1. Marketing
for SMEs
Taking planned action gets results
2. What is marketing?
Customer
Product/Service Sales Performance
Your Business
RELATIONSHIPS
Financial Distribution
Management Channels
Business Goals
Taking planned action gets results
3. Marketing Planning Process?
Business Goals
Financial Vision
Marketing Strategy
Branding Communications
Marketing Planning
Service/product development Creative and Media
Taking planned action gets results
4. Issues for SMEs
vBusiness idea Marketing Uncertainty
vPersonality of Ø Driven by sales
business owner
“follow the income”
vSkills Ø Enter marketing at comms
vExpertise level
vKnowledge Ø Seek PULL marketing
Taking planned action gets results
5. Where does a small business start?
Brand = Faith Brand Audit
‘believing in something
you cannot see’ qCore Values
qPersonal SWOT
Ø Starts with YOU qBrand personality
Ø Embodies your
business relationships qBrand image
Ø Your filter for decision qPositioning
making
Taking planned action gets results
6. Where does a small business start?
Target market
Choices
• Who are your different types of customers?
• Link to your financial goals
• Ease/speed of access
• Relevance of current offering
• Level of investment
• Barriers to purchase
• Purchasers and/or influencers
Taking planned action gets results
7. Marketing Message
Embodies key benefit(s) that engage customer
• Benefits vs Features
• Perceptions vs Reality
• Tap into customer needs and wants
• Tailor to target groups
• What role is message going to play in your marketing media –
Awareness? Credibility?
• Role of message: Straplines/Body text/Visual imagery etc
It’s your Brand Voice
Opening/Engaging/Closing dialogue with your customer
Taking planned action gets results
8. Choice of media/comms
Evaluate:
• Purchasing context – where go to for information
• Importance of influencers
• Purchasing emotion e.g.: considered? distressed? advisory?
• Importance of service and personal relationship
• Role of media in building your brand
Service key for majority of small businesses?
Credibility critical ~ Pull Marketing key
Push marketing key for business growth
Taking planned action gets results
9. Balance of Push-Pull
Credibility Awareness Purchasing Decision
PUSH PUSH/PULL PULL/PUSH Credibility + Awareness +
‘Brand establishment’ ‘Brand development’ Timing = SALE
Networking Advertising
Credibility = CONSISTENCY
Speaking Direct mail
Writing Email marketing
Awareness = REPETITION
Blogs Telemarketing
PR PR
Timing = RELEVANCE
Social media Digital
Small businesses growth Medium/Larger businesses
Taking planned action gets results
10. Is marketing measureable?
PUSH PULL
Investment Cost
Evaluation qualitative Quantitative
Measure quality and value Measure ROI
•Qualitative research explores perceptions •Measure response levels using a range of
•Customer service/satisfaction techniques
•Quantify image perceptions and likelihood to
buy etc.
Taking planned action gets results
11. Hence…..
Marketing Mix fundamental:
• Combination of media channels to reach target groups
(purchasers and influencers)
• Medium to reflect marketing strategy balance:
Credibility + Awareness
• Media to reflect buying process and decision-making
• Important when planning to consider the importance of
consistency and repetition – budget to work most effectively
Taking planned action gets results
12. Developing Marketing Comms strategy
Credibility
PUSH
Awareness
PULL
Target
Market
FOCUS
Your
Brand
Media and Message
Brand Voice
Taking planned action gets results
