Four steps you can take to resonate with SMEs and founders
If you’re a larger, more corporate support programme or business looking to appeal to SMEs, optimising your content strategy can drive engagement and improve brand trust.
Working at a larger organisation that’s trying to directly appeal to small businesses can sometimes be a challenge.
With so many voices influencing creative decisions, it’s easy to lose touch with the nuances of starting and growing a business. This is especially true if you’re in the midst of a lengthy campaign that requires multiple approval checks from different departments.
There are actionable steps you can take to minimise this risk, however. We’ve put together some simple, useful ways you can ensure that your programme or initiative authentically resonates with your target audience.
Research the pressures of small businesses
People who’ve gone out of their way to launch a business tend to be passionate people that care a great deal about their work.
In order to appeal to and resonate with these smaller companies, you’ll need to demonstrate a genuine, thorough understanding of the realities and challenges this demographic faces.
Make sure to interview founders and business owners within relevant sectors and collect as much information as possible. Market research is essential if you want to demonstrate an in-depth understanding of SMEs. Ask them the following:
What are their ambitions, both long and short term?
Are there specific, urgent challenges that need addressing?
What areas do they need the most help with?
How many staff do they employ?
What other obvious pain points are they likely to have?
Evaluate your marketing channels
Working with small businesses and founders has a fair few advantages compared to bigger brands.
For one, you’re far more likely to actually make a tangible connection with a specific person or department you’re targeting; SMEs are usually more openly available for a chat or business conversation.
You’ll also have a greater chance of a campaign making a tangible impact on a smaller business, provided you fit into their budget.
Examine your marketing channels and consider all possible options to extend your reach. Respect the time of your target demographic and understand that it may take a little while for communication to be converted into sales or programme involvement.
Consider using these channels as part of your marketing:
Specific, optimised demographic targeting within email campaigns
Capitalise on current social trends, phrases and content
Influencer campaigns via short-form content
Referrals via peer-to-peer communication
SEO-tailored content and copy
If you’re part of a major corporation, you may already have a specific branch of your brand that focuses solely on SMEs. We’ve worked with organisations such as Dell and Innovate UK, for example, that create programmes or divisions directly targeting small business owners. If you don’t, consider suggesting or launching one to help focus your efforts.
Need tips for an email marketing campaign? We’ve covered this topic in a previous blog, alongside five ways you can market your startup programme and generate fresh interest.
Establish grassroot connections
Building an understanding of a demographic is always worthwhile, but you should also consider establishing grassroot connections with small businesses relevant to your field.
Sponsoring startup-focused events (such as The Pitch), attending local, in-person meet-ups, and taking part in mentoring sessions can demonstrate to your audience that your programme or brand is genuinely interested in small businesses.
Most of the leading brands engage in this practice in some way. HSBC, IBM, Microsoft, Lloyds, and many others can often be found in the partnerships or sponsorships section of award shows and SME business events. Currys Business is an official partner of The Pitch, for example.
Forging connections with founders in person can also help your programme to build trust, and demonstrate that you’re not just ticking boxes because it has to.
Embrace startup culture within your sub-brand
While most brands won’t overhaul their entire image to solely target SMEs, they may launch a sub-brand, branch or dedicated programme that can deliver more defined marketing for a specific demographic.
Banks such as Santander and Lloyds UK have dedicated programmes for small businesses, for example. UK charity Mind offers a specific small businesses programme, Apple provides resources and tools for SMEs to use across its product range, and Google for Small Businesses offers digital tools for anyone to use.
Operating within one of these smaller divisions sometimes offers more creative freedom compared to wider, overarching company guidelines. Evaluate your own sub-brand and determine whether you’re effectively resonating with startups and their founders.
Consider your use of language, how you address your target audience, and whether or not your image successfully champions the fast-paced environment of SMEs. If your image is overly rigid, corporate or sterile, it could put off potential clients.
SMEs and founders will want to see that their needs can be met and that they will genuinely be listened to. Demonstrate an ability to adapt to the fast-paced nature of startup life. Emphasise the individual and authentically represent the ups and downs of the SMEs you’re looking to work with.
At Inkwell, we create compelling content that connects organisations with startups and small businesses. Get in touch with our team for more details on how we can help your programme or initiative reach more entrepreneurs.
