B2B Branding: How To Build a Successful B2B Brand Strategy?

Do you know what is most important when it comes to building a coherent, effective company? Of course, sticking to the designated strategy! Does your brand have an offer addressed mainly to other businesses? You are in a good place because this article includes the most important information about B2B branding!

What is B2B branding?

Let’s start with a simple definition. What exactly is the B2B branding strategy? In essence, it is a plan that defines who you are, what your offer is, what you do, who your clients are, what values you support and what business goals you want to achieve. What is more, the strategy includes a comprehensive plan that allows you to achieve your goals. It is also worth remembering that thanks to the strategy, you shape your image among customers and competitors.

B2B vs B2C branding – what is the difference?

Many people wonder what exactly the difference between a B2B and B2C strategy is. Well, at the beginning, it is worth explaining the abbreviations. B2B means business to business, i.e., selling a product or service to another company. On the other hand, B2C stands for business to consumer, i.e., sales to an individual customer. By now, you are probably beginning to understand the difference that distinguishes these two types of trades. But what is worth remembering?

• B2B sales are most often transactions based on logic and analytics. Especially in the case of expensive products and services, each company performs in-depth calculations and goes through a multi-stage decision-making process before selecting a specific offer. B2C sales, on the other hand, is based rather on emotions. Purchasing decisions made by individual customers are often impulsive, so the sales process itself usually takes less time.
• B2B sales require a strong brand or a unique offer (e.g., with a product not available anywhere else or with sensational prices). It is often dictated by the decision-process in companies, where purchasing decisions are usually made by several people, who conduct a deep analysis based not only on their own relationship with a given business, but also on the brand strategy, its values, or recommendations from other enterprises. With B2C, to sell a product, you often just need good marketing, e.g., advertising or cooperation with influencers.
• It is also worth mentioning that the B2B brand personality is different from one of individual customers. Why? In business, we often use jargon known only to entrepreneurs. The reason is the assumption that people who know certain concepts important in business and are able to use them fluently are experts in a given field.

B2B branding tips

So, how to build a branding strategy for B2B business? We have 5 tips that will surely prove to be useful.

Be precise while setting goals

You cannot create a B2B corporate strategy without defining goals, and considering the global branding perspective is essential. What goals can you set by yourself? There are two options: quantitative and qualitative. Quantitative is, for example, the value of income at a certain level, while qualitative includes building an image as an expert or becoming a leader in the industry.

Define your target audience

Of course, anyone planning a strategy for B2B companies realizes that it is about targeting other businesses. However, this is not enough to succeed! You need to create a very precise profile of your ideal client, i.e., answer questions such as:

• To which industries belong the companies to which I address my offer?
• What budget must the company have to start working with me?
• What language is used by people in a given industry?
• What do they expect from the offered products or services?
• When do the target companies start budget planning?

Be aware role of branding in B2B marketing and plan your activities carefully

Many people believe they do not need marketing when they work in the B2B sector. That is definitely a myth! How could you build B2B brand awareness if you would not advertise it in any way? It is worth choosing a few promotion channels that reach the business owners from your target group. However, you must bear in mind that advertising activities in the case of businesses directing their offer to other companies are of a different nature than those in the B2C sector. They should be more precise, data-driven, short and expressed in brand-specific language. It is important to develop a significant market position or the brand image as an expert in advance. This will increase the chances of successful advertising actions. It is a good idea to perform a brand audit. You also should constantly follow the B2B branding trends, as they change quickly.

Discover what makes you stand out from the competition

What is extremely important when it comes to building a strategy is finding differentiators and basing the entire B2B brand personality on it. Nowadays, both sales sectors (B2B and B2C) are flooded with an enormous amount of offers, so you need to find something that sets your company apart and will attract decision-makers to your proposal. The distinguishing feature can be, for example, competitive prices, fast order fulfillment time or a unique product not available anywhere else.

Include methods of building long-term relationships with customers in your strategy

In the case of business to business branding, it is also important to ensure customer satisfaction. Thanks to this, you will build a relationship with them and create a positive image of your company. Hence, every time they look for a product or service you offer, they will come back to you. And these loyal clients who return are the ones that you should care about the most. Therefore, in your strategy, pay special attention to the method of communication with the regular clients and the rewarding system (e.g., a loyalty program) for them.

When it comes to delivering a consistent brand experience to B2B customers, internal branding is a powerful asset. By aligning internal processes, policies, and customer-facing touchpoints with the brand’s values and promises, organizations ensure a seamless and reliable experience that strengthens B2B relationships. You should also refine your customer service strategy and take care of remarketing.

Branding strategy for B2B business – summary

Now you know what the basics of starting your own business look like and what issues with B2B branding strategy you may face. If you want to find out more about creating a company’s strategy, take a look at our articles on brand archetypes and the branding questionnaire. You can also book a brand consulting with us to help you plan your activities.