Exec.Summary.
I am writing this with two hats on – firstly as a B2B marketing practitioner who’s actively focussed on engaging SMB’s (on behalf of our clients) and secondly as the co-owner of an SMB itself. I’m both brand and target audience. As a result I feel well placed to provide some commentary and thoughts around what is a fascinating and evolving area of B2B Marketing.
In the current economic climate the millions of UK small to medium sized businesses have become increasingly attractive and increasingly important to large B2B brands who have historically focussed on the large corporate. Revenue and profit growth from the enterprise sector is by no means a sure thing so the need to diversify and look outside of the usual suspects has become a matter of course – a matter of survival. However, whether they know it or not, there is a multitude of challenges facing organisations who are looking to come down the food chain and successfully engage with the SMB. Size and brand presence alone cannot be relied upon to open doors and in some instances may possibly work against a brand. You then have the businesses (often SMB’s themselves) that are seasoned professionals of selling into this space having to now work harder to be heard as they jostle for position with new entrants into the market. All in all it makes for a very interesting dynamic
Whether you’re a new kid on the SMB marketing block or a well-versed veteran you will live or die by your ability to truly understand the SMB audience and what makes them tick.
Challenges.Observations.
Get Personal
“People by people” is a phrase that rings oh so true in the SMB space. You need to think about giving your brand a face and a personality. Exposing the ‘real people’ that work in your organisation should comfort SMB’s that they’ll get a personal and tailored service. SMB’s tend to be more emotionally driven, the business owners are closer to the surface and when they make those crucial decisions like ‘who to buy from’ they want to see the whites of your eyes – be that virtually or otherwise.
Autoglass: Putting a name and face to a brand in an effort to ‘humanise’ its offering to SMB’s
Jack Be Nimble
SMB’s, whilst not having endless cash reserves to call upon in tough times do have the huge advantage of being agile and highly responsive to market conditions. This ‘jack be nimble’ mind-set is a quality that many SMB’s look to see mirrored in the partners and suppliers they work with. The prospect of dealing with what they might perceive to be an inflexible and faceless behemoth isn’t attractive to the SMB on many levels. When decision are made they want quick and decisive action from a partner, not a long and protracted process that will slow them down.
NatWest Business Banking: Doesn’t really inspire a sense of a true business-to-business, person-to-person relationship. Dry, cold and templatised.
Choose Your Words Carefully
If you have a complex product or service think about the language you use to describe it. Management speak or overly technical, jargon rich copy won’t cut it. You are not selling to a specialist professional like a CFO or a Procurement Director but more often than not an ‘all rounder’, one who needs a clean and digestible journey through your proposition
Honesty is the best policy
If you are aware that there are misconceptions surrounding your brand or offering don’t try to hide it away or skirt around the edges, tackle it head on. SMB’s appreciate honesty and frankness and in return you’ll gain respect and their attention.
Show me you understand my world
Being an SMB can be an incredibly challenging and sometimes lonely place. You face a myriad of different challenges as you go through your growing pains and your size whilst a strength at times can be a real hindrance at others. You want to work with people who understand this, can identify with this and ultimately help you through this. Brands that can build this level of empathy with the SMB will undoubtedly create a strong connection.
FedEx: They may be big but they’re still human beings. Sharing the pain with the SMB.
MoneyPenny: Through fronting the real SMB’s they work with instilling confidence in their audience
smb.experience
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Retained digital agency for Office Depot and Viking Direct for 4 years helping them drive key market initiatives into the SMB sector
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Retained digital agency for RBS (NatWest and Lombard) specifically focussed on delivery of retention and acquisition digital campaigns into small businesses
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B2B Marketing Award winners 2011 & 2012 for work in the SMB sector
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http://thoughts.purestone.co.uk/consumerisation-of-b2b/1/smartcasual
strategy•sme marketing•smb marketing•b2b marketing
