In sales and marketing parlance, the term business-to-business, also called B2B, is a way to describe the transactions that take place from one company conducting commerce with another company. The consumer in these trades is always another business. When a company sells its products and services to the individual consumer, it is referred to in marketing-speak as B2C, or business-to-consumer.

Significance
1. By setting itself apart as strictly a B2B company, a firm gears its advertising and marketing efforts to other businesses. The customers, or business clients, tune into marketing that’s geared toward them. A business-to-business operation is expected to understand the needs of the client and how to operate within the boundaries of B2B commerce.
Features
2. A B2B company often develops a different approach to sales that might include more networking than direct marketing or paid advertising. Through groups such as the local chamber of commerce and national trade group associations, B2B firms often look to give and receive business from each other. They are on a more even playing field, opening the door to relationship selling that can prove more effective to long-term sales success.
Geography
3. B2B marketing is very effective online. Company websites that are geared toward sales to commercial clients don’t use graphics, videos and unorthodox fonts to get across their message as much as consumer-oriented sites that appeal to a wider audience. The B2B message online is concise and clear, providing clients with an easy way to navigate the site to find answers and contact information.
Identification
4. Marketing companies need to know the audience of a firm in order to find the right vehicles for public relations placements. Trade journals and business publications and websites are much more effective for articles and ads than television or mass media publications. Search engines are available to qualify B2B marketing to best find and reach commercial customers as well.
Benefits
5. A B2B designation, whether it’s in the subtitle of a company or in the body of the main marketing materials, alerts potential clients to a source of services or products that are geared to them. Inclusion in trade groups, invitations to join other members in a group for B2B professionals and deference in the bid process can be helpful to promote business-to-business sales.
Warning
6. Miscommunication can damage the credibility of an organization that claims to be for B2B professionals when it allows B2C representatives in the door. Small business trade groups can be vulnerable to this mistake. While there is nothing wrong with allowing every kind of business professional to be a member, a group should not incorporate the B2B language in its marketing material if that is not what members can expect.

Search Marketing
# Many B2B companies are using search engine marketing, both paid and organic (not paid), to generate traffic to their websites and landing pages. While going to a phone book might be the “search” method of the past, doing an online search using Google, Yahoo or Bing is what people do now when looking for potential business clients.
Social Media Marketing
# Sites like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn offer businesses a variety of ways to provide valuable content, engage their audience where they are and generate referrals quickly. While some may think these sites are strictly for business-to-consumer (B2C) enterprises, the B2B presence is growing. LinkedIn, especially, is a business social networking tool. The popularity of these social networks stems from the huge potential for word-of-mouth. It’s all about creating a positive buzz online about your brand that draws people to you.
Blogging
# Previously just the online journals of the cat lady, blogs, or Web logs, are now big business. According to Technorati’s State of the Blogosphere report for 2008, they have indexed 133 million blogs since 2002, and they range from personal to business. Business blogging provides a way to showcase news and products, demonstrate your knowledge as a thought leader, and provide information that is valuable in your industry. Great content will pull visitors to your site, where you have the opportunity to develop trust and loyal customers.
Email marketing currently boasts one of the highest returns on investments (ROI) in the marketing arena–currently a whopping $43 for every $1 spent, according to the Direct Marketing Association. The old trend use to be to buy a huge email list and blast them with your message. But since the CAN-SPAM law has been enacted, it is now illegal to email people without their permission. However, there are still ways to grow an in-house email list that can generate results.

Read more: B2B Marketing Ideas | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/about_5341192_bb-marketing-ideas.html#ixzz13zlVfx2p