B2B vs. B2C Copywriting: What Are the Differences and How to Do It

June 24, 2024 - 1:00am - by

If you’re using the same copy to communicate to your consumers as you are with other businesses, you need help with your comms strategy.

Your copy might be the first impression for buyers or company owners interacting with your business, so you probably want that messaging to be different — but for both to stand out in their own way.

B2B vs. B2C copywriting is about adjusting your copywriting to cover the values, pain points, and solutions for each of your audiences.

For example, if a person walked into your store you wouldn’t tell them the profit margins you’re making on each product, you’d tell them about how each item is hand-crafted and lasts a lifetime — something that aligns with their values and solves their problem.

If you’re not sure how to differentiate your copy for both audience types, then keep reading! This post covers the difference between B2B and B2C writing, how to shift your writing style, and everything else you need to know to improve your messaging.

B2B + B2C Copywriting Explained

In case you need a refresher, B2B=Business to Business and B2C=Business to Consumer.

B2B copywriting is all about talking to people “in the biz” of whatever industry you’re in.

Business writing allows you to get technical, highlight the features and benefits, and show how your product or service can make their lives easier. It's a bit more formal and focused on the bottom line.

B2C copywriting focuses on building personal connections with customers.

The goal is to tug at their emotions, paint a picture of how your offering will improve their lives, and use a more casual, conversational tone.

The key is to know your audience. Are you talking to a procurement manager or a busy mom?

Adjust Your Style for B2B vs. B2C

The tone and language you use will make a big difference in how your message is received. If your target is business professionals, you can use industry jargon they’ll understand. For example, if we’re speaking to social media managers, they’ll understand:

“We are going to use our USPs to create content and track our monthly KPIs in our handwritten reports.”

If we’re talking to clients about our content strategy for them, we would adjust that language to something like:

“Let's talk about the things that make your company special on our social media channels. Every month, we’ll measure things like how many people saw your content, clicks to the website, and comments on your posts to see how your posts are performing.”

Both of these say the same thing, but our messaging changes depending on who we are talking to.

For B2B writing, you'll generally want to take a more formal, professional tone. Use clear, concise language and avoid slang or overly casual phrasing. Focus on communicating the value proposition and addressing the specific needs of your business customers.

B2C writing can be more conversational and relatable — our favourite kind of writing. You can use a friendlier tone, incorporate relevant cultural references, and even inject humour (if appropriate). This will help connect with consumers on a more personal level.

Copywriting for Consumers

Consumers are bombarded with marketing messages, so we want to cut through the noise with writing that is genuine, relatable, and provides value. Here’s what we're working towards when we’re writing for consumers:

Building Trust

People can spot a sales pitch from a mile away. Communication that stands out is transparent and authentic. That’s the same reason why carefully curated Instagram feeds are out and spur-of-the-moment, talking-to-the-camera storytelling videos are in.

Great B2C writing puts the customer first and respects their time. Get to the point! If you can capture their attention, meet their needs, and forge an authentic connection, you're well on your way to driving conversions and building loyal brand advocates.

Creating Recognizable Content

In this economy, people are doing their research before making a purchase. They are checking out your competition, reading reviews, adding to cart, and hopefully ending up back on your site when they finally hit the checkout button.

That’s why your messaging has to be memorable and consistent across all your marketing channels. When people come back to your site, they should recognize (and feel familiar with) your brand tone, messaging, colours, fonts and vibe.

Solving Their Problems

Find out what your audience is looking for and deliver that to them in your copywriting. Build up your audience personas, figure out their pain points and values, and craft your messaging around that.

Feeling Something

There’s a reason we compile a list of the best holiday commercials every year. They make us laugh, cry — or just feel something in general. Talented copywriters provide engaging perspectives to encourage readers to think differently and see things in a new light.

Copywriting for Businesses

Businesses are looking for similar things that individual consumers are, but also make it ✨profitable✨. Copywriting for businesses also need a marketing perspective to help them make informed purchasing decisions. They want content they can:

Quickly Skim

We said it before and we’ll say it again: clear and concise content for the win. Business owners don’t have time to pull out the information they need from a large document. Think elevator pitch. If you have two minutes to “sell” your product or service, what are you going to say? Put the important information first, and make sure the key points are highlighted. If that draws enough interest, then they can go back and get more details to make their final decision.

Easily Understand

In copywriting for business, industry jargon is your friend and that is the ONLY time we will say that. The more you know about the company’s processes, policies, culture and lingo, the easier it will be to position your product in a way that fits with their brand.

Look at Facts + Stats

Successful B2B copywriting hinges on showing how your product or service boosts your customers' profitability, using content that provides evidence and facts. This can look like product reviews, case studies, engaging articles or comparison charts. These guide buyers through the sales journey with real customer feedback and a clear view of your strengths.

The B2B crowd prefers a straightforward approach that demonstrates how your solution positively impacts their bottom line.

The Benefits of Tailoring Your B2B + B2C Copywriting

Tweaking your copywriting for each audience will improve your marketing efforts. Successful copywriting should result in:

Increased engagement and conversions
Authentic connections with your audience
Loyal customers who feel like your brand aligns with their values

Do You Need Help With Copywriting? We Do That!

Writing different versions of your key messages can be a daunting task for busy business owners — so let us help!

We recognize that diverse businesses have different writing needs. Some thrive on a friendly, approachable style, while others demand a more formal tone.

That's why our team of copywriters excels in both B2B and B2C writing. Whether you’re after it's compelling marketing materials or punchy website content, count on us!