Is Your B2B Program Boring? Lessons from B2C Programs to Increase Engagement and Fun

For B2B Marketers and Channel Managers, keeping your channel partners motivated and engaged is critical to success. However, many B2B channel engagement programs suffer from a lack of excitement and fail to capture the interest of their participants.

This is where B2B can learn a thing or two from B2C consumer engagement and loyalty. B2C programs must differentiate at the point of sale and capture and maintain valuable attention, often by creating engaging and enjoyable customer experiences.

The Challenge: Boring B2B Programs

We all know the table stakes in channel performance programs: businesses must provide training (enablement), market development funds (MDF), co-marketing support, rebates, and incentives/rewards. Of course, this is on top of delivering great products and partner support services.

But how is channel engagement really going for your company? How do you generate new enthusiasm for your brand? How do you know the program is growing partner relationships and not just giving the business what it would have gotten anyway?

B2B Campaigns With B2C Quality Can Break Through The Noise

As B2B businesses continue to evolve and adapt to the ever-changing landscape, it is becoming increasingly important for them to harness the potential for transformation in their channel engagement initiatives to stand out. These initiatives involve building strong relationships with partners, customers, and stakeholders through various communication channels such as social media, email marketing, webinars, events, etc.

One way to enhance channel engagement is by looking at successful strategies used in B2C programs and applying those lessons to your B2B program. This may seem counterintuitive at first since B2C and B2B markets have distinct characteristics and audiences. However, there are several key elements that both types of businesses can learn from each other when it comes to engaging with their target audience.

By learning from successful strategies from B2C programs, you can inject a new level of fun and engagement into your B2B program. 

Chris Miller, founder of MABL, supports the idea of B2B brands applying B2C concepts to stand apart from the crowd, saying: 

Here are some creative ways to make this transformation a reality, incorporating proven, engaging elements from leading B2C programs.

1. Gamification: Turning Tasks into Challenges

Gamification has been a buzzword in B2C marketing for years, and for good reason. While leaderboards, badges, and progress tracking are now considered mundane and typical, program owners can apply more exciting game science options in B2B contexts.

Research has shown that gamification can increase productivity by up to 50%, improving participant performance and satisfaction (Source: TechReport). Behavioral science supports this statistic with self-determination theory, which suggests that fulfilling intrinsic motivations, like the desire for mastery and autonomy, enhances engagement and productivity (Ryan & Deci, 2000).

“A simple definition of gamification … it's the process of using game thinking and game mechanics to engage audiences and solve problems.” 

-Gabe Zichermann: entrepreneur, author, highly rated public speaker, and gamification thought leader

How to Apply It:

1. Personal Journies: Allow partners to personalize their engagement through customized rule structures that cater to their preferences and goals. This could involve setting individualized targets or offering a variety of tasks to choose from.
2. Missions: Introduce missions where partners can collect sets of items or achieve specific goals that convert to rewards, adding an element of adventure and purpose.
3. Maintaining Streaks: Encourage partners to maintain activity streaks, rewarding consistent engagement and participation.
4. Leveling Up: Provide real opportunities for partners to level up, unlocking new challenges, rewards, and status levels as they progress.

2. Social Proof and Community

Creating a sense of community and leveraging social proof can drive engagement by making participants feel part of something bigger. However, online forums are rarely utilized in a busy workday context. Instead, focus on more practical applications of social proof and community. As demonstrated by Cialdini's principles of persuasion, social proof significantly influences behavior by leveraging the actions and endorsements of others (Cialdini, Robert 2001, "Harnessing the science of persuasion". Harvard Business Review).

This effect is reinforced by the bandwagon effect, where people do something primarily because others who are similar to them are doing it, leading to increased participation (Schmitt‐Beck, The International Encyclopedia of Political Communication). These strategies are not just theoretical, they are practical and can be implemented with confidence.

How to Apply It:

1. Success Studies: Share success studies in live virtual settings and make recordings available for later viewing, allowing partners to earn points for engaging with the content. (note that success studies focus on “how” success was achieved, and not just on one isolated example)
2. Exclusive Access: Offer exclusive behind-the-scenes access to new products and specialists, rewarding partners with points for participation.
3. Advocacy: Entice advocacy activities such as referrals, reviews, and testimonials, by allowing partners to gain exclusive benefits.
   
   

3. Immediate Gratification: Quick Wins

Many research studies indicate timely rewards and clear action steps are critical to maintaining engagement and motivation. In a recent study published by the NIH, immediate rewards actually increase a person’s intrinsic motivation, meaning that the performance lift from “quick wins” reaches far beyond the activity and reward itself.

Kaitlin Woolley, assistant professor of marketing at Cornell, explains: 

In B2C programs, immediate rewards help customers engage and return quickly. For B2B, focus on bigger-picture elements that provide rapid (but not expensive) point-earning opportunities and reinforce desired behaviors. The immediate feedback provided by quick wins aligns with the principles of operant conditioning, which suggest that behaviors followed by positive reinforcement are more likely to be repeated (Skinner, 1953).

How to Apply It:

1. Persona-Based Segmentation: Align early engagement benefits to participant personas, creating customized engagement paths with greater relevance.
2. Rapid Point-Earning Opportunities: Offer opportunities to earn points quickly on an annual or quarterly basis, maintaining a sense of momentum and progress.
3. Triggered 1-to-1 Communications: Use personalized communications to reinforce the right behaviors and connect emotionally with partners, highlighting their achievements and encouraging continued participation.
4. Next-Best Actions: Highlight the next-best actions for partners, ensuring they know what steps to take next to stay on their best reward path.

Transforming B2B Engagement

Incorporating these B2C strategies into your B2B program can make it more engaging and enjoyable for your partners. Advanced gamification techniques, tactical social proof applications, and strategic quick wins can transform your program from boring to exciting.

In a McKinsey article outlining ways to improve the business-to-business customer experience, the authors stated: 

 “While the nature of B2B relationships makes the reform challenge more difficult, with regard to customer and journey complexity, the competitive advantages and significant bottom-line gains that flow from it make the effort worthwhile.” 

Imagine the success that could be waiting for your business. To start revamping your B2B program, consider contacting experts who have successfully applied these principles. At Brandmovers, our technology is pre-built with dynamic and cutting-edge B2C engagement tools that can plug directly into B2B settings. Contact us today to learn how we can help you transform your B2B program and drive greater engagement and success.

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If you're ready to take your loyalty program to the next level and ensure you're targeting and engaging the right customers, reach out to Brandmovers today. Our strategy and design team is here to help you rethink your approach to loyalty, making your programs more effective and meaningful for your audience. Let's start a conversation and transform your customer loyalty strategy. Contact us now to learn more.