Dual networks: businesses and consumers

Advertising is only one type of communication between the consumer and the business. Before building a social network uniting these two worlds (namely, this strategy is now used by Facebook), let's try to understand the types of relationships between them.

Conventionally, communications can be divided into two groups B2C and C2B.

B2C | From business to consumer

• Distribution of company news (PR).
  
• Sales promotion: discounts, special offers, gift offers, free samples.
  
• Loyalty programs (loyalty programs): club cards.
  
• BTL marketing (Below the line marketing): promotions, exhibitions, viral marketing, sponsorship.
  
• Affiliate programs (Affiliate marketing).
  
• Direct marketing : includes B2B communications.
  
• Customer Relationship Management System (CRM): collection, storage and analysis of customer relationship information. Also alert systems and order monitoring.
  

C2B | From consumer to business

• Search by product (Price engine).
  
• Recommendation engine.
  
• Local search (Local search): search for cafes, hairdressers, clubs, doctors, shops. Also mobile local search.
  
• Questions and Answers (Question Answering): technical support services, presales consulting.
  
• Feedback (Feedback): wishlists, feature requests, reviews, ratings.
  
• Search jobs and orders (Freelance).
  

The central component of communication: sales, orders, booking, subscription.
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Questions

1. Do you believe that in one project you can combine all these types of communication?
   
2. Is it possible to successfully implement the tools that perform these functions in existing social networks?
   
3. Who is more difficult to engage in a B2C network: businesses or users? From which market sectors would you start building such a network?
   
4. What kinds of B2C / C2B communications are not listed on my list?