5 links to sort out the B-side product operation framework

Currently, many companies that develop B-side products do not engage in product operations . Only some companies that make Sass products will specialize in operations-related work.

The reason why many B-side product companies do not engage in product operations is usually that they believe that the operation of B-side products can bring limited value to the company. Instead of investing resources in operations, it is better to strengthen channel construction.

Many B-side products believe that product operation is about content construction, user maintenance and event planning. Apart from user maintenance, the input-output ratio of other content is too low.

In fact, content construction, user maintenance and event planning are all methods of product operation. The essence of product operation is to achieve established product indicators through various means. As for methods, they are just the representation of work content. Therefore, for B-side products, channel construction is also operation. In a broader sense, marketing is operations.

For C-end products, the indicators of the five links of the AARRR model (Acquisition, Activation, Retention, Revenue, Refer) are the core goals of product operations.

The indicators for B-end products are much simpler and more direct, namely the performance of the company's products, or more directly, sales.

Relatively speaking, the operation of C-end products emphasizes the operation methods, and requires unique skills to complete various data indicators. B-side operations do not focus on methods and techniques. Each link is relatively fixed, and the operation competition is about using the methods better.

Operation Object

The users and potential users of C-end products are the operation objects of C-end products. The target customers of B-side products are mainly customers with whom we have already established contact.

For users of C-end products, the operating scope is usually divided using the AARRR model. Users are equivalent, but they are in different life cycles.

Customers of B-side products are usually divided according to their responsibilities. Customers are not equal, and the higher the position, the higher the value to operations.

The operating objects of B-side products are mainly divided into three categories: customers with decision-making power, administrator customers, and business customers.

1. Customers with decision-making power are the core objects of B-side product operations. These customers are usually the management or bosses of the client company, and they have the right to decide whether to purchase and use our products. This type of customer's demands are mainly about the overall performance of the company and business, and they focus on the overall performance of the product. The results of this type of customer operations will be directly reflected in the sales of B-side products.
2. Administrator customers are customers who will serve as system administrators in B-side products. This type of customer will directly affect the operation and usage experience of B-side products. There are some tasks that require him to cooperate with us.
3. Business customers are the actual users of B-side products. They are usually the executors of the client's business. Business customers typically focus on what value a product can bring to them. The core demand of business customers is their own performance.

When designing an operation plan for a B-side product, it is important to clearly identify the target objects of the operation.

Operational Framework

When operating B-side products, it is necessary to establish a framework and then adopt corresponding methods in each link of the framework. We use this framework to guide operations to improve product performance.

The operational framework of B-end products is the path from market channels to product dissemination. Similar to how the C-end builds a framework model based on the user's life cycle, the B-end builds a framework model based on the process of the product itself and the customer's contact.

The framework of B-end products is divided into five parts. They are opening up channels, customer service, brand building, word-of-mouth communication, and content delivery. All operation methods are distributed in these five links, and operation work is also carried out based on these five links.

This article mainly discusses the framework and ideas of B-side customer operations, not a detailed method. Originally, the B-side operation methods are relatively fixed. For example, for word-of-mouth communication, there are only two or three channels for a product to spread, and the same is true for competing products.

1. Open up channels

The main purpose of opening up channels is to reach customers. Through operations, we can find target customers and convert them into product customers. Of course, the best operation is to make customers come to you on their own initiative. For B-end products, opening up channels is highly dependent on the company's market resources and the market operations of its business personnel. Channels directly affect product sales.

1. Customer Service

Customer service mainly serves as an auxiliary means for products to achieve rapid implementation of products and realize product value transformation. The main purpose of customer service is to improve customer satisfaction with the product. Customer service mainly implements product services from four aspects: customer training, program implementation, exception response processing, and post-maintenance. For Sass products, customer service is also related to the product renewal rate.

In the process of customer service, it is very important to maintain the relationship with major customers and old customers. The customer acquisition cost for B-side products is usually very high. Therefore, how to serve major customers and old customers requires careful study.

In the process of customer service, it is best to establish a set of standardized processes to handle various service processes. Usually, we have standardized processes such as solution implementation, bug handling, and post-maintenance.

1. Brand Building

In the process of expanding the market for B-end products, in addition to channel resources, the most important thing is brand. Because B-side products are deeply connected to businesses, the value of many products is difficult to intuitively display to customers. Only when the product is put into business can customers feel the value of the product. All brands that can endorse products are usually popular with customers and help convey the value of the product. The essence of brand communication is to enhance the influence of products and shape product value.

1. Word of mouth

Word-of-mouth communication means that when a product creates value for users and is recognized by users, we need to spread this content in the form of cases. Similar to brand building, the purpose of word-of-mouth communication is also to endorse our products through customer cases. Especially well-known companies in the industry have a lighthouse effect. Many times, the products used by competitors are more attractive to customers. Word-of-mouth communication can greatly improve the conversion rate for B-side products.

1. Content delivery

After completing the brand building and having a certain reputation, we can try to put some content on social platforms in terms of operations.

Content delivery, to put it bluntly, is the delivery of soft articles and advertisements. Usually, content delivery and B-side product operations are only targeted at products with a certain customer base. When delivering content, it is important to create a good customer profile to ensure accurate delivery. For some B-side products in relatively closed fields, the value of content delivery is relatively limited. Therefore, content delivery must be strategically planned in advance.

at last

The goal of B-side product operations is to increase product sales. The core indicators of various operating methods are either to improve customers' "value expectations" or "satisfaction".

The five links of the operation framework are not strictly dependent on each other, but also promote each other. For example, brand building, word-of-mouth communication and content delivery can all help build channels.

Author: Lu Xiaoai

Source: Lu Xiaoai (luxiaoai2017)