Engage Small Businesses to Reap Big Rewards

By Angela Griffey, Senior Account Executive, Corporate, Edelman Atlanta, and Marisa Puthoff, Group Head, Corporate, Edelman Atlanta

How to reach one of the most powerful target audiences in America

Time-starved. Vastly diverse in size and demographic. Craving interaction with their peers and experts. These are just a few characteristics of the 27.9 million small-to-medium business (SMB) owners in the U.S.¹ Don’t let the ‘small’ fool you, though – SMBs are the driving force behind the U.S. economy. U.S. SMBs employ nearly 68 million workers – approximately half of all private-sector jobs. Additionally, this sector has generated between 60 to 80 percent of all new jobs annually over the past decade, according to the U.S. Small Business Administration.

Clearly, given their reach, SMBs are an audience that should not be ignored. While no two small businesses have the same needs, there are some basic rules of engagement that companies would be wise to follow to reach this target audience.

1. Get social. SMBs are increasingly using social media to strengthen their customer relationships. Recent data shows that 73 percent are engaging with customers on Facebook, 61 percent on LinkedIn, 55 percent on Twitter, 47 percent on YouTube and 44 percent on Google+. To reach this audience on line, companies should have a team dedicated to digital outreach and search for related conversations on social networks. Be forewarned: Businesses that engage with SMB owners should be prepared for dialogue versus a one-way conversation. They must provide valuable content, instead of marketing or sales materials.
2. Provide value and insights to help them grow.  Any company outreach should be relevant to the individual SMB, its business evolution and its bottom line. At UPS, for example, the company provides an online resource center for SMBs to help them go global. One tool is the Snapshot for Small Business, a series of guides designed to help tap emerging markets by providing general knowledge, fresh insight and links to additional resources. To get started, consider housing a similar SMB resource center on your website. 
3. Leverage ‘peer-influencers’ to get your message out. SMB owners thrive on interaction with peers and industry experts. Large companies should consider partnering with ”peer-influencers,” SMB advocates with high visibility on traditional and social media, to reach this target audience. Individuals including Mike Michalowicz of Toilet Paper Entrepreneur, Melinda Emerson (aka Small Biz Lady) or Carol Roth have a massive SMB following and will partner with brands to spread the word about a product or initiative of value to the community.

With so many entities fighting for a share of voice with this target market, businesses would be wise to spend the time and resources needed to best engage with the SMB audience; otherwise, they will be left behind by the competition, and shut out by the customer. 

1.        U.S. Census Bureau, SUSB and Nonemployer Statistics.