Two Ways Small Business Will Succeed in the (Near) Future

Occasionally I am invited to share thoughts on the future of small business marketing (and in this case, very small business).

The world of the early 21st century is very different from the one even a decade ago.  There is ever more marketing power available to use, especially in terms of technology, and there is more complication and confusion.  Every week I see peers struggle with the current "normal."

There are paths out of the thicket that will become more important to us small businesses.

I think alliances will become critical to the success of small business.  The current model (BNI, leads networking) is based on mutualism: one business striving to help another, but otherwise fully independent and unconnected.  This has all of the limitations one person can have, especially in how effective a person is, what time and resources are available, and so on.  I am seeing signs that these "solopreneurs" especially are entertaining more active partnering to leverage resources and opportunities.  It will most often take the form of related businesses or whatever yields natural synergies.  And the businesses will market in a united framework giving equal weight to each participant.

The other path will take the form of increased use of video.  Small businesses are not finding success in print nor even in flat digital publishing (i.e. standard text-based websites or social media posts.  It is incredibly hard to personalize and stand out in traditional ways.  Video lets a prospect see us, hear about what we do in our words and with our own emotions.  It has become very inexpensive to produce video and video can easily be disseminated online.  And it lends itself beautiful to mobile devices.  Even those who are bashful about being "seen" can speak into a microphone while text and graphics amplify the message.

The Bottom Line:  The marketplace is complicated and frustrating but we are seeing clearly how some new ways of organizing and displaying can change our game.  Think about how you can pair up with a logical ally and use video to stand out.

Aligning To Trends: What's The Way To Go?

No matter the era, it is a given that many if not most marketers will align their presentations, products and services to trends.  I vividly remember a late 80s trend when manufacturers scrambled to make their products "clear", when ads first touted low-fat and low-calory, and so many more.  Nowadays there is a strong "sustainability" trend with subplots involving "organic" and "local" accents.  A question arises: is it worth getting on the bandwagon?

It's a tough one.  On the one hand, we want our products and services to adapt to the market lest we find ourselves out of business.  But on the other hand, consumers, I think, can spot the phony adaptations and claims.

I'm firmly in the camp of those who see value in aligning to trends only where it's plausible and necessary.  To market, say, fried chicken and biscuits under a "gluten free" banner is just plain silly.  But if I am in a zone where my product is highly competitive and can be adapted, say, if I sell soup and salad, I might want to adjust the menu accordingly to arguably healthy alternatives.

Furthermore, if I made changes that make sense, I'd caution toning down the advertising.  I confess to be automatically suspicious when a marketing campaign trumpets from the heavens some alignment to a hot trend, as if it was a major triumph.  Something softer, perhaps a second-level notice that says "...and check out our latest X which has less Y and tastes amazing" gets the job done without so much patronizing bloviation.

Last of all, think hard about any change in product or advertising that aligns to a trend.  Remember that the trends come and go, and a mistake will cost your brand dearly.  Keep up but don't move with a mindless herd.