Small Business Integrated Marketing: More Focus Is Needed, Especially in the B-To-B Space

Small businesses who operate in the business-to-business space do a lot of things right, but marketing is not one of them. This article will explain why this is the case and explore associated pitfalls and opportunities, as well as give you a definition of b-to-b (business-to-business) marketing and suggest some effective solutions to the problem.

Typically, companies with 20 to 100 employees or so who are in manufacturing, distribution, professional services and the like do not have a marketing manager, and rightly so; these firms are simply too small to justify that position. So the president or general manager is responsible for marketing. This doesn't work very well because that person has more important things to do such as keeping the place running and keeping the doors open. So, there's little or no time for marketing planning or to implement a plan consistently.

First let's define "marketing" as it applies to the b-to-b space. Simply put, marketing is not advertising. Advertising is part of marketing, but a small part.

The correct definition of b-to-b marketing is that it's the integration and orchestration of all of the tactics that go into bringing a product or service to market: marketing research and competitive analysis; face-to-face selling; online support including an optimized website with an SEO (search engine optimization) strategy; downloadable white papers and how-to's; email marketing; trade shows; sales lead generation; a customer retention strategy; sales tools such as brochures and literature and testimonials; online and offline press and publicity. You get the idea: it's not just advertising.

Most small business owners and general managers know they should be doing something to generate business other than shove their salespeople out the door. But they don't get around to those other things, meaning marketing. Suddenly a year has gone by and their sales and market share have suffered. So they scramble to do something like build a new website or try some online advertising. But they have no plan. As the saying goes, "He who fails to plan, plans to fail."

On the other hand, with a well-crafted marketing and advertising plan the business can actually have a strategy to develop a consistent market presence, generate sales leads, create a better brand and retain existing customers. But can the business afford to do this, and how does it get done?

The first part of the answer is, they can't afford to not put a marketing plan in place because their market is full of competitors who can and will beat them in the marketing arena. It's a market-share battleground out there and the best marketer wins.

Another argument for investing in an integrated marketing plan is this: companies pay for legal, IT and accounting services, right? Marketing expertise is no different.

In terms of cost, it comes down to needs. If there hasn't been a formal marketing plan in place for some time and if the company doesn't know where it stands in terms of its status (market share, perception etc.), some research will be needed and a marketing plan should be developed.

The plan will comprise three main components: the company's business objectives; its sales and marketing strategies; and the tactics and media spend necessary to achieve the objectives. Depending on where the company goes to get this done, the cost will probably be between $3,000 and $7,500 for a plan. Then the plan must be implemented.

Where does a company go to get this done? For smaller businesses, it's best to avoid larger ad agencies; those with 50 employees and above. They'll want to work with big marketing budgets, say, $500,000 at minimum. It's also better to work with an agency that specializes in the b-to-b space; they understand the integration referred to above. While it's handy if the agency is local, it doesn't have to be. It's more important that the agency is a good fit for the company.

Another alternative is to contract a good b-to-b marketing consultant to do your research and draft your marketing plan. But have the second step lined up, too: an agency who can implement the plan, ideally a smaller agency specializing in b-to-b marketing. Check their work and get referrals from their clients.

Whatever route you choose, make sure the firm you choose is very knowledgeable in the online space. Today, almost all marketing in the b-to-b space occurs online: information gathering and downloads of white papers and how-to's; organic search results, online ads, web engagement, SEO, email marketing, press, articles, etc.

Actually, this is good news since online marketing and the analytics associated with it are far less costly than the traditional methods b-to-b marketers have been used to such as trade magazines, lavish literature, direct mail and trade shows (not that those traditional tactics should be abandoned.)

So what is the cost for a full-blown integrated marketing plan, media spending and implementation-management by an agency or a consultant?

The best budgeting method is the "task method", meaning determining what tasks need to be done considering your market circumstances, then assigning costs to those tasks and their associated media. It varies by company. That's something a good marketing agency can do for you. If you have a very limited budget a good agency can develop your plan and focus on its most critical tasks, working with a first-year budget as small as $50,000.

But a full-blown integrated marketing-media plan is highly recommended if you want to be a market leader. As a rule of thumb, the higher your gross sales, the less you'll pay as a percentage of your sales. Roughly, if you're a smaller company, say, sales of $5 million or so, count on spending about three percent of your gross sales, or about $150,000. At $10 million in sales, perhaps two percent, or $200,000. At $20 million, probably between one and two percent, so about $300,000.