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In a previous blog post, we covered five different Business-to-Business (B2B) marketing strategies. In that post, I shared with you the best marketing techniques that I would recommend and they were: inbound marketing, account-based marketing, search engine marketing, earned media, and industry events.

In this article, we will discuss the most effective marketing approaches for the most prevalent business type, Business-to-Consumer (B2C).

I will describe B2C marketing briefly, explain why it is essential to have a B2C marketing plan in place, and discuss the top five B2C marketing methods I recommend for any organization.

What is business-to-consumer marketing?

The term "B2C" was first coined in the early 1990s by Jean Kilbourne in an article entitled "Marketing to Women". She was trying to differentiate between different types of advertising and market segments and felt that it was important for marketers to understand how they were different from each other, so they could focus on what they do best - B2C or B2B.

B2C Marketing is one of the most common forms of marketing. It focuses on selling products and services to individual customers for their personal use. B2C marketing is more complex than B2B as it targets a variety of customer segments. It also requires understanding the needs, wants and desires of different types of customers.

B2C marketing encompasses virtually all forms of marketing and advertising that are directed towards consumers. As long as the brand's consumer or target audience is an individual customer and not a company, an industry, or a government agency, the relationship is business-to-consumer. What are my top five recommended business-to-consumer marketing strategies?

Influencer Marketing

Though in recent times I have become an outspoken critic of the use of influencer marketing, due to the increase in user and consumer awareness and education on how to distinguish between paid and organic content, and due to the greed and abuse of many self-proclaimed "influencers" and the true harm they are inflicting on the youth and children, this technique, when used for good, still remains one of the most effective marketing strategies a B2C company can employ.

Influencer marketing promotes companies by using the reputations and social followings of "influencers" in specialized subjects. Influencer endorsements and product placements consistently produce the best returns for B2C businesses, prompting 61% of marketers to incorporate influencer marketing into their strategic planning.

The appeal of influencer marketing is substantial, but caution is advised. Followers are becoming more demanding that influencers disclose their commercial and sponsorship relationships. 20% of an influencer's audience will "unfollow" them if they are not forthcoming, which could negatively impact your marketing results.