Small Business Marketing Trends Call For New Business Processes

The world that small businesses, entrepreneurs, and organizations know is changing. Technology, economic factors, and societal and political factors all play a huge role in how business operates in the world. As a result, small businesses need to be a little flexible in their business processes and tactics. Here are some new business processes in the realm of small business marketing that small businesses should consider in our changing world.

Inbound and content marketing have emerged as some of the best strategies for small business recently. Experts in this arena recommend guest blogging and social, complimented with Facebook PPC advertising as top choices for smaller firms and independent professionals.

Of course some products and services ship much better when customers can be spoken to over the phone. The above mentioned inbound tactics can be used to gently move prospects to the point where they choose to pick up the phone and call in. Still, many small businesses need leads and orders right now and don’t have the luxury of waiting for content marketing strategies to pay off.

In addition to time constraints and the frustration of too much outbound lead generation phone work for small business owners, outsourcing firm Ace Concierge points out five stages of the customer cycle which are best handled by phone, but which require more labor than most solo entrepreneurs can put in.

These five business processes which need to be addressed include:

1.    Initial lead generation (sparking interest)

2.    Qualifying or pre-screening

3.    Lead nurturing (it takes seven touches to close a prospect on average)

4.    Follow up

5.    Ongoing CRM

Fortunately there are still two very powerful and profitable lead generation strategies with easily implementable business processes for entrepreneurs and small businesses. One of them is the “Click-to-Call” process. By leveraging PPC advertising and toll free numbers, entrepreneurs can drive in inbound lead calls either to in-house salespersons or take the calls themselves.

The second process small businesses can consider is for hardcore believers in cold calling (which may work better today as the competition moves to other strategies), leveraging call centers can be used to generate pre-qualified live transfer leads which are hot and ready to close.

Regardless of how much the business world changes to societal, political, and technological trends, one key aspect of small business marketing remains true: much of small business marketing still relies heavily on what now seems like such a simple innovation, the telephone. All in all, whether small businesses rely on online marketing, social media, or a great toll free number as their marketing tactics—or maybe all of the above—it’s important to adjust business processes to follow trends when needed.