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Top SMB Marketing Trends of 2007
What were 2007's top trends in reaching out to SMBs? Here are some of the key developments we've been tracking in The Bredin Report over the past 12 months:
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Building community: A wide range of blue chip SMB marketers – including Dell, AT&T, OPEN from American Express, Bank of America and Intuit – launched online communities and resource sites targeted at small and midsize businesses.
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Mainstream media recognizes SMBs: Looking to get the ad dollars of B2SMB marketers, newspapers and magazines – including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and SmartMoney – put out their takes on the small-business resource center. |
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Web video emerging: Many SMB marketers looked for ways to take advantage of the growth of viral Web video. Umpqua Bank, for instance, posted a humorous film related to running a small company, while Microsoft (see
below) hosted an online TV news magazine. |
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Continuing the tried and true: While new marketing tactics have emerged, SMBs said they still depend on traditional methods such as e-mail newsletters and interactive tools to get info from their vendors, according to exclusive BBI research. |
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>> D&B Acquires AllBusiness
 D&B has acquired small business online publisher AllBusiness for
approximately $55 million. D&B said the acquisition will enhance its Internet
capabilities while expanding its advertising-based revenue stream; AllBusiness
has a base of more than two million unique monthly visitors, and it monetizes its
traffic through online display advertising by national advertisers. In addition,
D&B hopes to use the AllBusiness acquisition to provide a platform to generate
cross-selling opportunities for D&B products aimed at SMBs.
>> Nielsen Launches Small Business Site
 Nielsen Business Media – publisher of AdWeek,
BrandWeek and 40 other B2B publications – has opened a Small Business Resource Center as part of its Professional Network of vertical industry sites. The site contains aggregated content from Nielsen publications, as well as original news, tools and resources for small businesses.
>> Microsoft Online "TV" Show Aimed at SMBs
 Microsoft has launched a new webcast for small businesses, in the form of a one-hour TV-style talk show. The Microsoft
Small Business Show premiered in November and is broken into 10-minute segments, each focusing on a different small business owner who shares tips on marketing, technology and other topics. The shows are targeted at businesses with fewer than 50 employees, including home-based businesses. Additional episodes are planned for January and April 2008.
>> Intuit Acquiring Homestead
 Intuit has agreed to purchase Homestead
Technologies, which develops Web store solutions for small businesses. The acquisition is part of Intuit's strategy to diversify beyond financial management solutions. The deal is valued at approximately $170 million.
>> Yodle Gets $12M from VCs
 Yodle landed $12 million in second round financing from Draper Fisher Jervetson. Yodle is one of a number of recent startups aimed at connecting customers to local small businesses and services providers such as plumbers, restaurants, dentists or salons.
>> Comcast Bundles Collaboration Software for SMBs
 Looking to boost its commercial-grade services for small businesses, Comcast is bundling Microsoft Communications Services with its high-speed Internet service at no extra charge. Comcast will also serve as the business customer's "help desk."
Send us your news.
>> American Express: New study of small business capital sources uncovers savings opportunity through use of trade terms.
>> Computer Technology Industry Association (CompTIA): Controlling IT budgets is the top technology challenge for SMBs.
>> Citrix
Online: The rise of the Web commuter: 23% of Americans are working
from anywhere, and 62% wish they could.
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Simplifying Complex Topics
A major international financial services company needed to explain the details of business mortgages to its SMB prospects, who often were confused about the differences between commercial and residential real estate loans. BBI developed FAQ-based collateral that could be used as introductory information by business bankers. Contact
us to discuss ways BBI can work with you to develop targeted, information-driven collateral.
More Web 2.0 Study Coverage
There was additional press coverage of BBI's recent survey on SMB attitudes toward Web 2.0. BtoB Magazine featured the study in its analysis of ways marketers are increasing their focus on the SMB space. Small
Business Computing, meanwhile, looked at how the study's findings inject a note of reality into the Web 2.0 buzz.
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BBI helps Fortune 500 and emerging companies achieve their
SMB marketing goals through research, strategy
and communications. Contact us to learn how we
can help you. |
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