If you run a small business you'll know how hard it is to attract new customers and maintain relationships with existing ones. New research highlights which tactics work better than others. This post highlights the communication tactics you should you focus on.
Research undertaken in August 2012 provided some useful insights into the type of content businesses are producing to engage with customers. “B2B Content Marketing: 2012 Benchmarks, Budgets, and Trends—North America” was produced by MarketingProfs and the Content Marketing Institute. Whilst the sample (1416 respondents) consisted of business-to-business marketing professionals based in North America, the findings offer value to marketing professionals and owners of small and medium sized businesses in Europe too.
One of the most eye-catching charts highlighted the tactics which were being used the most. The top ten were identified as:
The research says that all tactics have seen an increase in use over the previous twelve months (except for print magazines). However, the most rapid growth came from tactics not in the top ten, notably, research reports, videos and mobile content.
Looking at the findings, one can’t help but assume that the same content is being distributed in multiple ways. Many respondents appear to be publishing through as many channels as are available, possibly as no clear channel has yet emerged as more beneficial than another.
Furthermore, the highest quoted tactics tend to act more as a push media channel rather than a true content marketing tactic, which tends to confuse matters. Re-allocating the stated tactics under different headings helps.
Looking at the categories listed it’s possible to split them into something more meaningful:
One question to ask about this is whether these channels align to the level of effort required to use them (with posting on social media being the easiest)? If this is the case then these findings are as one would expect.
Between a quarter and a third of respondents continue to use traditional media vehicles to attract customers. The In-Person Events is particularly interesting. Could this be due more to the fact that it also aligns with the preference of the sales force? Budget allocation will be more likely if the Sales Director supports face-to-face events.
This chart focuses more closely on content types used in digital environments. The first two mentions should perhaps be discounted as they may just be vehicles to publish the other content assets underneath (from case studies to ebooks).
Implications
Just publishing / posting content on web or blog sites can be a waste of time and effort unless the content has been carefully created, includes appropriate keywords and is aligned to a specific audience. It takes considerable effort. The same research claimed that the biggest challenge for respondents was producing enough content. That’s a statement from marketing professionals so it will be even more of a challenge for owners of small and medium sized businesses.
So, where should you be focussing your marketing attention?
The most effective options are probably:
* Case studies of successful customer / order implementations
* Customer testimonials or endorsements
* Articles highlighting how your product/service overcomes a customer pain point
Most sales people and SME owners will have first-hand experience of these as part of their day-to-day running of the business. Candidates are likely to be easy to identify and the key points of relevance to a potential audience should be quick to define.
As a minimum, publish these on your website, blog area and on any social media platforms you support. It’s also worth considering a mention about the latest case study in your email address area that links to your site. If funds are available, promote each new case study / article in digital newsletters and any hard copy printed materials you may be producing for trade shows and other customer facing events too.
This type of self-promotion is critical to all enterprises whatever the size, so if creating this type of content doesn’t come naturally to you, consider using external sources to help you create and distribute it.
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