Funnel marketing: B2B and B2C

As much as digital marketing offers advantages to companies when it comes to having an impact on consumers, keeping up to date on the main concepts and strategies that are part of these online media communication means is essential. 

A perfect example is the funnel concept, which initially appeared as a means for sales teams and has been taken over by communication strategies step by step.
Understanding what this idea means and its importance is fundamental to better investing one's resources.

 

What is a funnel

A funnel is a proven method for building a marketing strategy. It's a way to divide the client's journey (or buyer's journey) into different phases. Building a funnel can be done in several ways, but the basic principle remains the same. 

The digital marketing funnel is a strategic model that represents the entire persona's buyer journey, from the moment in which they learn about your brand to their transformation into clients. There are many approaches to the funnel concept, but the model we'll use in this article is divided into six phases:

1. awareness
2. interest
3. consideration
4. intention
5. evaluation
6. purchase

Il funnel serve per capire cosa offrire agli utenti in ognuna delle fasi di questo intero processo di convincimento. Con tanta concorrenza tra le aziende per l'attenzione e le risorse dei consumatori, è necessario prepararsi e, di conseguenza, migliorare le proprie azioni di comunicazione, incidendo su chi conta. Il Digital Marketing funnel guiderà tutte le strategie che la tua azienda dovrebbe adottare alla ricerca di maggiori conversioni

A funel helps understanding what to offer clients in each phase of this persuasion process. With a lot of competition among businesses for consumers' attention and resources it is necessary to be prepared and, consequently, improve one's communication actions, affecting who counts. The digital marketing funnel guides all the strategies your business should adopt searching for major conversions. 

 

B2B and B2C funnel marketing

Now that we've explained the funnel bases, let's move on to a confrontation between the B2B (business to business) and B2C (business to consumer) funnels. The truth is that these phases don't differ much; the main distinction lies in the way consumers move through the funnel.

B2C companies address their products to individual buyers, as we are talking about personal purchases. Most of the time, the consumer doesn't need permits or consultations before purchasing. On the contrary, B2B buyers face some obstacles before finalising the purchase decision.
In fact, as there are more factors and people involved in the process, more time is required so that a client moves through all the B2B funnel phases.

The motivation behind the purchases of a B2B and B2C consumer is another different aspect. On one side, we are dealing with a personal purchase decision, on the other, we are dealing with a business purchase. As a consequence, clients are generally more driven by emotional and impulsive purchases. Conversely, B2B buyers are logical, rational, and result-driven, as their decision will have an impact on a larger group of people.

B2B sales cycles are longer in comparison to B2C sales cycles. As mentioned above, there are more people involved in a B2B purchase, and the transactions are generally executed at a higher price and have a longer life cycle. These decisions naturally require more research and evaluation to guarantee the right judgement.

Even the relationship between business and client changes a lot in both cases. In B2B, there should generally be a sales figure that is exclusively responsible for cultivating the client through the sales/marketing funnel until the client is not ready to make a choice. This way, businesses hope to build trust and brand loyalty, encouraging multiple purchases and longer relationships.

 

Why the funnel is strategically important

Through the construction of a funnel, you can improve the segmentation of your marketing actions. This can be done by addressing content, advertising, and other strategies with messages that will be useful to your public throughout the buyer's journey. Consequently, lead generation also becomes more efficient, delivering more qualified leads to your sales team and facilitating conversions.

Quando il funnel viene affrontato correttamente, ci si avvicina sempre di più ai consumatori, essendo sempre rilevanti nel loro viaggio. Sarai in grado di parlare al pubblico giusto e, naturalmente, offrire il contenuto più appropriato per ogni fase. Così aumenta anche la produttività di tutto il tuo team perché non si sprecano tempo e risorse in azioni inefficaci.

If a funnel is implemented correctly, you'll get closer to your consumers, as you'll always appear relevant in their journey. You'll be able to speak to the correct public and, naturally, offer the most appropriate content for every phase. This way, productivity will increase for your whole team because no time and resources are wasted on inefficient actions.

Finally, as much as it is important to respect the user's exit time from every funnel phase, having a larger vision of the consumer's journey will allow you to solicit him to move from one phase to another.

A funnel is therefore fundamental for using your company's resources in the best possible way and for improving your profits. For an in-depth analysis, we recommend you read "The Art of the Conversion Funnel."

 

Ready to start using a marketing funnel?

Understanding the functioning of a marketing funnel is only the beginning. To ensure that it remains meaningful, you must make it a coherent and pursuable part of your marketing strategy. Creating a strategic document and continuing with occasional emails and social media posts is not enough. 

Funnels are powerful tools, but they require time and dedication in order to function properly. What to do if one does not have time or the right know-how to start using a funnel? We advise you to contact DevInterface and schedule a non-binding call.

We only work on projects that are really result-driven for our clients. It doesn't make any sense to spend budget and precious time on a project that won't have any traction; therefore, if you are ready to build an efficient marketing funnel, contact us and schedule a call.