B2B vs. B2C PR: Why Your Approach Should Be Completely Different

I recently watched a B2B SaaS founder pitch TechCrunch the same way he'd pitch his consumer app idea from three years ago. Emotional storytelling, viral potential, mass market appeal — all the classic B2C playbook moves.

The result? Radio silence.

Three weeks later, his competitor landed a feature story with the exact same product news. The difference? They understood that B2B and B2C PR are fundamentally different games with different rules, different players, and different winning strategies.

The core difference: Who decides vs. who buys

In B2C, the person reading your story is often the person who'll buy your product. They see your smart home device on TechCrunch, they want it, they buy it. Simple.

In B2B, the person reading your story might be a tech journalist, but your buyer is a CTO who doesn't read TechCrunch daily. They read industry publications, attend specific conferences, and make decisions based on peer recommendations and vendor evaluations.

This fundamental difference should change everything about your PR approach.

Media strategy: Broad vs. narrow targeting

B2C: Cast a wide net

B2C PR aims for maximum reach. You want your story in front of as many potential customers as possible. TechCrunch, The Verge, major newspapers — the broader the audience, the better.

Consumer stories work best when they're:

• Relatable to a general audience
• Visually compelling
• Tied to trending topics or cultural moments
• Easy to understand without technical knowledge

B2B: Precision targeting

B2B PR is about reaching the right people, not the most people. A story in a niche industry publication read by 5,000 decision-makers is worth more than a TechCrunch story read by 500,000 consumers.

Smart B2B founders prioritize:

• Industry-specific publications
• Trade publications read by their buyers
• Analyst reports and research firms
• Professional social networks and communities
• Conference speaking opportunities

Story angles: Emotion vs. logic

B2C angles that work:

• Personal transformation: "How this app helped me lose 30 pounds"
• Cultural moments: "The dating app taking Gen Z by storm"
• Celebrity endorsements: "The skincare routine A-listers swear by"
• Viral features: "The photo filter everyone's talking about"
• Lifestyle integration: "The smart home upgrade that changed my life"

B2B angles that work:

• Business outcomes: "How Company X reduced costs by 40%"
• Industry trends: "The security challenges of remote work"
• Regulatory compliance: "New GDPR requirements and your data stack"
• Operational efficiency: "Automating workflows to scale faster"
• Competitive advantage: "The tech stack powering market leaders"

Timing and news cycles

B2C PR can ride viral moments, trending hashtags, and cultural events. A consumer brand can capitalize on a meme, a holiday, or a social media trend with quick turnaround stories.

B2B PR operates on longer cycles tied to:

• Quarterly earnings seasons
• Industry conferences and events
• Regulatory changes and compliance deadlines
• Budget planning cycles (often annual)
• Technology adoption curves

Measuring success differently

B2C PR success often looks like:

• Website traffic spikes
• App downloads
• Social media engagement
• Brand awareness surveys
• Direct sales attribution

B2B PR success looks like:

• Qualified lead generation
• Sales conversations initiated
• Partnership inquiries
• Analyst firm recognition
• Industry thought leadership positioning

The biggest mistakes founders make

B2B founders using B2C tactics:

• Pitching consumer tech journalists about enterprise software
• Focusing on viral potential instead of business value
• Using emotional storytelling for logical buyers
• Measuring success by reach instead of relevance

B2C founders using B2B tactics:

• Over-explaining technical features to consumer audiences
• Targeting niche publications for mass-market products
• Leading with ROI instead of user experience
• Ignoring cultural trends and viral moments

Getting your strategy right

The good news? Once you understand these differences, your PR becomes dramatically more effective.

Start by mapping your buyer's media consumption habits. Where do they get industry news? What publications do they trust? What topics keep them up at night?

Then craft your message accordingly. B2B buyers want to know how you'll make their lives easier, their companies more efficient, or their jobs more secure. B2C buyers want to know how you'll make them happier, more productive, or more connected.

Different audiences, different messages, different strategies — but when you get it right, the results speak for themselves.