For B2B Success, don't think big

By Kevin Akerman | www.dmnews.com

January 10, 2008

In reaching today's small to midsize businesses, leveraging multiple touch points to reach clients in a meaningful fashion is a categorical imperative – not just for acquisition, but also for cultivating long lasting relationships. For these companies, brand loyalty is only as permanent as competitive pricing can be.

For an online office supply business like ours, which depends on customer acquisition and retention to determine profitability, we balance our marketing spend across numerous mediums. First, we use target identification and data mining to acquire the addresses (both physical and e-mail) of the companies and individuals who are most likely in a purchasing level decision making position. We leverage our physical catalog as a branding point of introduction to these individuals, letting them know who we are. From there, we use e-mail targeting to reinforce brand name identity and place us as top of mind. This combination of print and online is the acquisition model on our known targets.

Ultimately, no matter how precise, data mining does not always reach the correct targets. For this, our spend for small and midsize business is on customer identification, to move them into our known targets model. We use a combination of search engine optimization and social media optimization to grab the attention of the person in a decision-making position using specific product terms rather than broad-based search terms.

Once the first order is placed, it's the customer service that leads to retention and reordering and ultimately profitability. Our team calls and follows up with the decision maker to make a one-time Shoplet customer a consistent and ongoing one.

Our midsize business customers are able to be successful because of the personal relationships they make with their clients and, as difficult as it is for an online entity to personalize itself, we do the same.

THE TAKEAWAY

Leverage multiple touchpoints to target small and midsize businesses.