It’s no secret that small business owners wear many hats, and one of the most important is the head of marketing. In the early days of building a business, marketing is everything. It helps create proof of concept for your product or service, it’s baked into your business plan, and you can’t grow without it.
But what I find most exciting about the marketing done by small and midsize businesses (SMBs) is that their brand is a manifestation of the passion they have for their product or service. The energy, dedication, and innovation of SMBs is so inspiring, and these skills come to life in each customer touch point, including in the way they build their brand and market their business.
I’ve spent my career in marketing—on the agency side and inside major brands—but some of the most salient marketing lessons I’ve learned were during the years I owned and ran my own small business.
What I learned then, and what I continue to see every day in my work serving SMBs, is that you don’t need big budgets, big teams, or a global presence to be successful when it comes to building a great brand. In fact, according to research, nearly half of SMBs handle marketing efforts entirely on their own. How do they do it? What’s their secret to building a great, authentic brand?
Why Small Businesses Are Great at Marketing
Here are three things I think SMBs do really well when it comes to branding and marketing:
1. SMBs Know Their Customers
No one knows their customers better than an SMB owner—not just because they’re passionate about their company, but because their customers, who are often friends and members of their community, provide a tight feedback loop. The relationship goes above and beyond the transaction, which allows SMBs to understand new needs, hear feedback firsthand, and promote what’s working.
I’ve seen this in action with one of our customers, Generation Teach, a nonprofit organization that is on a mission to end racial injustice and inequity in education by creating communities where generations of students, teachers, and leaders learn, grow, and develop.
They fund hundreds of teaching fellows each year, but their support goes beyond dollars. Bee Nance, the chief operating officer, goes in person to Generation Teach sites and builds relationships with students and teachers. As Bee says, “When I’m with our students, teaching fellows, professional teachers, and families, they can see me as a person of color, someone who looks like them, and they can feel comfortable.” Her presence is what helps her better know and serve her community.
Most successful small businesses I know prioritize this proximity to customers. It’s one of the natural advantages SMBs have over big companies. SMBs are able to build lasting and trusted relationships, and through this, serve their customers better.
2. SMBs Share Stories Authentically
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When I opened my own small business selling children’s items, I knew I needed to build a brand and marketing strategy that went beyond me as the business owner. I needed to promote my products, speak to my customers and enable scale with my business.
Even with my marketing background, this wasn’t easy! Figuring out how to most efficiently and effectively build awareness amongst my target audience wasn’t obvious. There was lots of trial and error before determining where and how to reach them. It was also important to refine my own value proposition—why should someone shop with me versus an alternative? Luckily, I had daily focus groups (really, it was just talking to customers!) where I got valuable insight to adjust and learn.
But this dynamic isn’t unique to me. SMBs are great at marketing because they are deeply and personally invested and passionate about their businesses. After all, you don’t start a business, and pour your time, energy and resources into it, unless you are genuinely committed. This authenticity often comes through in SMB brand and marketing, and it’s really powerful.
Your brand must be true to who you are and your mission, or it’s game over. Customers are very discerning, and when a business acts or behaves in ways that don’t align with its mission or purpose, it shows—and quickly. Most SMBs understand this intrinsically, and it’s what makes them so effective in building and promoting their own brands.
3. SMBs Are Always Evolving and Innovating Their Brand
Successful SMBs don’t stay static—they can’t afford to. SMBs are on the frontlines in their local communities and their markets, and so they know firsthand what makes their products or services special and valuable. This resilience also means they’re always evolving and innovating to stand out from the crowd and keep their competitive advantage.
An example of evolution comes from another customer, Dagne Dover, a mission-based company that designs stylish “problem-solving bags.” The female-founded company opened its first brick-and-mortar store in New York City in March 2020. Then the pandemic hit. Cofounders Deepa Gandhi, Jessy Dover, and Melissa Mash created a coalition called Brands for Better to give back communities and people who were hit hardest, later adding a checkout donation feature for groups needing support. They also made adjustments to their product line. With people no longer “on the go” in the same way, they began promoting fanny packs that could carry masks, sanitizers, and wallets for quick trips to the store.
At a time when customers felt financial stress and had to scrutinize purchases, Dagne Dover was able to create something valuable for their customers: a relationship-building moment from a company that understood what their customers were going through. This ethos led to a loyal following and business success that continues to grow.
Not all businesses can move as nimbly or quickly as SMBs, but every business can learn from their commitment to creating value and loyalty. This focus on value and loyalty flows through to how SMBs market their products and services, and ultimately makes them masters at branding.
Why I Champion SMBs
Small businesses are scrappy and energizing. They’re the underdogs and pillars of our communities that we all love to support. Their creativity, authenticity, and grit show up, not only in the way they serve their customers, but also in the way they build their brands and promote their business.
For SMBs, business is personal. And for that reason alone, the brands that SMBs build are some of the strongest, most innovative, and enduring I’ve seen. It’s why I’ll always be a champion for SMBs.
About the Author
Post by: Sarah Acton
Sarah Acton brings more than 25 years of experience in marketing and brand-building work in both consumer and business markets. Prior to BILL, she led marketing and sales at Athos, a wearables company in the athletic performance space. Sarah was also responsible for global brand oversight during pivotal periods of growth at LinkedIn and consumer marketing leadership at Yahoo!. An entrepreneur at heart, Sarah was the owner of a small retail business where she had firsthand experience with the rewards and challenges of running a business. Sarah holds an MBA from Northwestern University, Kellogg School of Management.
Company: BILL
Website: www.bill.com
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