What Is Business-to-Business Advertising?
Any marketing efforts directed toward other businesses rather than individual consumers are referred to as business-to-business advertising. For any product or service that does not reach the average customer, business-to-business advertising, or B2B advertising, takes place between organisations that are often found in the middle of the supply chain.
B2B advertising might promote things like everyday office supplies, particular parts needed in another company’s product, or services like human resources consulting or logistics that are primarily targeted at businesses.
How Business-to-Business Advertising Works
While business-to-consumer (B2C) advertising aims to reach the decision-maker in a household, business-to-business advertising aims to reach the employees of a company who make capital decisions, or the person in control of purchasing.
While individuals may be able to make quick judgements about whether or not a product is appealing, businesses are frequently slower and must go through a more involved process because product costs might be substantial and may require clearance from multiple levels of management.
Example: When Apple announced its move to Intel processors in its MacBook computers, it was a business-to-business transaction because Apple bought the CPUs from Intel rather than an end user. Because Intel does not market directly to consumers, any advertising it conducts is classified as B2B marketing to other computer or electronics firms interested in purchasing its niche technology.
Venues
Because B2B advertising is so different from B2C advertising, businesses will need to pay more attention to the media options available to them, as acceptable venues may be difficult to come by.
Questions to consider include:
- Will local newspapers reach enough decision-makers, or would a trade journal provide better results?
- Will digital or mobile advertising outperform print advertising?
- Is it possible that costly radio or television advertising is worthwhile?
Knowing who your customer is will help you make better advertising decisions.
According to The Washington Post, nearly two-thirds of small business owners in the United States are older white men, which could explain why national sports media outlets, such as satellite radio, routinely highlight small business services.
Messaging
To construct a message, a B2B advertiser must first understand his or her target market and audience before committing to a venue. This can be accomplished by either purchased or self-performed research and surveys. It’s also a good idea to test a message to determine if it appeals to the target market.
An advertiser can use this data to create a strategy with a specific aim in mind, such as:
- Generating business leads
- Increasing conversions
- Boosting overall traffic
Any message should communicate a company’s values, the best aspects of its products, and the company’s value proposition, such as whether the company’s products or services will save customers time and/or money.
The Digital Space
Through the company’s own digital marketing channels—such as their website and social media platforms—an advertiser should be able to communicate their message and value proposition online.
Customers must be able to locate a B2B company on the internet by visiting a website that presents the company’s brand story.
An advertiser must also have a content strategy that aims to provide expertise and solutions to current and new customers. It should include:
- Articles
- Videos
- Testimonials
- Other material kinds
All of these should be organised around a search engine optimization (SEO) strategy that aims to address client inquiries. Advertisers should also communicate with customers through their websites and social media accounts.
The Most Important Elements of a Marketing Campaign
To begin with, we asked our survey participants to vote for the most important marketing elements.
Three elements turned out to be close winners:
- Messaging
- Positioning
- Voice/Tone
1. Messaging
Based on the responses we got, messaging was mentioned as the most crucial to creating an outstanding B2B marketing campaign (rated 4.5 out of 5).
Messaging is pretty self-explanatory. It’s the message you want to share with the world.
- Want to tell your target customers it’s easy to start their own business? Tell them.
- Want to send a message that project management is a breeze with your software? Go ahead and convey it.
2. Business Positioning
The second most important element for B2B marketing campaigns (rated 4.4 out of 5) is your business’s USP or unique selling proposition—what differentiates you from competitors.
Example: Zappos has a reputation for great customer service. It’s what separates them from others in their industry.
Ask yourself:
- What’s your unique positioning?
- Ease of use? Friendly staff?
Whatever it is, write it down, then show it off in your B2B marketing campaign.
3. Voice/Tone
Respondents also think voice/tone is almost equally important (rated 4.3 out of 5) for the success of your marketing campaign.
A unique voice helps show your business’s human side, makes you stand out, and leaves a memorable impression on your audience.
Once you have your voice nailed down, be sure to write your campaign’s script in that voice.
Your Campaign Needs to Pull Some Emotional Strings
Below are examples of successful B2B marketing campaigns that pulled emotional strings while maintaining strong positioning and creativity.
1. IBM’s “Every Second Counts”
The mixed-media approach helps direct users to their landing page and gives customers something more interesting to look at.
The films were poignant and different from the usual image format, creating a very engaging experience.
Key takeaway: Using more than just images helps audiences engage more effectively. Social media is a great way to push such content forward.
2. Drift’s Employee Advocacy Campaign
Spotlighting individual people makes the company more human. Customers see each employee as a real person, not just part of a faceless organization.
Lesson: If you want to make people the center of your company, include them in every part of your content. When they’re at the forefront, customers know they’re valued.
3. WeWork’s Video Campaign
WeWork’s creative video campaigns show how to maximize video investment.
The company created a series of 30-second videos that can be cut to 15 or even 6 seconds while still getting the message across.
Takeaway: Videos are a must for every brand. Deliver your message in as short a time as possible, like WeWork’s clips that remain impactful even when shortened.
4. Shopify’s “Let’s Make You A Business” Campaign
This campaign helps anyone believe they can have their own business. It inspires people to grow and succeed using Shopify’s platform.
Shopify used multiple marketing channels—internet ads, TV ads, billboards—to ensure visibility everywhere.
Insights from experts:
- Positioning is crucial. Differentiate yourself and demonstrate your value.
- Relate to your customers. Make them believe your business helps them succeed.
- Use multiple channels. The more visible your brand, the more likely people remember it when they’re ready to buy.
5. Cisco’s Creative Cybersecurity Campaign
Cisco presented technical cybersecurity information through a graphic novel, complete with a superhero character.
Takeaway: Even boring information can be presented creatively. Strong messaging, clear positioning, and reputation make for powerful B2B campaigns.
6. Google’s Comic for Chrome Launch
This comic was a great piece of content that elaborated on highly complex concepts in simple, accessible terms. Beautifully detailed, perfectly pitched, and addresses all the key questions developers might have about the browser.
Lesson: Tech B2B does not have to be all about words on a page!” as Ramani puts it. “Don’t be afraid of exploring different and creative mediums in your work..
7. Xerox’s “Get Optimistic” Campaign
Xerox used targeted advertising with industry-based emails that linked to specific websites.
They also partnered with Forbes to create the “Chief Optimist” platform, reaching executives and decision-makers alike.
Key takeaway:
- Keep things personal in campaigns.
- Show genuine care by providing useful, industry-specific content.
- Xerox further promoted its brand through seminars across the U.S.
8. Monday.com’s Quick Explainer Video
This ad is a suggestion by David Cusick of House Method. The reason it works is simple: “Monday.com’s ad is visually attractive and demonstrates clearly what it can do to help businesses manage their workflow and project management more efficiently.
Put simply, “a business owner looking at it can easily imagine their business using the app.
Key takeaway: This leaves us with an important message: “Effective use of visuals can make a campaign simple yet punchy and effective in capturing a target audience’s attention,” Cusick summarizes.
9. Slack’s Mockumentary Video with Sandwich, Inc.
Slack collaborated with Sandwich, Inc. to create a humorous and engaging mockumentary.
The video showcased the journey from not using Slack to fully integrating it, making communication smoother and more efficient.
Lesson: Video case studies can be both funny and educational. Real client perspectives add legitimacy and authenticity to your campaign.
Final Takeaway
When you look at different B2B campaigns, you can tell the great ones have a few simple things working together. They talk straight. They know what makes them different. They sound like real people, not ads. And most importantly, they make others feel something while telling their story in their own way.
Take IBM, for example — their storytelling hits an emotional note. Shopify makes people believe they can actually start something of their own. Cisco takes something technical and turns it into something fun and creative. Totally different approaches, but the same idea behind all of them.
At the end of the day, B2B marketing isn’t just about pushing a product. It’s about trust. It’s about showing that your business actually brings value and understands what others need. If you can make that connection — even a small one — you’re already doing better than half the noise out there.
That’s what really sticks.
