In the ever-evolving world of marketing, the boundaries between B2B (business-to-business) and B2C (business-to-consumer) are increasingly blurred. As Alex Nazarevich, the VP of Growth at Unbounce, puts it, “At the end of the day, whether you’re marketing to a business or an individual, it’s still about connecting with people.” With years of experience on both sides of the industry, Alex has witnessed firsthand the pitfalls of treating B2B marketing as an entirely separate entity from B2C. His insights reveal that the core principles of marketing remain the same: understanding the audience, crafting resonant messages, and driving meaningful engagement.
Understanding the Target Audience
One of the most common mistakes in B2B marketing, according to Alex, is the tendency to focus solely on the business, overlooking the human element behind it. “You’re not marketing to a business; you’re marketing to the person behind the business,” he emphasizes. This shift in perspective is crucial for effective marketing. Just as in B2C, where understanding the consumer’s motivations and emotions is key, B2B marketers must acknowledge the human concerns and aspirations of their target audience. People-centric marketing should be at the heart of any strategy, regardless of whether the end customer is an individual or a corporation.
Marketing and Advertising Techniques
B2B marketing often relies on traditional advertising methods such as LinkedIn, email campaigns, sales-led teams, and cold calling. However, Alex argues that these techniques can be as personal and engaging as B2C strategies. “The key is in the messaging,” he says. “It’s not just about delivering business-centric messages; it’s about personalizing the message to resonate with the individual’s role, challenges, and goals.” Whether through a LinkedIn ad or a cold email, the most effective B2B marketing speaks directly to the person’s needs and desires, much like successful B2C campaigns.
B2C Marketing Insights
Drawing parallels from B2C marketing, Alex points out that understanding what motivates individual consumers can offer valuable lessons for B2B marketers. He notes that many work-related advertisements have become too feature-based, focusing on product specifications rather than the benefits to the user. “There’s been a lack of engagement and differentiation in recent years,” Alex observes. “B2B ads often fail to capture attention because they don’t speak to the individual’s personal or professional motivations.” In contrast, B2C marketing excels in creating emotionally driven narratives that resonate with consumers on a personal level, a strategy that B2B can benefit from.
Marketing Effectiveness
A critical question that Alex raises is whether current marketing efforts truly benefit marketers or if they merely serve business interests. Content marketing, for instance, can be a double-edged sword. While some content adds value and educates the audience, much of it falls flat, failing to engage or inspire action. “Role-based content is essential,” Alex asserts. “Content that resonates with digital marketers, for example, should address their specific challenges and aspirations.” Without this level of personalization, marketing efforts risk becoming just another piece of noise in an already crowded digital landscape.
Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) and Persona Development
In both B2B and B2C, the development of an Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) and personas is crucial. However, Alex advises that these profiles should focus more on individual concerns and needs rather than just company demographics. He cites how Unbounce, a SaaS company, uses personas, as an example. “Unbounce understands what keeps their users up at night,” Alex explains. “We add value by addressing those concerns, whether it’s optimizing conversion rates or providing actionable insights.” By concentrating on the human side of the customer, Unbounce creates marketing that truly resonates.
SaaS Marketing Challenges
SaaS marketing presents unique challenges, such as buying traffic, papering over product shortcomings, and managing high customer acquisition costs. “The saturation of every channel—events, ads, publications—makes it harder to stand out,” Alex notes. In such a competitive environment, the traditional B2B focus on features and specifications is no longer sufficient. Marketers must innovate by adopting strategies that highlight the human benefits of their products, much like successful B2C brands do.
Evaluating Marketing Effectiveness
Effective targeting is another area where B2B can learn from B2C. Alex emphasizes the importance of human-to-human engagement in B2B sales cycles. “Take, for example, a conversion benchmark report for eCommerce directors,” he says. “If the content doesn’t speak directly to their role and concerns, it’s unlikely to be effective.” By prioritizing personal engagement over generic messaging, B2B marketers can significantly improve their targeting efforts.
Optimizing Marketing Efforts
Companies like Unbounce focus on optimizing conversion rates and inbound digital marketing, ensuring their strategies align with customer needs. “Questions like ‘Is my benchmark okay?’ are central to our approach,” Alex explains. By addressing such key concerns, marketers can support their audience’s career aspirations and drive better results. This focus on individual needs mirrors the personalized approach that B2C marketing has long excelled at.
Balancing Personalization and Privacy
As AI continues to play a larger role in personalizing marketing efforts, Alex warns of potential pitfalls. “AI can help in auto-enriching data, but it can also be invasive or inaccurate,” he cautions. The balance between personalization and privacy is delicate, particularly in B2B sales cycles. Alex advises relying more on first-party data, which is often more accurate and less intrusive than third-party data, ensuring that marketing efforts are both effective and respectful of privacy.
Future of Marketing with Data
Looking to the future, Alex believes that data will play an increasingly crucial role in shaping marketing strategies. “Unbounce is a firm believer in the power of data to create and grade page variants quickly,” he says. By aligning marketing efforts with data-driven insights, companies can grow smarter and more effective in their campaigns. The challenge lies in using this data to enhance human-centric marketing, ensuring that B2B strategies continue to evolve and improve.
Reflecting on recent growth and data points, such as Unbounce’s 160% growth and 2 billion conversion data points, Alex emphasizes the importance of aligning marketing strategies with human-centric approaches. Whether in B2B or B2C, understanding and addressing the needs of the individual is key to driving meaningful engagement and achieving better results. By adopting a people-first mindset, marketers can break down the barriers between B2B and B2C, creating strategies that resonate across both landscapes.
