If you’re new to Copywriting Land, you might have encountered terms like “b2b copywriting” and “b2c copywriting.” So, what is b2b copywriting, and do you need to worry about it? Never fear, kids. The Copy Bitch is here with a simple explanation.

Let’s get to it. (If you learn better by watching a video, scroll to the end of this article for my video on this topic.)

What is b2b copywriting?

B2B copywriting stands for business-to-business copywriting. The writing you do is for one business selling its products or services to another business.

Examples:

• A business sells applicant tracking software to HR departments in various companies.
• A business sells a specific part to car manufacturers.
• A business sells background check services to organizations that run them on job candidates.

What is b2c copywriting?

B2C copywriting is business-to-consumer copywriting. The writing you do is for a business that’s selling its products or services to consumers.

Examples:

• Doritos sells its yummy, delicious chips to people.
• Oreo sells its yummy, delicious cookies to people.
• Ben & Jerry’s sells its yummy, delicious ice cream to people.

(That sums up my perimenopausal adventure to date.)

How about some non-food items?

• Think of your favorite brand of clothing sending you emails about its latest deals.
• Think of your favorite sports team selling tickets to games.
• Think of your favorite furniture store trying to sell you a mattress.

Why does it matter what type of copywriter you are?

It doesn’t matter unless you want it to matter. You don’t necessarily need to lay such a firm stake in the ground and call yourself one or the other if you don’t want to. And you don’t have to choose one path, either. As a freelance copywriter, I’ve done (and currently do) both types of copywriting.

The reason why the two terms even exist has to do with audiences. You need to know the audience you’re marketing to and writing for. How you write for a consumer audience *might* differ from how you write for a business audience. I say “might” because you have to remember that behind every business is a human being, a.k.a. a consumer. Just because a person is an HR manager, that doesn’t mean they stop being human or responding to things on a human level.

These days, I don’t find much difference in my tone between the two audiences. I think a more relaxed, conversational tone (typical for b2c copywriting) can work well for a b2b audience.

Got a question for the Copy Bitch?

Contact me or visit my YouTube channel and leave a comment on one of my videos. I might make a blog post or video with the answer.