When it comes to a target audience, most business owners understand what this term means. However, there’s more than one type of target audience when it comes to business. The first, of course, is the group of people who you want to buy from you (and there are two types here), and the second is the group of job seekers who are qualified to work for your company. Here’s a look at some of the best marketing strategies when it comes to each audience.

#1: Businesses (B2B)

If you run a B2B (business-to-business) company, then your target audience will always be another business. All of your marketing strategies will be geared towards other businesses because you sell products (or offer services) that are only used by businesses. B2B marketing familiarizes these businesses with your brand and the importance of what you’re offering. Because of this, marketing toward other businesses will look a little different from marketing toward consumers.

Email Marketing

Email marketing is the most effective strategy when it comes to B2B marketing. This tactic is also used in consumer marketing, but because consumers look for entertainment and are driven by emotion, this strategy isn’t always the most effective. Businesses, on the other hand, are looking for a positive ROI and are driven by logic, and emails are great at portraying this.

Social Media Marketing 

Although social media is perfect for entertainment and evoking emotion (which is why it’s a great consumer marketing strategy), it’s also effective for B2B marketing. At least 75% of business executives purchase social media, so it can be helpful when converting leads. It’s most effective when used at the beginning of the B2B buyer’s journey, so this shouldn’t be the only marketing strategy used.

#2: Consumers (B2C)

Most businesses are B2C (business-to-consumer) companies, meaning that their target audience is always made up of consumers. As mentioned above, consumers are typically driven by emotion and respond to entertainment, making content marketing and social media marketing two of the most effective marketing strategies in B2C marketing. However, other marketing strategies are just as effective. 

Promotional Marketing 

Promotional items are loved by many consumers, and it’s a great way to show their loyalty to a brand. This type of marketing also benefits the company because it serves as free advertising. T-shirts, hats, coffee mugs, keychains, and even smartphone cases are some of the best promotional items to offer since these are things that most people use. However, you’ll have better results with items that make sense to your company, such as a drawstring sports pack if you own a health and fitness company.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

SEO marketing is a technique that brings consumers directly to your website. This strategy makes your website rank higher on search engines when a consumer search for something related to your company. This is done by using specific keywords and phrases on your website and blog that are typically used in a search relating to your industry.

#3: Job-Seekers

Whether you’re a B2B or a B2C company, there’s likely going to come a time when you’ll need to hire your first or more employees. Job seekers are also a targeted audience that responds well to certain types of marketing, and this technique is called recruitment marketing. Various forms of digital marketing can be used in recruitment marketing, including:

• PPC (p-per-click)
• SEO marketing
• Social media marketing 

Recruitment marketing works better than your typical job board postings because this strategy aims to bring the most qualified candidates to you. This method decreases employee turnover, builds a talent pipeline, and also provides a better employee experience. Job boards and other hiring strategies are good for hiring seasonal, temporary, and even part-time employees. However, recruitment marketing is the better approach when looking for long-term employees.

So as you can see, you’re going to need to know the different marketing strategies for at least two of these targeted audiences. While most businesses are either B2C or B2B, some may provide products and/or services to both consumers and other businesses— and they also need to hire employees— so those business owners will need to know how to effectively market to all three audiences. No matter what type of business your company is, you should be familiar with all of the different marketing strategies (both digital and traditional) so that you’ll be able to market toward your target audience— whether they’re buying a product/service or are looking for employment.