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What are the top three things that SMBs can do today to market like their enterprise counterparts?
Thanks to cloud computing, more and more, experts insist that the gap between SMB and enterprise marketing sophistication is closing. What are three things every SMB should do to market like their enterprise counterparts? Are there any free or low cost services that SMBs can take advantage of?
Answers may be included in an upcoming report.
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4 Answers
1. Have a professional looking website. Many SMB's have a web presence where they have an immediate opportunity to draw in prospects and tell their story--but if your site is poorly organized and presented, the business disconnect happens immediately. There are templates that are inexpensive and tools that let you update content easily--companies can look like big budget enterprise firms with some effort. Don't have outdated content, like pictures of old technology and computers, your last company update was in 2007, etc.
2. Communicate. There are lots of inexpensive or free email platforms to at least stay in touch and send prospects valuable information, build your brand. VerticalResponse, MailChimp, Constant Contact, are a few. Blogs, LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, and many social media sites are free or near free--make sure to leverage all of those with consistent content and link them all for larger impact.
3. Persistent Marketing. SMB's may be dependent on a fewer number of clients, if they lose one or two the impact can be severe. Don't wait until you need clients to look for them. Keep your marketing effort constant and effective. Dedicate time to develop pipeline even when you think you don't need it. Keep your site and marketing messages fresh, your content updated and relevant.
I'd like to add to Mari Anne's excellent post.
1. YouTube videos. These can be everything from thought leadership to product demos to customer interviews/testimonials. The video links can be included in the website, email campaigns, social media, etc. Cheap and effective. YouTube videos should not be high production pieces - it's all about the content.
2. Webinars. Webinar platforms like BrightTalk are great ways of sharing experiences and thought leadership. Don't do product demo webinars. Audiences are interested in customer webinars and thought leaders. Ask a blogger or author to do a webinar for you, most will not ask for an honorarium and will help you promote the webinar. Just make sure that your target audience aligns with theirs.
3. Partnerships. Find complementary businesses that would be open to a referral fee arrangement or businesses that could resell your services/products under their brand. More feet on the street is a good thing.
I agree with both Mari Anne and Christine. And let me add one more critical factor...
Across all fronts, you really need to hone your marketing MESSAGE.
Rather than the generic "buy our wonderful stuff" message that most companies put out, your message needs to consistently DIFFERENTIATE you from your competitors. Because that's the one thing that a potential buyer really wants to know: What have you got that's different and special.
It's hard to do. Very few marketers do it right. But it's essential.
Al Shultz
Al Shultz Advertising
http://www.alshultz.com/
It's not about tools or channels. There are three things small businesses can do that big businesses often cannot:
1. Make It Personal
Build direct relationships with your customers. You can do it in scalable ways via Twitter and other social channels, but dig in and create personal relationships. Get to know your customers, respond to their content, celebrate their achievements. Big businesses don't prioritize this nor do they have the resources for it. Your customers can be your most powerful marketing channel if you pay attention, give them feedback, and make them feel special.
2. Create Amazing Content
Written, video, webinar - these formats and more may all be relevant. What's more important is making sure your content focuses on your customer - their needs, their priorities, their interests. Make your content as accessible and sharable as possible. An investment in great, consistent content will cost you a fraction of a traditional marketing campaign, but will get you far better results over time.
3. React and Adapt Quickly
The market is constantly changing. Your customers, their needs, their whims. Big businesses set a course and have a hard time changing speeds or directions. Small businesses can stay nimble enough to react quickly. When you can react to market conditions and customer demands more quickly, you prove yourself more capable than a company with exponentially more resources and market share.
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