Marketing

Marketing and “digital marketing” are one and the same in today’s B2B and B2C landscapes. You need to be familiar with platforms like Google and Facebook and know how to run effective campaigns on each.

And digital marketing isn’t limited to advertising, if you know how to build landing pages, write emails that convert, and create engaging content, you will be well on your way to being an effective marketer in B2B or B2C.

SEO

This could be considered a part of any digital marketing skillset, but it is so important that I gave it its own section. Search engines are a primary way for people to find your business, so knowing how to optimize and rank in these searches will put you in a great place when looking for a B2B or B2C marketing position.

How to Transition from B2B to B2C Marketing (or from B2C to B2B) - Image

Alright, let’s talk about how to actually make the move from B2B to B2C marketing.

Get Seminar/ Webinar Experience (B2C -> B2B)

In pre-pandemic B2B marketing this would have been pure field marketing with events, trade shows, and seminars. But because of the world changing event that we are all familiar with, this has moved online. This means you need to be able to create virtual events on topics that will draw in those interested in your solutions. A couple great examples of this is the Nudges webinar that was recently organized by our sister company Attuned or the Google FLEDGE webinar we are co-hosting with RTB House.

Work with PR (Both)

Both B2C and B2B have a need for PR so spend time working with your PR team to get a sense of what they are doing. This will help when you are applying to a B2B position, as press relations is a huge focus for large enterprises and startups alike.

Broadcast Testimonials (Both)

A customer’s positive story will bring in new customers whether you are marketing to businesses or consumers. If you have experience weaving these stories into your marketing plan, it is a great thing to highlight. These can be from surveys, in a video format, or customer reviews, the choice is yours, just be sure to measure the impact it had on your business.

Build Influencer Relationships (B2B -> B2C)

We touched on this earlier, but influencer marketing is an upcoming part of B2B marketing. Working with influencers in the B2B space can be a great way to gain a skill set that can carry you over to working with influencers in the B2C space. The soft skills of forming mutually beneficial relationships is valuable in both areas of business.

Tell a Story with Data (Both)

Data has become synonymous with marketing, so how do you stand out? Storytelling. Being able to read the numbers is no longer enough, if you can make the data tell the story of your customer journey and find all of the best points to interact with your audience, then you will have a vital skill for both B2B and B2C marketing.

Display Positive ROI (Both)

Test, Measure, Perform, Scale. These are the steps to ensuring a positive return on investment in marketing. If you can demonstrate how your marketing efforts impacted the business, you can show that you bring value as a marketer in B2B or B2C.

Build a Digital Skill Set (Both)

Digital is not just one piece of marketing anymore, it is the foundation. You need to have as much experience as you can building landing pages that convert, running search, display, and social campaigns, creating content, writing emails, and the list goes on and on. Anything you can do to gain experience working with these tools will help you become a strong candidate when transitioning from B2B to B2C or vice versa.

Gain CRM Experience (B2C -> B2B)

This one can be a bit more technical, but if you have the opportunity to work on CRM implementation, it will definitely open doors to B2B marketing. As we mentioned before, CRM is a key part of Account Based Marketing, and many companies are waking up to this now. Even just having experience using tools like Salesforce or Hubspot can make a huge difference when applying to these roles.

Create a Community (Both)

Nurturing a strong userbase or fanbase is necessary for success in both B2B and B2C marketing. There are many ways to do this. You have the opportunity to put on events to engage your community, start a user group forum, or even start a discord server like Slidebean to converse directly with your community. Whatever you do, be sure to track the results of your community building activities.

Are you ready to make the move from B2B to B2C? Or from B2C to B2B?

Message us today!

These are three of the biggest reasons we have seen for people miss out on opportunities they are applying for.

Lack of C-Level Relationships (B2C -> B2B)

A huge part of marketing to business, and b2b sales, is getting Executive level and C-Suite buy-in. Therefore, if you want to make the move from B2C, you need to make sure you have a deep network of senior leaders. You will need to be comfortable having conversations, negotiating, and forging relationships with the leadership of your customers to understand their needs and problems.

No experience Crafting a Strategy (Both)

A big part of B2B marketing is crafting a strategy. If you are coming from an agency background, where your role was highly specialized, I recommend getting experience creating and executing a strategy.

Lack of Specialization(B2B -> B2C)

Specialization can be a barrier even when moving from one brand to another. Marketing luxury goods compared to FMCGs have a completely different sales cycle, with the former focusing on CRM and return customers and the latter focusing on bringing in new customers regularly. This difference is even more magnified when coming from a B2B background and moving toward B2C marketing. We recommend researching the company you are interested in working with to get an understanding of the specific types of marketing they have found success with.

There are many reasons why Japan is a unique market, so let’s highlight a few things to be aware of.

Traditional Media

TV is still king in Japan.

This means that every person you want to target as a B2B Marketer will be watching TV and drinking a beer after they come home. And not just at home either, Out Of Home (OOH) still plays a critical role and in Japan this includes train ads, billboards in the business districts, or even logos on jerseys of the popular sports teams. Prestige is a huge factor in purchase decision making in Japan, so these channels cannot be ignored.

Working with Agencies

Agencies like Dentsu, Hakuhodo, and ADK, all hold a lot of power in the media landscape in Japan and it is essential for both B2B and B2C marketers to know how to work well with them. You will need to negotiate, communicate your brand's identity, and make sure all output is up to the standards you have set for your company. Working with and getting the best results from your agency partners is a skill set all on its own.

Partnerships

B2B marketing in Japan has some unique opportunities for collaboration. If you are able to forge partnerships with synergistic brands and solutions, marketing co-efforts can bring new customers to both businesses.