When talking about marketing or communication strategies, it seems that the message is always directed at large companies and multinationals that “can afford” that type of business. It is quite a mistake to think like that. Both large and small and medium-sized companies (SMEs) need to establish a plan that guides all their workers towards the goal they want to achieve.
In Spain, more than 1.2 million SMEs and 1.5 million self-employed people are currently in operation, which represents almost all of the companies registered with Social Security. Many of them have never followed a marketing strategy or have never even thought about developing one. The main drawback they see is the budget, and comparisons with large companies influence this. That’s when we encounter another failure. Just as multinationals spend millions on their production, smaller companies spend what is necessary for theirs. The same thing happens with marketing, budgets adapt to needs.
Another problem that entrepreneurs in this sector face is that they are tired of hearing what they have to do, but no one has explained to them how. Therefore, the best option is to trust a company with experience. We return to the problem of price, but it is not good to see a contract as an expense, but as a recoverable and profitable investment. Marketing professionals will know how to optimize the budget to drive the business to the top.
And with the money issue resolved, let’s seewhy SMEs really need a marketing plan.
You have to be better than the competition
With such a high number of SMEs in the country, there are many nearby companies competing in the same sector. To stand out among all of them, a clear action strategy is needed. Study the competition, both those who are successful to know what works, and those who are not to avoid doing the same. The first step to attract attention is to have a clear identity and know how to show it to others. In this way the brand will have more presence and voice in its segment of activity.
Being visible is essential
There is no point in having good products and differentiating yourself from the competition if no one notices it. It is essential to have a presence in the channels through which the audience is distributed: social networks, media, street signage… Each company must study where its potential customers are and address them directly. Of course, any company existing in this century, regardless of its target audience, has to be present on the Internet. And that is not expensive at all, what really costs is the creativity and talent of knowing what to do in each situation.
Beauty is inside
This phrase couldn’t be more true for marketing. No matter how good the strategy is and no matter how big the budget, if internal communication does not work, the plan goes down the drain. It is as important that the public has a good image of the business as it is that the workers act in unison. There is no point in creating an advertising campaign with a set objective if the idea is not transmitted among the people who make up the company. That is why it is also important to establish a communication system within it.
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