| |
|
 |
 |
|
 |
| |
Segmenting SMBs: Divide and Conquer
We have seen increasing interest in market segmentation recently, driven in large part by pressures to improve messaging and acquisition. Here are a few key points to keep in mind as you consider an SMB segmentation initiative:
- Why segment? Knowing who your best customers are lets you:
- Identify prospects with similar characteristics, improving acquisition ROI
- Develop more relevant communications, increasing customer retention
- Differentiate your offerings
- Prioritize new product/feature development efforts
- Optimize pricing and service options
- Design an effective distribution strategy
- How you slice it. Many companies segment SMBs by firmographic criteria such as company size, industry and geography. While this approach is perfectly reasonable and may be sufficient, it makes it difficult to precisely align marketing messages with prospect needs, preferences or purchase cycle stages. It also does not provide a unique or sustainable competitive advantage. The approach that does offer these benefits is to use psychographic criteria such as attitudes and behaviors. However, the challenge with this approach is arriving at the most effective groupings, since needs can vary within an organization and because it can be difficult to identify similar prospects. As with any research, segmentation efforts involve as much art as science.
- Got data? The starting point of any business-to-business
segmentation is a good customer database; it determines the kinds of segmentation
that are possible. Your database should, at a minimum, contain contact information
and purchase history for all customers. In many cases, though, the database
requires significant cleanup before a useful segmentation can be initiated.
Adding to the database via customer surveys or merging with other databases
can be very useful in enhancing your financial returns from segmentation.
We will continue on this topic in the April issue.
|
|
 |
|
 |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
>> Microsoft Small Business Summit Set
Microsoft will hold its annual Small
Business Summit on March 24-27. Each day of the online event will feature four one-hour live webinars featuring advice related to sales and marketing, productivity and mobility, financial management and start-up issues. To support registration, Microsoft is sponsoring a $100,000 "Tech Makeover" contest, which also includes a "partner finder" that directs interested small businesses to local resellers.
>> Yahoo Moves to Flat-Rate Web Hosting
Targeting its core small business audience, Yahoo has moved to a flat-rate Web
hosting service that eliminates restrictions on disk space and monthly bandwidth. The new service – starting at $11.95/month – includes unlimited disk space, data transfer and email storage. Yahoo Web Hosting also includes site design tools, a free domain name, 1,000 personalized e-mail accounts, live 24/7 customer support and a 30-day satisfaction guarantee.
>> New Capital One Card Focuses on T&E
Capital One has introduced the Preferred No Hassle Miles card, which gives small business owners double rewards for travel and entertainment purchases. The no-annual-fee card takes a broad view of T&E, rewarding purchases made at movie theaters, video rental stores, bowling alleys, timeshares and elsewhere.
>> AT&T Retools Small Biz Resource Site
AT&T has retooled its Onward Small Business resource site with Web 2.0 functionality. Users can now rate, share and tag articles; grade its Web-based courses; suggest articles and seminars; and listen to content via text-to-speech technology. The site has also been redesigned for improved viewing on mobile communications devices. Separately, AT&T has created a Business in a Box bundle to migrate SMB customers to VoIP-based voice, Internet and data solutions.
>> Google Enhances its Apps
Google has added Google Sites to its Apps portfolio of hosted solutions to enable small businesses to create team and project collaboration websites. According to a report in Small Business Computing, 2,000 organizations a day are signing up for Google Apps, most of which are small businesses.
>> U.S. Bank Heads East
Minneapolis-based U.S. Bank has opened its first office on the East Coast to provide SBA-guaranteed loans. U.S. Bank, the sixth-largest commercial bank in the U.S., will now offer SBA loans in Delaware, Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C.
>> Register.com Launches Online Resource Center
Domain registrar and Web services provider Register.com has opened an online Learning Center that includes tips, training and expert advice to help small businesses succeed online. The site consists of seven topic areas, each hosted by a Register.com team member.
Send us your news.
>> Key Bank: Nearly half of small business owners will delay retirement.
>> IDC Worldwide SMB 2008 Top 10 Predictions: Increasing alignment of technology, distribution and the customer.
>> Intuit Future of Small Business Report: Next-generation artisans will fuel the new entrepreneurial economy.
>> AMI-Partners: Top IT trends for SMBs in 2008, including a forecast of buying for value, not price.
|
|
|
|
BBI Wins MarketingSherpa Award for SAP Campaign
 BBI's "Roadmap" partner
recruiting program for SAP America took home the Silver
for Best B2B Promotional Blast (Direct Sale or Lead Gen
Offer) in the third annual MarketingSherpa
Email Awards. The multi-channel, multi-touch campaign
combined email, direct mail and telemarketing to reach,
qualify and recruit channel partners for the software
giant's SMB program. Contact
us to see what kind of leads we can win for you.
Enhancing Small Business Relationships
OPEN from American Express
hosts many educational events for small businesses. To
support OPEN's position as a trusted advisor, BBI developed
a series of event handout how-to
guides with practical advice, worksheets and checklists.
Contact
us
to discuss how we can help you enhance your relationships
with entrepreneurs.
Subscribe a Colleague
If you have marketing colleagues who don't get The Bredin Report, subscribe them today. They'll be glad you did.
|
|
|
|
