B2B vs B2C marketing: Is there a line to draw?

As marketers, we love to define, label and organise. We colour-code content calendars, create ICP word clouds, and put audiences into neat HubSpot segmentation that make us feel like we understand our audience. And perhaps the oldest segmentation we cling to out of habit is the divide between B2B and B2C marketing.

For years we’ve acted like these are two entirely different worlds that need entirely different marketing tactics. But as brand behaviour evolves, and as audiences become more discerning (and more tired of being bored), that line between business-to-business and business-to-consumer is starting to look evermore faint. 

And the research backs it. According to LinkedIn’s 2024 B2B Benchmark Report, 71% of B2B marketers believe their strategies now resemble B2C more than ever, and 73% of B2B buyers want personalised experiences that are similar to B2C. 

So, is there really a line to draw between them? A ‘you can do this’ and a ‘you can’t do that’? Let’s talk about it.

What we think B2B and B2C mean

Traditionally, B2C marketing is the fun one. The one with exciting campaigns, emotional storytelling, impulse-driven purchases, colour palettes that aren’t exclusively navy, and taglines someone might actually remember.

B2B, meanwhile, has historically been sensible. The one who files taxes early, reads product comparison charts for pleasure, and insists on writing LinkedIn posts that sound like you’re selling a product (I know you are but it can be more exciting than that).

And yes, the traditional differences are real. They’ve just been oversimplified.

Here’s the “old school” view marketers used to live by:

• Traditional differences (the simplified version)

• Buying cycle: B2C = fast | B2B = long

• Decision-makers: B2C = 1 | B2B = committees

• Motivation: B2C = emotion | B2B = logic

• Risk: B2C = low | B2B = high

These patterns have some truth to them. Gartner reported that B2B purchases involve 6–10 stakeholders on average, and the buying cycle can take months. Meanwhile, B2C decisions often take minutes.

B2B meant longer buying cycles, more stakeholders, and more emphasis on ROI. B2C was about emotions, entertainment, speed, and simplicity.

But that’s the old view, and frankly, one that’s becoming more and more outdated.

The blurring of the line (aka: B2B finally losing its suit)

Somewhere between the rise of social-first branding, the humanisation of businesses, and the realisation that nobody wants to read a whitepaper on their lunch break (unless it’s really, really good), B2B began to change.

Brands selling software, platforms, or services suddenly realised something profound:

The person making the decision is still a person.

They scroll TikTok. They send their friends memes. They get bored just as easily as the next person. And they remember brands that make them feel something, even if that feeling is simply “this wasn’t boring.”

This is why we’ve seen B2B brands start adopting a more B2C approach: more emotion, more storytelling, more humanity, more visual personality. HubSpot, Slack, Mailchimp, Notion… none of them market themselves like a beige filing cabinet. They market themselves like a B2C brand.

Why B2B is becoming more B2C

• Millennials now make up ~59% of B2B buyers (who grew up on B2C-style experiences)

• 68% of B2B buyers prefer not to speak to a salesperson

• Self-serve buying is now expected, so content needs to be engaging, emotional, and clear

• The market is oversaturated with long-form, boring content; standing out now requires creativity

  
  

The myth of the serious tone of voice

B2B marketing often clings to the belief that professionalism requires formality, as if credibility must be earned through passive voice and buzzwords.

But professionalism and personality are not opposites.

A tone of voice can be:

1. knowledgeable without being robotic

2. warm without being unprofessional

3. conversational without sounding like an IG DM

And we know what works: the Content Marketing Institute found that story-driven content keeps B2B audiences engaged 2.5x longer than product-first messaging.

So if you want your audience to care, you need both information and voice.

Practical tips for more human B2B content

Replace jargon with benefit-led language

Start content with a story or tension point

Strengthen your POV, say something real

Use message hierarchy (lead with clarity, layer complexity later)

Add personality to microcopy: CTA buttons, product tooltips, error messages

Because at the end of the day, you’re not communicating with “a business.” You’re communicating with humans who are overwhelmed, distracted, and drowning in information.

If your brand doesn’t stand out emotionally or intellectually, it won’t stand out at all.

So… Is there really a line between B2B and B2C?

Well, yes. We’re not saying there’s no difference, that just simply wouldn’t be true. But the line might not be as defined as you think. 

All in all, the difference shouldn’t be how you market to people, the human fundamentals are the same. The difference lies in why people buy, and what they need to make a decision.

A consumer might buy a new coffee machine because of a beautifully shot TikTok video that comes up on their FYP. A business might buy new software because it solves a problem, saves time, or helps them make more money. 

The motivations, and the barriers to getting that sale, differ. Often with B2C you’re only talking to one decision-maker, whereas with B2B you need to convince person A to convince person B. 

But ultimately, the human behind them? Same emotional wiring. Same cognitive biases. Same desire to solve a problem in either their personal or work life. 

Element	B2C	B2B
Decision Complexity	Low	High
Number of Stakeholders	1	6–10
Motivation	Desire, identity, convenience	ROI, problem-solving, efficiency
Risk Tolerance	Low	High
Sales Cycle	Minutes–days	Weeks–months
Content That Works	Ads, shortform video, reviews, influencers	Case studies, demos, ungated value content

B2C may be more impulsive. B2B may be more considered. But both respond to emotion, clarity, trust, story, and brand.

The line is there if you want it. But you’re not obligated to colour inside it (marketing joke there, iykyk). 

Brand spotlight: Which B2B brand uses B2C marketing tactics really well?

Sopro

Sopro, a B2B outreach company, somehow manages to make email prospecting (famously one of the driest areas of marketing) fun. Their newsletters, ads and copy are witty, and aren’t afraid to be funny. They’ve leaned hard into the idea that a B2B brand can have a sense of humour, and it works because humour is inherently human, and that a meme can go a long way. 

Plus they always end their newsletter with a topical meme. Who doesn’t like a good laugh at work? 

Screenshot of Sopro newsletter meme

A final word

If all of this has left you thinking, “Great… but who has the time to come up with a whole new marketing strategy?”: that’s where BlackCat Content comes in.

We specialise in the sweet spot between strategy and storytelling. Between clarity and creativity. Between “this sells our product” and “this actually makes people feel something.”

Whether you’re a B2B brand trying to sound less like a washing machine instruction booklet, or a B2C brand needing sharper storytelling, we help you find your voice. Your voice, not the one everyone else is using.

Authentic. Human. Memorable. And yes, occasionally funny on purpose.

If you want marketing that doesn’t just tick the box, but actually connects with the humans on the other side of the screen, we’re your team.