small business marketing: is there really a secret sauce

© 2013 Deluxe Enterprise Operations, Inc. All rights reserved. Proprietary and Confidential.

SMALL BUSINESS

MARKETINGIs there really a secret sauce?

Saint Paul Chapter – Mentors Meeting, October,

2013


WHAT WE’LL COVER

• Deluxe’s relationship with SCORE • Trends in online marketing• An approach to deciding the best

way to attract new customers to your client’s business

• A very real case study• Online marketing tips and ideas


SCORE & The Deluxe Foundation

Over $1 million to SCORE since 2009

• Development of standardized training methodology for SCORE mentors

• Recruitment of SCORE counselors

• Public Service Announcements (PSAs) in 2012


SCORE & Deluxe Small Business – longtime friends!

5 Cities, 5 Days

SM

10 Entrepreneurs, 12 Months

National Leadership Conference


SCORE & Deluxe Small Business – ProjectREV

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wuiJTDPcqts

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wuiJTDPcqts


Small Business Trends: Five Noteworthy Online Marketing Areas

Source: Search Engine Journal, September 2013

Content Driven SEO

Mobile Devices

Higher Design & Usability

Video Production

Social Media Audiences


Small Business Trends: Marketing

Half of SMBs spend less than 5% on Marketing

56% of small businesses don’t track any results

Equating to marketing budgets less than $250/mo

Only 1 out of 2 small businesses have a website. Roughly 60-90%

of small businesses use social media.

Source: eMarketer, 2013


Small Business Trends: Pain Points

Compe

tition

from

larg

e

Cash

flow

Poor s

ales

Gover

nmen

t req

uire

men

ts

Quality

of la

bor

Taxes

Cost o

f labo

r

Cost &

ava

ilabi

lity o

f Insu

ranc

e

Finan

ce &

inte

rest

rate

s

Infla

tion

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

2009 2011 2013

Source: CEB Research, July 2013


WHERE TO START?

Why is Marketing such a challenge?– Most entrepreneurs don’t really want to do it– What worked for someone else, probably won’t

work for others

WHAT IS YOUR CLIENT’S

SITUATION?


YOUR CLIENT’S SITUATIONLEADS YOU TO WHAT WORKS

• Who is your customer?• What’s the buying

process?• Emotional or rational

decision?• How risky is this

purchase?• How do they currently

get product?• How often do they buy?• Do they tend to be

loyal?• What really matters to

them?

Situation Analysis

Marketing Objectives

The PlanBest

tactics


FENTON FAMILY EYECARE

Situation Analysis

• People who need vision correction – or a family member of the person

• In person; have to see how frame looks/feels; likely to check reputation/recommendations online

• Both – can be a fashion and a vision decision

• Medium – glasses are expensive; offset by guarantee

• Most likely they already have an established habit

• Infrequently. Keep a long time

• Probably. Tricky challenge if you are the new guy

• It is all about TRUST

• Who is your customer?

• What’s the buying process?

• Emotional or rational decision?

• How risky is this purchase?

• How do they currently get product?

• How often do they buy?

• Do they tend to be loyal?

• What really matters to them?

Mary Helton25 year employee of AB – job eliminatedOpens optometrist practice with sister in 2010


FENTON FAMILY EYECARE: THE PLAN

Situation Analysis

Marketing Objectives The Plan

Best Tactics

• INFREQUENTLY purchased, EXPENSIVE product; both functional and fashionable

• Not easy to draw customers away from current supplier

• Big national advertisers who will easily win on price

• New Guy in Fenton

• Presentations to docs with COOKIES*

• Educational seminars*

• Nursing homes• Schools

• Reach new residents

• Social media• Basic identity

materials*

• A piece of paper

• The schedule

• Need to build AWARENESS and develop TRUST• Build relationships

with influencers • Differentiate from

national chains• Be easy to find• Look

professional and established

• Penetrate the community

Mary HeltonCo-owner: Fenton Family Eyecare


FENTON FAMILY EYECARE RESULTS

• Patient count increased from 800 to 1400

• Avg. monthly sales up + 28% • Hired two new employees to

handle increased patient load


SUSTAINABLE GROWTH STARTS WITH THE CORE BUSINESS

The essentials of your client’s company– Most profitable customers– Most differentiating capabilities– Most critical product offerings– Most important channels

Most companies underestimate the growth potential of their core

Most successful companies achieve most of their growth by expanding into adjacencies that reinforce the core


Online Tips and Resources

deluxe.com/webinars



Deluxe.visibilityscore.com



getlisted.org


A Local St. Paul Business: 128 Cafe


FINAL THOUGHTS . . .

• Marketing – no secret sauce, but….– Situation Analysis will keep efforts focused – Planning is essential, front and center, flexible– Measurement is key

Low-cost and no-cost tools exist– Requires time investment– Foundational knowledge needed– Help is there for those needing to outsource or

partner


QUESTIONS?

Learn More:- Visit www.deluxe.com - Attend Free Webinars at

www.deluxe.com/webinars- Get an online scan

www.deluxe.visibilityscore.com

Contact: [email protected] @JulieG_Deluxe

http://www.deluxe.com/

http://www.deluxe.com/webinars

http://www.deluxe.visibilityscore.com/

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