What technology are small and mid-sized businesses (SMBs) most likely to buy this year, and next? How does technology contribute to their success? What do they want from a technology provider? Why do they make a purchase decision to buy?
To find out, we surveyed more than 500 U.S. SMB principals.
This document reports on the results of a survey of 312 SMB principals regarding their technology needs, purchasing habits, and preferences. Some key findings include:
- Nearly two-thirds of SMBs expect their revenue to be up in 2016 compared to 2015.
- SMBs most commonly learn about new technologies from peers and colleagues. They also prefer researching technologies via search engines and consulting peers when making purchase decisions.
- Data security is the top driver for SMB technology purchases, followed by keeping current with customer technology usage and improving business processes.
- SMBs are most likely to purchase or upgrade cell phones by the end of 2016 but budget less than $10,000 per year on other technologies on average.
Bredin Fastcast: Selling Telecoms Services to SMBsBredin, Inc.
SMBs are feeling pretty optimistic – and that translates into plans to invest in telecommunications services, whether to improve Internet access speed or upgrade a phone system. SMBs understand what being connected means to their business.
To find out how you can take advantage of SMB interest in your offerings, we recently surveyed over 700 U.S. SMB principals. The findings are instructive; there are some great learnings on how SMBs learn about, research and make telecoms purchase decisions; their purchase intent and timing; perceptions and trust of leading telecoms brands; SMB content marketing preferences; and how telecoms vendors can improve the sales process.
Bredin Fastcast: Getting SMBs to Share Your ContentBredin, Inc.
As a marketer to small and mid-sized businesses (SMBs), your company probably uses content marketing to drive awareness and engagement, enhance your brand, nurture prospects, close sales and retain customers. If so, you’re probably facing a key challenge of content marketing: getting SMBs to share your content with their peers.
To find out how you can get SMBs to share your content more, we recently surveyed 493 U.S. SMB principals.
Bredin Fastcast: Supporting Your SMB Sales Team with ContentBredin, Inc.
One of the biggest challenges our clients in SMB marketing have is collaborating with their sales colleagues to develop effective sales materials. A key part of this challenge is knowing exactly what SMBs want from a salesperson, and when to engage with them.
To find out how you can better connect with SMBs via sales content, we recently surveyed 386 U.S. SMB principals.
The document outlines five trends that can boost one's career: 1) Marketing is becoming a technology-powered discipline and marketers must develop technical skills, 2) It is important to deeply understand customers through personas and behavior, not just demographics, 3) Inbound marketing focuses on customer pain points through educational content rather than sales, 4) Products and brands are shaped by consumers through mobile and experiences rather than traditional control, and 5) A modern marketing approach embraces teams, tools, data and customers rather than being tactical.
Why the Right Product Information Management (PIM) is More Critical Now Than ...Precisely
Today more than ever, companies are facing unprecedented demand for rich product content and differentiated experiences, along with the need to keep up with a dynamic business landscape faster – and more efficiently.
Businesses need a solution that allows them to take control of their product data challenges while achieving dramatic revenue and margin growth.
Join this on-demand webinar to discover how PIM can help you solve these challenges with a single source of truth across systems, channels, and internal/external audiences, to:
- Deliver product intelligence to enable better decision making.
- Tailor compelling, contextual offers and content to maximize sales and customer satisfaction across channels.
- Collaborate across teams more effectively to accelerate manual processes, get to market faster, and more.
Hilarie Koplow-McAdams, President Commercial SMB Unit for Salesforce, and Michael Lazerow, CMO of Marketing Cloud for Salesforce, made this presentation at the McKinsey Chief Marketing & Sales Officer Forum event in 2012.
This document reports on the results of a survey of 312 SMB principals regarding their technology needs, purchasing habits, and preferences. Some key findings include:
- Nearly two-thirds of SMBs expect their revenue to be up in 2016 compared to 2015.
- SMBs most commonly learn about new technologies from peers and colleagues. They also prefer researching technologies via search engines and consulting peers when making purchase decisions.
- Data security is the top driver for SMB technology purchases, followed by keeping current with customer technology usage and improving business processes.
- SMBs are most likely to purchase or upgrade cell phones by the end of 2016 but budget less than $10,000 per year on other technologies on average.
Bredin Fastcast: Selling Telecoms Services to SMBsBredin, Inc.
SMBs are feeling pretty optimistic – and that translates into plans to invest in telecommunications services, whether to improve Internet access speed or upgrade a phone system. SMBs understand what being connected means to their business.
To find out how you can take advantage of SMB interest in your offerings, we recently surveyed over 700 U.S. SMB principals. The findings are instructive; there are some great learnings on how SMBs learn about, research and make telecoms purchase decisions; their purchase intent and timing; perceptions and trust of leading telecoms brands; SMB content marketing preferences; and how telecoms vendors can improve the sales process.
Bredin Fastcast: Getting SMBs to Share Your ContentBredin, Inc.
As a marketer to small and mid-sized businesses (SMBs), your company probably uses content marketing to drive awareness and engagement, enhance your brand, nurture prospects, close sales and retain customers. If so, you’re probably facing a key challenge of content marketing: getting SMBs to share your content with their peers.
To find out how you can get SMBs to share your content more, we recently surveyed 493 U.S. SMB principals.
Bredin Fastcast: Supporting Your SMB Sales Team with ContentBredin, Inc.
One of the biggest challenges our clients in SMB marketing have is collaborating with their sales colleagues to develop effective sales materials. A key part of this challenge is knowing exactly what SMBs want from a salesperson, and when to engage with them.
To find out how you can better connect with SMBs via sales content, we recently surveyed 386 U.S. SMB principals.
The document outlines five trends that can boost one's career: 1) Marketing is becoming a technology-powered discipline and marketers must develop technical skills, 2) It is important to deeply understand customers through personas and behavior, not just demographics, 3) Inbound marketing focuses on customer pain points through educational content rather than sales, 4) Products and brands are shaped by consumers through mobile and experiences rather than traditional control, and 5) A modern marketing approach embraces teams, tools, data and customers rather than being tactical.
Why the Right Product Information Management (PIM) is More Critical Now Than ...Precisely
Today more than ever, companies are facing unprecedented demand for rich product content and differentiated experiences, along with the need to keep up with a dynamic business landscape faster – and more efficiently.
Businesses need a solution that allows them to take control of their product data challenges while achieving dramatic revenue and margin growth.
Join this on-demand webinar to discover how PIM can help you solve these challenges with a single source of truth across systems, channels, and internal/external audiences, to:
- Deliver product intelligence to enable better decision making.
- Tailor compelling, contextual offers and content to maximize sales and customer satisfaction across channels.
- Collaborate across teams more effectively to accelerate manual processes, get to market faster, and more.
Hilarie Koplow-McAdams, President Commercial SMB Unit for Salesforce, and Michael Lazerow, CMO of Marketing Cloud for Salesforce, made this presentation at the McKinsey Chief Marketing & Sales Officer Forum event in 2012.
- Organizations, not individuals, buy technology products and services. Decision making groups for B2B purchases on average include 5-7 people.
- Lines of business increasingly influence technology purchasing decisions and regularly collaborate with IT departments, which are viewed as strategic partners rather than just sources of solutions.
- Content marketing and social sharing are important for reaching both internal stakeholders in decision making groups and external audiences that can influence purchasing organizations.
How advocate marketing boosts lead to-revenue managementInfluitive
Despite advances in lead to revenue management practices, many B2B marketers struggle to improve conversion rates at each stage of the buying process. They have dozens of digital tools and tactics to try at each of these stages, yet many B2B marketers fail to leverage their single biggest asset for igniting revenue growth - the passion of their customers, fans and evangelists.
Join Forrester Analyst Lori Wizdo and Influitive CEO Mark Organ for their discussion on how mobilizing advocates can boost performance at every stage of the lead-to-revenue process: attract, capture, nurture, convert and expand.
Net Group
Kliendid otsivad omale sobivaid teenuseid veebi kaudu ja pool müüki on tehtud enne esimest kohtumist. Kuidas üles leida kliendid, kes veebi kaudu omale partnerit otsivad? Pilvepõhine CRM Online koondab infot kokku sotsiaalvõrgustikest ja ettevõtte veebilehtedelt, et võimalused võimalikult vara tuvastada ning müügijuht näeb kliendi teekonda kogu müügiprotsessi käigus. Raigo räägib, kuidas CRM Online arvestab klientide uue ostukäitumisega ning kuidas on müügijuhtimist mõistlikult korraldada.
Four megatrends are shaping business today: increasing power of technology, shifts in demographics, low costs of experimentation, and the importance of user-centricity. For sales organizations to be successful, they now have to use Big Data more effectively, share their pitch early, use technology better, focus on platforms (not just services), and rethink their sales capabilities.
The document summarizes findings from a study of over 1,700 Chief Marketing Officers (CMOs) globally. It found that 7 out of 10 CMOs feel underprepared to manage key changes, especially those with the biggest impact like data explosion and social media. CMOs signaled they need to improve in three key areas: delivering value to empowered customers, fostering lasting customer connections, and capturing value and measuring results. The study provides recommendations in each of these areas for CMOs to strengthen their skills and marketing strategies.
From Mad Men to Moneyball: Research and Hands on Tools to Guide Your Marketin...SugarCRM
This document discusses how marketing is changing with new digital technologies and the perspectives of chief marketing officers (CMOs). It notes that while technology shifts are still maturing, CMOs expect to accelerate the adoption of digital marketing tools over the next 3-5 years. CMOs also identified three key factors for success with emerging technologies: using advanced analytics for deep customer insights, designing rewarding customer experiences, and effectively executing on promises to customers. The document provides examples of IBM's own marketing transformation and tools it offers to help other companies.
In an 'always on' world where channel-surfing B2B customers demand real-time responses - no matter where they are - what is the optimal role of social media marketing? Roxane Divol, a partner and leader of McKinsey's Marketing & Sales Practice, addressed this question at the ITSMA Marketing Leadership Forum and demystified the emerging role of marketing as a driver of social technologies. She also discussed the tactics and strategies B2B marketers should use to access the touchpoints and datastreams that reinforce the social consumer decision journey. This presentation provides insights into how, when, and where social media influences and uniquely engages customers, as well as current best practices for developing, launching, and demonstrating the financial impact of social media campaigns. More: http://mckinseyonmarketingandsales.com/topics/b-to-b
Companies need to understand the full range of the multichannel consumer decision journey to understand how to best influence potential and current customers. Scenarios and data from this McKinsey presentation show how consumers are making their decisions today - particularly in the UK and France - and how brands can turn those insights into profits.
Procurement is a task that marketers rarely find fun, yet all realize that it needs to be done. Given the strain that many marketing budgets are under, skillful procurement processes--supply management, demand management, and process management--can actually net an extra 5%+ of current marketing budgets. There are important opportunities for closer collaboration between marketing and procurement groups.
APS Presentation London 2022_ Start Building Experiences.pptx.pdfMoEngage Inc.
Today's savvy customers expect brands to provide a consistent and personalised experience across all available channels.
Based on our research, we discovered that incorrect personalisation could result in the customer being lost. In Europe alone, 55% of consumers found irrelevant and inconsistent brand communication to be highly frustrating.
So, how do you personalise your customers' interactions with your brand?
This slide presentation will provide you with actionable insights for your personalisation strategy, allowing you to start building relationships and stop losing customers.
Panel Debate 2016 - Business Buyer BehaviourOliver Rix
Kingpin CEO James Foulkes's presentation on the B2B buyer journey looks at decision maker behaviour, follow up best practices and the importance of localising content.
For companies to be successful today, they have to plan for customer journeys not just customer experiences. In the digital age where engaging with customers across the entire purchase process, the experience with the brand can as important - if not more so - than the product itself. The best companies are aligned on their customer journey strategy, are truly omnichannel, get and keep the right talent, know what their return on marketing investment is, have campaigns tailored to their customers, and are agile. David Edelman made this presentation at the Financial Times Future of Marketing Summit.
Kingpin’s own CEO James Foulkes, presentation on the B2B buyer journey, looking at decision maker behaviour, follow up best practices and the importance of localising content.
Read about the disruptions to influence and identity that impact our industry. Meabh Quoirin from Foresight Factory, lecturer on the MSc Digital Marketing & Analytics, discussed the digital marketing trends that will impact 2019 at an open lecture in Dublin Institute of Technology.
Big Data, customer analytics and loyalty marketingKevin May
Want to improve the customer experience while optimizing customer service, marketing spend and wallet share?
In this FREE webinar from Tnooz and IBM, attendees learn the benefits of big data analytics including:
Developing persona-level customer segmentation.
Improving products/services launches.
Optimizing return on marketing spend.
Utilizing social media analytics.
Webinar presenters are:
Kurt Wedgwood – information agenda consultant for travel and transportation, IBM
Tzaras Christon – executive vice president for growth, Aginity
Kevin May - editor and moderator, Tnooz
Gene Quinn - CEO and producer, Tnooz
The survey summarizes the results of a marketing automation survey of over 50,000 B2B marketers. Key findings include:
1) 53% of respondents currently use marketing automation, while 17% are evaluating it. The top benefits are more/better leads, improved productivity and conversion rates.
2) The most important automation features are lead nurturing, CRM integration, and analytics. The most popular platforms are Marketo, Oracle Eloqua, and Hubspot.
3) Budget constraints, lack of skilled employees, and poor data quality are the top obstacles to effective use of automation. The most common ROI metrics are response rates like open and click-through rates.
SMBs are feeling pretty optimistic: 35% of them expect to grow by double digits this year, and 10% expect to grow by more than 100%. That translates into plans to invest in telecommunications services — whether to improve internet access speed or upgrade a phone system. SMBs understand what being connected — to customers, prospects, vendors, peers, remote workers, influencers, and others — means to their business.
To find out how you can boost sales to SMBs, we recently surveyed 500 U.S. SMB principals.
This document provides an overview of insights from a survey of 500 small and medium sized business principals regarding their motivations for purchasing products and services. The key findings are that customer service is the most important consideration overall when making purchases, but productivity is also a high priority. Younger principals place more emphasis on customer acquisition than older principals. Fast growing businesses prioritize customer service while slow growing businesses value customer acquisition opportunities more. Manufacturers uniquely value both customer service and cost savings equally when making purchase decisions.
- Organizations, not individuals, buy technology products and services. Decision making groups for B2B purchases on average include 5-7 people.
- Lines of business increasingly influence technology purchasing decisions and regularly collaborate with IT departments, which are viewed as strategic partners rather than just sources of solutions.
- Content marketing and social sharing are important for reaching both internal stakeholders in decision making groups and external audiences that can influence purchasing organizations.
How advocate marketing boosts lead to-revenue managementInfluitive
Despite advances in lead to revenue management practices, many B2B marketers struggle to improve conversion rates at each stage of the buying process. They have dozens of digital tools and tactics to try at each of these stages, yet many B2B marketers fail to leverage their single biggest asset for igniting revenue growth - the passion of their customers, fans and evangelists.
Join Forrester Analyst Lori Wizdo and Influitive CEO Mark Organ for their discussion on how mobilizing advocates can boost performance at every stage of the lead-to-revenue process: attract, capture, nurture, convert and expand.
Net Group
Kliendid otsivad omale sobivaid teenuseid veebi kaudu ja pool müüki on tehtud enne esimest kohtumist. Kuidas üles leida kliendid, kes veebi kaudu omale partnerit otsivad? Pilvepõhine CRM Online koondab infot kokku sotsiaalvõrgustikest ja ettevõtte veebilehtedelt, et võimalused võimalikult vara tuvastada ning müügijuht näeb kliendi teekonda kogu müügiprotsessi käigus. Raigo räägib, kuidas CRM Online arvestab klientide uue ostukäitumisega ning kuidas on müügijuhtimist mõistlikult korraldada.
Four megatrends are shaping business today: increasing power of technology, shifts in demographics, low costs of experimentation, and the importance of user-centricity. For sales organizations to be successful, they now have to use Big Data more effectively, share their pitch early, use technology better, focus on platforms (not just services), and rethink their sales capabilities.
The document summarizes findings from a study of over 1,700 Chief Marketing Officers (CMOs) globally. It found that 7 out of 10 CMOs feel underprepared to manage key changes, especially those with the biggest impact like data explosion and social media. CMOs signaled they need to improve in three key areas: delivering value to empowered customers, fostering lasting customer connections, and capturing value and measuring results. The study provides recommendations in each of these areas for CMOs to strengthen their skills and marketing strategies.
From Mad Men to Moneyball: Research and Hands on Tools to Guide Your Marketin...SugarCRM
This document discusses how marketing is changing with new digital technologies and the perspectives of chief marketing officers (CMOs). It notes that while technology shifts are still maturing, CMOs expect to accelerate the adoption of digital marketing tools over the next 3-5 years. CMOs also identified three key factors for success with emerging technologies: using advanced analytics for deep customer insights, designing rewarding customer experiences, and effectively executing on promises to customers. The document provides examples of IBM's own marketing transformation and tools it offers to help other companies.
In an 'always on' world where channel-surfing B2B customers demand real-time responses - no matter where they are - what is the optimal role of social media marketing? Roxane Divol, a partner and leader of McKinsey's Marketing & Sales Practice, addressed this question at the ITSMA Marketing Leadership Forum and demystified the emerging role of marketing as a driver of social technologies. She also discussed the tactics and strategies B2B marketers should use to access the touchpoints and datastreams that reinforce the social consumer decision journey. This presentation provides insights into how, when, and where social media influences and uniquely engages customers, as well as current best practices for developing, launching, and demonstrating the financial impact of social media campaigns. More: http://mckinseyonmarketingandsales.com/topics/b-to-b
Companies need to understand the full range of the multichannel consumer decision journey to understand how to best influence potential and current customers. Scenarios and data from this McKinsey presentation show how consumers are making their decisions today - particularly in the UK and France - and how brands can turn those insights into profits.
Procurement is a task that marketers rarely find fun, yet all realize that it needs to be done. Given the strain that many marketing budgets are under, skillful procurement processes--supply management, demand management, and process management--can actually net an extra 5%+ of current marketing budgets. There are important opportunities for closer collaboration between marketing and procurement groups.
APS Presentation London 2022_ Start Building Experiences.pptx.pdfMoEngage Inc.
Today's savvy customers expect brands to provide a consistent and personalised experience across all available channels.
Based on our research, we discovered that incorrect personalisation could result in the customer being lost. In Europe alone, 55% of consumers found irrelevant and inconsistent brand communication to be highly frustrating.
So, how do you personalise your customers' interactions with your brand?
This slide presentation will provide you with actionable insights for your personalisation strategy, allowing you to start building relationships and stop losing customers.
Panel Debate 2016 - Business Buyer BehaviourOliver Rix
Kingpin CEO James Foulkes's presentation on the B2B buyer journey looks at decision maker behaviour, follow up best practices and the importance of localising content.
For companies to be successful today, they have to plan for customer journeys not just customer experiences. In the digital age where engaging with customers across the entire purchase process, the experience with the brand can as important - if not more so - than the product itself. The best companies are aligned on their customer journey strategy, are truly omnichannel, get and keep the right talent, know what their return on marketing investment is, have campaigns tailored to their customers, and are agile. David Edelman made this presentation at the Financial Times Future of Marketing Summit.
Kingpin’s own CEO James Foulkes, presentation on the B2B buyer journey, looking at decision maker behaviour, follow up best practices and the importance of localising content.
Read about the disruptions to influence and identity that impact our industry. Meabh Quoirin from Foresight Factory, lecturer on the MSc Digital Marketing & Analytics, discussed the digital marketing trends that will impact 2019 at an open lecture in Dublin Institute of Technology.
Big Data, customer analytics and loyalty marketingKevin May
Want to improve the customer experience while optimizing customer service, marketing spend and wallet share?
In this FREE webinar from Tnooz and IBM, attendees learn the benefits of big data analytics including:
Developing persona-level customer segmentation.
Improving products/services launches.
Optimizing return on marketing spend.
Utilizing social media analytics.
Webinar presenters are:
Kurt Wedgwood – information agenda consultant for travel and transportation, IBM
Tzaras Christon – executive vice president for growth, Aginity
Kevin May - editor and moderator, Tnooz
Gene Quinn - CEO and producer, Tnooz
The survey summarizes the results of a marketing automation survey of over 50,000 B2B marketers. Key findings include:
1) 53% of respondents currently use marketing automation, while 17% are evaluating it. The top benefits are more/better leads, improved productivity and conversion rates.
2) The most important automation features are lead nurturing, CRM integration, and analytics. The most popular platforms are Marketo, Oracle Eloqua, and Hubspot.
3) Budget constraints, lack of skilled employees, and poor data quality are the top obstacles to effective use of automation. The most common ROI metrics are response rates like open and click-through rates.
SMBs are feeling pretty optimistic: 35% of them expect to grow by double digits this year, and 10% expect to grow by more than 100%. That translates into plans to invest in telecommunications services — whether to improve internet access speed or upgrade a phone system. SMBs understand what being connected — to customers, prospects, vendors, peers, remote workers, influencers, and others — means to their business.
To find out how you can boost sales to SMBs, we recently surveyed 500 U.S. SMB principals.
This document provides an overview of insights from a survey of 500 small and medium sized business principals regarding their motivations for purchasing products and services. The key findings are that customer service is the most important consideration overall when making purchases, but productivity is also a high priority. Younger principals place more emphasis on customer acquisition than older principals. Fast growing businesses prioritize customer service while slow growing businesses value customer acquisition opportunities more. Manufacturers uniquely value both customer service and cost savings equally when making purchase decisions.
2017 SMB Cloud Summit: Scaling the Customer Acquisition Wall (Bredin)Localogy
This presentation was delivered at the first ever Local Search Association SMB Cloud Summit in San Francisco 12.7.17. For more visit: http://bit.ly/2nGhO8s
Supporting Your SMB Sales Team with ContentBredin, Inc.
One of the biggest challenges our clients in SMB marketing have is collaborating with their sales colleagues to develop effective sales materials. A key part of this challenge is knowing exactly what SMBs want from a salesperson, and when to engage with them.
To find out how you can better connect with SMBs via sales content, we recently surveyed 386 U.S. SMB principals.
State of the Union: Webinars in the B2B Industrial Space | GlobalSpecChristianJHaight
1) Webinars have become an essential way for industrial marketers to connect with engineers as they seek online educational content and professional development.
2) Survey results show that webinars are one of the most effective ways engineers maintain and advance their professional skills.
3) Both engineers and marketers see value in webinars, with over 80% of engineers viewing them as valuable for research.
How SMBs Research Applications and Other TechBredin, Inc.
Webcast recording: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/recording/3477333486879196418
What applications do SMBs plan to acquire in 2022? How do they research technology solutions? Which media and influencers do they rely on? What messaging resonates most strongly? Which content formats do they prefer from vendors like you? Who conducts the research? And what is their business outlook, and the ongoing impact of the pandemic?
You’ll learn:
● SMB operational status and business outlook
● Technology purchase intent
● The information sources SMBs use to research products and services for their business
● The specific influencers, sites and publications that SMBs use to assess products and services for their business
● The benefits of new hardware or applications that are most important to SMBs
● The content formats that SMBs prefer from vendors like you at the consideration stage of the sales cycle
● Which role conducts product research for different tech product categories
● How SMBs want to work with a salesperson as they investigate new products for their business
● The effect of the pandemic on supplies, pricing, hiring and RTO
● What SMBs prefer to be called, for messaging
● How SMBs define their overall business goals
You’ll get terrific insights that you can put to work in your 2022 SMB marketing plans.
This document provides insights from a survey of 500 small and medium sized business owners and principals regarding their purchase timing of various business products and services. Key findings include:
1) Printers and business checking/credit cards saw the fastest purchase decisions, typically within a week, while retirement plans saw the slowest at over six months.
2) Larger SMBs made faster decisions on more complex products like servers and payroll services compared to very small businesses.
3) Slow-growth businesses made the fastest decisions on checking accounts and credit cards, while fast-growth businesses decided fastest on cellphone handsets.
4) Younger respondents aged 18-38 decided fastest on cellphone handsets, while
2018 Tech Adoption Summit: Let’s Do the Numbers — Why Small Businesses are M...Localogy
The document discusses findings from a survey of small and medium sized businesses regarding their adoption of cloud-based technologies. Some key findings include:
- SMBs are increasingly using cloud-based apps and software to save time and access tools remotely. Younger SMBs and those in certain industries are early adopters of these technologies.
- While SMBs value features like security, cost savings and performance, smaller businesses place more importance on security and larger businesses prioritize growth opportunities.
- Marketing, sales automation and accounting software see the highest planned adoption rates. Larger companies anticipate more purchases than smaller firms.
- The majority of SMBs host applications in the cloud for benefits like remote access, collaboration and scalability.
The document discusses research methods for gaining insights into small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) to help increase sales to this segment. It outlines both qualitative and quantitative research approaches that can provide information on attitudes, usage, buyer identification, perceptions, segmentation, behaviors and preferences. The analytics output from this research can then inform content, social media, collateral and other marketing programs. Specific awareness initiator events, roles, and content formats that drive SMBs to investigate new products and services are also examined.
Generating and Qualifying Inbound SMB LeadsBredin, Inc.
Stu Richards was recently join by Stephen Archut, Director of Product Marketing at Explorium.ai, in a special Fastcast on Generating and Qualifying Inbound SMB Leads. In this fast-paced and informative Q&A, you’ll learn:
* The media that SMBs rely on to first learn about offerings like yours
* The content formats that work best at the top of the sales funnel
* The benefits of external data
* How to develop an effective data acquisition strategy
* The most common kinds of external data
* Data integration challenges
* How to onboard external data at scale
Watch the full Fastcast recording here - https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/recording/8783854779455236866
How Industry 4.0 Redefines Product ManagementTaner Akcok
Industry 4.0 refers to the current trend of automation and data exchange in manufacturing technologies using cyber-physical systems, the internet of things, and cloud computing. This allows for smart factories with increased automation, data exchange between machines, use of IoT technologies, and cloud computing capabilities. Product management must adapt to Industry 4.0 by leveraging technologies like automation, data analytics, IoT, and cloud computing to improve manufacturing processes and product development.
Streaming analytics webinar | 9.13.16 | Guest: Mike Gualtieri from ForresterCubic Corporation
Business success relies heavily on taking the right action, at the right time, all the time. And actions are dictated by data. But the batch-oriented, collect-store-contemplate model employed by Big Data Analytics technologies is incomplete because it does not make use of live data in real time. Without live, real-time data insights gathered are not up-to-date, and cannot accurately inform applications and services that would benefit from continuous, real-time context for time-sensitive decisions.
To thrive, businesses need to be able to use both live and historical data in their applications and services, continuously, concurrently, and correctly and the only technology currently capable of handling it is streaming analytics. Streaming analytics computes data right now, when it can be analyzed and put to good use to make applications of all kinds contextual and smarter.
This webinar held in collaboration with Forrester, Inc., showcased how streaming analytics applications can be built in minutes, to:
- Aggregate, enrich, and analyze a high throughput of data from multiple, disparate live data sources and in any format to identify patterns, detect opportunities, automate actions, and dynamically adapt
- Easily ingest streaming data from multiple disparate sources to multiple sources, within and between cloud and on-premises environments
- Analyze and act on data as it arrives, without needing to store, eliminating unnecessary security risks and storage costs
- Enable real-time analytics with existing business intelligence and data assets.
Peeling Back the Layers of the Small Business MarketCompTIA
The document provides an overview of opportunities and challenges for technology solution providers in the small business market. It finds that the SMB market is not monolithic, with many differentiating factors among micro, small, and medium businesses. While small businesses may seem simple, they face many of the same challenges as large enterprises. The democratization of technology has created opportunities for SMBs, but adopting new technologies remains a challenge. SMBs rely on IT providers for core needs but some disconnects exist between what SMBs need and what providers offer. There is demand among SMBs for digital business services, representing opportunities for providers, but the market requires a nuanced understanding of customer segments.
This document provides information about MarTechShared.com, a community for marketing technology decision makers. It discusses the rapid growth of the community to over 25,000 members globally from various industries and company sizes. The community allows for shared content, product experiences, questions and answers, webinars and events. Marketers can engage these members through banner ads, downloads of white papers and videos, webinars, and free trials to reach prospects. The document outlines targeting options, data provided on downloads, case studies, sample marketing packages, and premium sponsorship opportunities.
Future of Tracking: Transforming how we do it not what we doKantar
The slides from ‘Digital Transformation of Tracking’ webinar presented on BrightTalk on 28th February 2017. In this webinar Mark Chamberlain and Alex Taylor discuss how changes in consumer behaviour, increased business pressures and new technologies have created both opportunity and disruption across all industries. Like every other industry, research is in the midst of its own transformation affecting not what we do but how we do things.
B2B Health Check: 5 Steps to eCommerce Fitness [WEBINAR]Four51, Inc.
Webinar Slides from 2/4/16 webinar
73% of B2B buyers now research at least half of their purchases online. Increasingly, they buy online as well. But too many of the websites of manufacturers, wholesalers and distributors aren’t in shape to make the most of this big opportunity to grow sales.
Today, agility, speed and rich features are what distinguish successful B2B e-commerce sites and empower them to deliver an online experience that mirrors what B2B buyers have come to expect from shopping retail websites.
From data management to streamlining key processes to mobile's role, this webinar will cover the tactics and technology online B2B sellers must prioritize to become best-in-class, driving sales and profits.
Hear from Aberdeen Group's Omer Minkara, Newegg's Ross Higgins, Four51's Chip House and Internet Retailer's Don Davis as we explore exactly what must be done to ensure your site is ready for 2016 and beyond.
Questions? Email marketing@four51.com
This document provides an event marketing guide for the CIOshared community website. It outlines the website's features for sharing content, questions and answers, research, and events. It then describes the growing membership base in terms of country, company size, industry, and job roles. Various marketing support options are listed, including announcements, blog posts, banners, and market research. Targeting criteria and data provided for lead generation are also summarized. Sample marketing packages with guaranteed results for downloads, webinars, trials, and advertising are presented. Premium sponsorship packages are outlined at the end.
UBM Tech Research_Optimizing Your Trade Show Investment_BlackhatJonathan Vlock
This document discusses UBM Tech's strategy of bringing together technology communities through community-driven sites, event communities, marketing services, and analytics. UBM Tech aims to create cohesive branded communities that facilitate objective interaction between technology decision makers online and in-person. Their approach involves providing engaging editorial content and expert contributions to communities. They also analyze audience communities to gain insights about technology buyers. Their services help clients engage and nurture connections with prospects and customers. The document emphasizes how UBM Tech's strategy centers around active technology communities.
SMB Business Outlook and Spending PlansBredin, Inc.
How are SMBs faring as the pandemic persists? What is their business outlook, and what are their spending plans?
In this webinar you’ll learn:
* The SMB state of mind: business outlook, operational status, and expected time to return to ‘normal’
* SMB priorities and challenges
* Key application usage and purchase plans
* Credit usage and intent – including traditional banks vs. fintech
* Job board usage and intent – including the specific sites they plan to use
* The brands that SMBs trust most
* Key differences among respondents by company size
* How all of these have changed in the past six months
You’ll get terrific insights that you can put to work in your 2022 SMB marketing plans.
Webinar recording - https://register.gotowebinar.com/recording/2253221902084314883
SMB Business Outlook and Spending PlansBredin, Inc.
What is the SMB business outlook, and how confident are they about spending, hiring and expanding as the pandemic wanes? What are their priorities and concerns? What technology do they use, and what do they plan to buy? What are the key differences in SMB outlook and spending plans by size and country?
You’ll learn:
* The current SMB state of mind: business outlook, operational status, and expected time to return to ‘normal’
* SMB priorities and challenges
* Key application usage and purchase plans – including the specific SaaS solutions they plan to adopt
* Credit usage and intent – including traditional banks vs. fintech
* Job board usage and intent – including the specific sites they plan to use
* The tech brands that SMBs trust most
* Key differences among respondents by company size, country and more
We hope you watch the webcast recording - https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/recording/8056390393923833347
How to Support and Engage SMBs During COVID-19Bredin, Inc.
COVID-19 has been grinding on relentlessly for ten months now, taking a heavy toll on countless small and mid-sized businesses (SMBs). 1.85 million businesses closed completely or temporarily in the second quarter, according to Oxxford; in April, the National Restaurant Association found that four in ten restaurants had already closed. Despite encouraging vaccine news, it will be months before business returns to any semblance of normal. So in the meantime, we wanted to find out how SMBs are coping – and what you can do to support and engage them effectively.
You’ll learn:
• SMB perspectives on the effect of COVID-19 on their business
• How COVID-19 has changed SMB priorities
• How SMB staffing has changed
• When SMBs will return to their workplaces
• What SMBs want vendors like you to do to help them manage through the crisis
• Which vendors have been especially helpful
• How COVID-19 has changed SMB content consumption
• What SMBs want in your content
• The effect of advisory content on acquisition and retention
• The topics SMBs want to learn about from vendors like you
The pandemic has forced many SMBs to reassess their application infrastructure to boost productivity and better support distributed teams. Selling SaaS solutions in this environment raises a number of key questions, though, such as: How familiar are SMBs with the cloud? What cloud solutions are they using? Which are they considering adopting next? What is motivating their cloud adoption? Who do they want to buy from, and what do they want from cloud solution providers?
To answer these questions – and to help you sell the cloud more effectively to SMBs – we recently surveyed 500 U.S. SMB principals.
Improving the small business banking experienceBredin, Inc.
How much do small business owners (SBOs) trust different industries, including banks, credit unions and alternative lenders? What do small businesses want from the bank relationship? What are banks doing well, and what can they do better, to improve the customer experience – and as a result, acquisition, retention and cross-sell? What kinds of credit are SBOs using – or do they plan to use – from banks and alternative lenders? How are SBO attitudes towards, and planned usage of, alternative lenders evolving?
To answer these questions, we recently surveyed 500 U.S. SBOs. There are some great learnings on what SBOs value in a lender relationship, and what you can do to enhance it.
You’ll learn:
• The SBO business outlook
• SBO trust in 26 different industries, from alternative lenders to wireless service providers
• SBO awareness of and trust in 27 leading banks
• Bank industry, and top bank, Net Promoter Scores
• What SBOs want in a bank relationship
• Where banks are under- and over-performing against SBO preferences
• Current use and providers of credit products – including business credit cards, savings and checking accounts, loans, LOCs, factoring and MCAs
• Planned use and potential providers of credit products
• How SBO attitudes towards alternative lenders have changed
• SBO usage of and satisfaction with banking apps and events
• The impact of content marketing on bank brand perception, loyalty and upsell
• How to boost awareness and trust via content marketing
You’ll get valuable insights to put to work right away in your SBO customer experience and content marketing plans.
The document provides data from an online survey of 500 small and medium sized business principals in the United States regarding their business challenges. The top challenges reported were customer acquisition (35% said very challenging) and managing costs (23% said very challenging). The data is broken down by various company characteristics such as size, revenue, outlook, age, gender, geography, and industry to show differences in challenges faced.
This document analyzes survey results from 500 small and medium-sized business principals regarding factors that influence their awareness of new products and services. The key findings are:
1) SMB principals see themselves as the leading influencer of product awareness for their businesses, followed by their business partners or sales/marketing staff depending on company size and revenue.
2) Fast-growing SMBs, startups, and younger respondents are especially reliant on their marketing staff and consultants for new product awareness.
3) Male entrepreneurs are more influenced by their head of finance, while manufacturers are especially reliant on peers and colleagues.
What do SMBs plan to buy in 2020? How do they make purchase decisions – who is involved, and how long does it take in key product categories? What resources do they use to conduct product research, and make a purchase decision? What messaging resonates best with this large and diverse segment? What can vendors do to make it easier for them to buy?
To answer these questions – and more – we recently surveyed 500 U.S. SMB principals. You’ll learn:
• SMB business outlook and challenges
• What SMBs plan to buy in 2020 in major purchase categories such as tech, financial services, travel and more
• Who conducts research, and makes the purchase decision
• How long the decision-making process takes for key product categories
• The role of peers and consultants
• Purchase channel preferences
• The media that work best to engage SMBs across the sales cycle
• The messaging that works best with SMBs
• The role of content in boosting sales
How familiar are small and medium businesses (SMBs) with the cloud? What cloud solutions are they using? Which are they considering adopting next? What is motivating their cloud adoption? Who do they want to buy from, and what do they want from cloud solution providers?
To answer these questions – and to help you sell the cloud more effectively to SMBs – we recently surveyed 500 U.S. SMB principals.
In this report you’ll learn:
What keeps SMBs up at night
The terminology that works best with SMBs when discussing the cloud
The applications SMBs use today
SMB application adoption plans
Which applications SMBs use in the cloud – and their migration outlook
How freemium services drive adoption
Why SMBs adopt cloud solutions
How SMBs rank cloud benefits
The channels SMBs prefer
What SMBs want from a cloud vendor
You’ll get actionable insights to put to work in your 2020 SMB marketing plans.
This document summarizes the results of a survey of 500 small-to-medium sized business (SMB) principals about their hiring outlook, preferences, and vendor perceptions. Key findings include:
- Most SMBs did not hire in 2018 but those with over 20 employees did. Hiring plans for 2019 are similar, with larger SMBs planning to hire more.
- Finding qualified candidates is the top hiring challenge, especially in a tight labor market. The hiring process that takes the most time is finding and selecting candidates.
- Larger SMBs are more likely to have dedicated HR staff while most principals handle hiring themselves. SMBs want high quality candidates from hiring services and value cost and ease of use
Improving the Small Business Customer ExperienceBredin, Inc.
How much do small business owners (SBOs) trust different industries, including financial services such as banking and alternative lending? What do small businesses want from the bank relationship? What are banks doing well, and what can they do better, to improve the customer experience – and as a result, acquisition, retention and cross-sell? What kinds of credit are SBOs using – or do they plan to use – from banks and alternative lenders? How are SBO attitudes towards, and planned usage of, alternative lenders evolving?
To answer these questions, we recently surveyed 500 U.S. SBOs. There are some great learnings on what SBOs value in a lender relationship, and what you can do to enhance it.
• The SBO 2019 business outlook
• SBO trust in 26 different industries, from alternative lenders to wireless service providers
• SBO awareness of and trust in 28 leading banks and over 50 alternative lenders
• Bank and alternative lender industry Net Promoter Scores
• What SBOs want in a bank relationship
• Where banks are under- and over-performing against SBO preferences
• Current use and providers of credit products – including business credit cards, savings and checking accounts, loans, LOCs, factoring and MCAs
• Planned use and potential providers of credit products
• How SBO attitudes towards alternative lenders have changed
• SBO preferred contact media
• SBO usage of and satisfaction with banking apps and events
• The impact of content marketing on bank brand perception, loyalty and upsell
• How to boost awareness and trust via content marketing
You’ll get valuable insights to put to work right away in your SBO customer experience and content marketing plans.
How many SMBs are there? What is an SMB, anyway? How are SMBs alike, and how do they differ in their business concerns and outlook? What industries are they in? How is the rate of business formation changing? What do SMBs plan to buy in 2019, and what are the most effective tactics to engage them? What messaging resonates best with this large and diverse segment?
To find out, we surveyed 500 U.S. SMB principals and compiled third-party data to provide a comprehensive overview of the SMB market.
You’ll learn:
• How SMB is defined
• How many SMBs are in each major industry
• The changing rate of business formation
• How SMBs rate their business outlook and challenges
• What SMBs plan to buy in 2019
• The media that work best with SMBs across the sales cycle
• The messaging that works best with SMBs
You’ll get valuable insights to put to work right away in your 2019 SMB marketing program.
Through every change in marketing technology, the email newsletter has remained one of the most effective tools in the SMB marketer’s kit. Because of its importance, we surveyed 500 U.S. SMB principals to better understand the role email newsletters play in today’s dynamic marketing environment.
In this SlideShare you’ll learn:
• How SMBs rate their business outlook and challenges
• The formats and topics SMBs are most interested in
• Which industries SMBs most want email newsletters from, and from which they’re already subscribed
• The content mix they prefer
• Where SMBs are most likely to subscribe to an email newsletter
• What gets SMBs to forward an email newsletter to colleagues
• The effect of an email newsletter program on awareness, brand perception and purchase propensity
You’ll get valuable insights to put to work right away in your SMB email newsletter program.
Improving the Small Business Customer ExperienceBredin, Inc.
It’s a common perception that small businesses think all banks are alike. They don’t. Their experience with, and perceptions of, different banks vary widely. And that means that the fortunes of banks serving SBOs can also vary widely.
To help you improve SBO customer experience — and as a result, acquisition, retention and revenue — we recently surveyed 500 U.S. small business principals. The findings are instructive; there are some great learnings on what SBOs want from their bank – and how they feel about your company.
How Much Do Influencers Influence SMBs?Bredin, Inc.
One of the topics we heard about most in 2017 was influencers, especially in the B2C world. For B2SMB marketers, though, influencer campaigns raise a number of questions: What role should influencers play? Which influencers can motivate your customers? What’s the profile of an SMB influencer? How can influencers be used most effectively?
To find out, Bredin surveyed over 300 U.S. SMB principals.
The document discusses a survey of 307 SMB principals regarding their cloud application usage and adoption plans. Key findings include:
- "Cloud application" was the best known cloud-related term among those surveyed. Term familiarity increased with company size and decreased with respondent age.
- Accounting software was the most popular application currently used by SMBs, while marketing automation was most likely to be hosted in the cloud.
- Over half of respondents expected to increase their use of cloud applications in the next two years, with improved reliability and security cited as major drivers of cloud adoption.
- Larger SMBs placed more importance on improved reliability as a reason for cloud adoption compared to smaller SMBs.
This document reports on the results of a survey of 312 small and medium sized business principals in the United States about their business outlook, challenges, preferred topics and formats for receiving business advice. Some key findings include: three quarters of SMBs expect revenue to increase in 2017, top challenges are customer acquisition and cost management; SMBs most often seek information online about technology and industry trends; email newsletters are a highly useful format for receiving business tips and advice, especially for very small businesses. The report provides additional details on preferences by company size and respondent age.
Millennial entrepreneurs are quickly replacing retiring Boomers. How can banks serve this huge, diverse and technology-adept audience? You’ll learn:
• The business challenges Millennials face – and the opportunity that creates for banks
• The bank transaction preferences of Millennial entrepreneurs
• Their loan application activity and experience – and the challenge for traditional banks
• Awareness and perceptions of alternative lenders
• Bank brand perceptions and switching likelihood
INTRODUCTION TO SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION (SEO).pptxGiorgio Chiesa
This presentation is recommended for those who want to know more about SEO. It explains the main theoretical and practical aspects that influence the positioning of websites in search engines.
Why bridging the gap between PR and SEO is the only way forward for PR Profes...Isa Lavs
The lines between PR and SEO are blurring. SEOs are increasingly winning PR briefs by leveraging data and content to secure high-value placements. In this presentation, I explore the merging of PR and SEO, highlighting why SEO specialists are increasingly taking ‘PR’ business. I uncover the hidden SEO potential using PR tactics and discuss how to identify missed opportunities. I'll also offer insights into strategies for converting PR initiatives into successful link-building campaigns.
Advanced Storytelling Concepts for MarketersEd Shimp
Every marketer knows you’re supposed to tell a story, but do you know how to tell a story? Do you know why you’re supposed to tell a story? Do you even truly know what a story is? While many marketing presentations emphasize the value of mythic storytelling, the nuts and bolts of actually constructing a story are never explored.
The goal of marketing may be to achieve specific KPIs that drive sales, which is very objective, but the top of the marketing funnel requires a softer approach. In our data-driven results-oriented fast-paced world, marketers must quantify results, but those results will never be achieved unless prospects are first approached with humanity.
There is a common misunderstanding that the so-called “soft skills” of marketing such as language and art are unmeasurable and subjective, but while the objective measures of market research are merely 100 years old, the rules of aesthetics have been perfected over the last 2,500 years.
Great story construction is a skill that requires significant knowledge and practice. This presentation will be a review of the ancient art of story construction.
We will discuss:
• Rhetoric – The art of effective communication
• The Socratic Method – You cannot teach, but you can persuade people to learn
• Plato’s Cave – You sell products, but you market ideas
• Aristotle’s Six Dramatic Elements – The secret recipe for marketing stories
This is for senior marketers who are tasked with creating effective narratives or guiding others in the process. By the end of the session, attendees will have gained the knowledge needed to work storytelling into all phases of the buyer’s journey.
THE STORY COMMUNICATION Credential 2024.pptxhuyenngo62
The Story Communication là công ty quảng cáo truyền thông tích hợp (IMC) được xây dựng trên thế mạnh về Digital & Performance.
#Assemble #Integrity #Transformation #Initiative
TAM AdEx-Quarterly Report on Television Advertising_2024.pdfSocial Samosa
According to the report, there was a 4% decrease in television advertising volumes compared to the same period in 2023, indicating shifts in advertising strategies or market dynamics.
Meta Revolutionizes Product Promotion with Automated Video Catalog Ads.pptxprovidenceadworks416
As a digital marketer, I am thrilled to see Meta revolutionizing product promotion with its new automated video catalog ads. This innovative feature allows anyone to seamlessly integrate dynamic video content into my catalog product ads, enhancing the visual appeal and engagement of campaigns. By leveraging Meta's advanced AI and machine learning capabilities, one can automatically deliver tailored video ads to the most interested users, boosting traffic and conversions. This new approach not only simplifies the ad creation process but also significantly improves performance and ROI.
Top 10 Digital Marketing Institute in lucknow.pptxzaireendigitech
Welcome to our ppt on the top 10 digital marketing institutes in Lucknow! If you're looking to enhance your skills in the dynamic field of digital marketing, Lucknow offers several excellent training options. Our curated list highlights the best digital marketing institutes in Lucknow, providing comprehensive courses that cover SEO, social media marketing, PPC, content marketing, and more. These institutes are renowned for their experienced faculty, practical training, and industry-relevant curriculum. Whether you're a beginner or a professional seeking to upgrade your skills, these institutes can help you achieve your career goals in digital marketing.
How to Start Affiliate Marketing with ChatGPT- A Step-by-Step Guide (1).pdfSimpleMoneyMaker
Discover the power of affiliate marketing with ChatGPT! This comprehensive guide takes you through the process of starting and scaling your affiliate marketing business using the latest AI technology. Learn how to leverage ChatGPT to generate content ideas, create engaging articles, and connect with your audience through personalized interactions. From building your strategy and optimizing conversions to analyzing performance and staying updated with industry trends, this eBook provides everything you need to know to succeed in affiliate marketing. Whether you're a beginner looking to start your online business or an experienced marketer wanting to take your efforts to the next level, this guide is your roadmap to success in the world of affiliate marketing.
Title: Making Money the Easy Way: A Quick Guide to Generating IncomeWilliamZinsmeister
Welcome to "Making Money the Easy Way: A Quick Guide to Generating Income." This book is designed to provide you with practical, actionable strategies to generate income with minimal effort. Whether you’re looking to supplement your current income or create a full-time revenue stream, this guide covers a variety of methods to help you achieve your financial goals. We will explore opportunities available online, various investment strategies, profitable side hustles, creative approaches, and essential financial tips to ensure sustainable income growth.
This document was submitted as part of interview process for Content Strategist position at Viapulsa, an Indonesian tech company which offers service to convert/transfer mobile credits into bank account.
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E-Learning Vs Traditional Learning_ Benefits and Differences.pdfMega P
E-learning and traditional learning are two distinct approaches to education, each offering unique advantages and facing specific challenges. E-learning provides flexibility and convenience, allowing students to access materials and complete assignments at their own pace and schedule. Traditional learning fosters direct, face-to-face interaction between students and instructors, which can enhance communication, immediate feedback, and a sense of community.
3. • Qualitative
• Live focus groups
• Online bulletin boards
• In-depth interviews
• Quantitative
• Custom phone / online
• SMB Pulse
• New SMB IT Pulse
Methods
ORIGINAL RESEARCH CUSTOM CONTENT
• Ad, message, positioning
testing
• Attitudes and usage
• Brand awareness / perception
• Buyer identification
• Competitive perceptions
• Customer satisfaction / loyalty
• Market segmentation
• Media behaviors / preferences
• New product testing
• Persona / buyer journey
• Purchase intent, behaviors,
channels and preferences
Topics
3
INCREASING SALES TO SMBS
Internal: Actionable product /
marketing insight
External: PR / social / content /
events / collateral
OutputsOutputs
4. 4
INCREASING SALES TO SMBS
ORIGINAL RESEARCH CUSTOM CONTENT
Video
Email
Newsletters
Checklists /
Worksheets
Case StudiesArticles Blog Posts
White Papers
Podcasts
eBooks
PR Surveys
Social Media
Handbooks /
Guides
Webcasts
Slideshows
Infographics
Interactive
Tools
• Persona / buyer journey
• Formats, topics and
outlets
• Peer data
• Creative brief
• Editorial calendar
• Distribution plan
• Content audit
• Content creation
• Analytics
Contribution
• Expert
• Actionable
• Relevant
• Easy to understand
• Professional
• Brand-building
• Custom
Principles
Direct Mail
Event
Collateral
Brochures /
Sell Sheets
Custom Pubs
5. The SMB tech adoption outlook, sales cycle
preferences and tech purchase process
WHAT WE’LL COVER
5
Attitudes towards tech
Purchase intent and process
Role of content
Brand perception
6. METHODOLOGY
6
1
2
3
HOW
WHO
WHEN
Online survey via the Bredin.com/SMBPulse
500 principals of U.S. companies with ≤500 employees (4% +/- CI)
March 9-19, 2018
Representative mix of industries, business ages, locations etc.
250 VSB
<20 employees
(97.7% weighting)
150 SB
20-99 employees
(2.0% weighting)
100 MB
100-500 employees
(0.3% weighting)
8. It is an expense that we try to minimize; we only adopt technology when absolutely necessary
It is important, but we wait until technology is proven before we adopt it
We see it as essential to our business success, and adopt / develop it aggressively
Tech ‘importance’ increases with company size
8
n=498
Which of these statements best describes your company's attitude towards technology?
ATTITUDES TOWARDS TECH
17%
47%
35%
Total
18%
47%
35%
VSB (<20)
9%
36%
55%
SB (20-99)
9%
29%
62%
MB (100-500)
9. It is an expense that we try to minimize; we only adopt technology when absolutely necessary
It is important, but we wait until technology is proven before we adopt it
We see it as essential to our business success, and adopt / develop it aggressively
‘Hypergrowth’ SMBs – and Millennials – aggressively adopt new tech
9
n=498
Which of these statements best describes your company's attitude towards technology?
DOES TECH FUEL GROWTH?
11%
34%54%
18-34
19%
53%
28%
35-49
18%
47%
34%
50+
20%
47%
32%
No growth
16%
55%
29%
Slow growth
16%
45%
39%
Fast growth
12%
25%
63%
Hypergrowth
17%
47%
35%
Total
10. 32%
34%
44%
44%
44%
45%
46%
46%
49%
51%
51%
Improve employee satisfaction / productivity
Improve mobile access to applications / data
Cost savings
Improve data security
Take advantage of a growth opportunity
Current solution is dated / not working well
Improve business performance / processes
Keep up with competitors
Keep up with changes in customers’ use of technology
Improve functionality
Improve reliability
Reliability and functionality are key for VSBs; business performance for SBs and MBs
10
TECH PURCHASE RATIONALE
VSB
(<20)
SB
(20-99)
MB
(100-500)
50% 57% 63%
50% 57% 62%
48% 58% 55%
46% 63% 65%
46% 66% 68%
44% 54% 58%
44% 61% 64%
44% 61% 62%
43% 63% 65%
34% 55% 48%
32% 60% 65%
n=500 % rated very important
On a scale of 1 (not at all important) to 3 (very important), please rate each of these possible reasons for purchasing new technology for your business:
Total
11. 70% of SMBs say their tech investments have had a positive or very positive impact
11
n=496
Generally speaking, how would you describe the impact your company's investment in technology has had on your business success?
TECH IMPACT
Company Size
Respondent Age
13. Search, email newsletters, TV and peers are top drivers of awareness
13
n=500
What information sources do you use when you are assessing technology solutions for your business? Select the sources you are most likely to use to first learn about
technology solutions.
SMB TECH PRODUCT AWARENESS
s
26%
27%
27%
28%
28%
29%
29%
29%
30%
30%
30%
30%
31%
32%
32%
33%
38%
Podcast
Pinterest
YouTube
One-off email
Instagram
LinkedIn
Press release
Radio
Newspaper / magazine (print or online)
Twitter
Outdoor billboard or signage
Live event or trade show
Facebook
Peer / colleague
TV
Email newsletter
Search
VSB
(<20)
SB
(20-99)
MB
(100-500)
38% 31% 32%
33% 31% 27%
32% 37% 35%
32% 29% 29%
31% 35% 31%
30% 35% 25%
30% 33% 24%
30% 31% 29%
30% 30% 29%
29% 31% 27%
29% 27% 24%
28% 38% 31%
28% 31% 25%
28% 30% 26%
27% 30% 26%
27% 25% 32%
26% 29% 30%
Total
14. Your sales team is very important for awareness with SBs and MBs
14
n=500
What information sources do you use when you are assessing technology solutions for your business? Select the sources you are most likely to use to first learn about
technology solutions.
s
SMB TECH PRODUCT AWARENESS (CONTINUED)
s
18%
19%
19%
20%
20%
21%
21%
21%
22%
22%
23%
23%
23%
25%
25%
26%
26%
Analyst report
Video on a vendor’s website
Case study
Resources section of a vendor’s website
Interactive tool
eBook / guide / handbook
Call or meeting with a vendor sales…
Webinar / webcast
Forum or discussion board
White paper
Research report
Product section of a vendor’s website
In-house IT (or other) staff
Infographic
Postcard, letter or catalog in the mail
Blog
External / third-party IT (or other) consultant
VSB
(<20)
SB
(20-99)
MB
(100-500)
26% 23% 30%
26% 26% 27%
25% 31% 26%
24% 30% 26%
23% 28% 28%
23% 21% 25%
22% 28% 27%
22% 25% 23%
22% 20% 25%
21% 24% 23%
21% 31% 33%
21% 23% 19%
20% 23% 22%
20% 21% 24%
19% 25% 27%
18% 31% 26%
18% 19% 24%
Total
15. After search, your site is key for product research
15
n=500
What information sources do you use when you are assessing technology solutions for your business? Select the sources you are most likely to use to research technology
solutions.
s
SMB TECH PRODUCT RESEARCH
ss
27%
27%
28%
28%
29%
29%
29%
30%
30%
31%
32%
32%
33%
34%
37%
38%
48%
In-house IT (or other) staff
Email newsletter
Analyst report
Interactive tool
YouTube
Live event or trade show
eBook / guide / handbook
Webinar / webcast
Peer / colleague
Call or meeting with a vendor sales…
Forum or discussion board
Video on a vendor’s website
Research report
Case study
Resources section of a vendor’s website
Product section of a vendor’s website
Search
VSB
(<20)
SB
(20-99)
MB
(100-500)
48% 45% 40%
38% 40% 41%
37% 42% 44%
34% 39% 44%
33% 39% 39%
32% 36% 37%
32% 37% 32%
31% 35% 41%
30% 35% 44%
30% 40% 46%
29% 40% 37%
29% 35% 38%
28% 37% 34%
28% 41% 42%
27% 42% 39%
27% 31% 40%
27% 37% 41%
Total
16. SBs rely heavily on tech consultants
16
n=500
What information sources do you use when you are assessing technology solutions for your business? Select the sources you are most likely to use to research technology
solutions.
SMB TECH PRODUCT RESEARCH (CONTINUED)
15%
16%
16%
18%
18%
19%
19%
20%
20%
21%
22%
23%
24%
24%
26%
26%
27%
Outdoor billboard or signage
Twitter
Instagram
Pinterest
Radio
Facebook
LinkedIn
Press release
One-off email
Podcast
Postcard, letter or catalog in the mail
TV
White paper
Infographic
Blog
External / third-party IT (or other) consultant
Newspaper / magazine (print or online)
VSB
(<20)
SB
(20-99)
MB
(100-500)
27% 31% 32%
25% 40% 33%
25% 39% 39%
24% 29% 31%
24% 31% 41%
23% 23% 37%
22% 27% 39%
21% 30% 33%
20% 34% 35%
20% 29% 36%
19% 30% 39%
18% 31% 29%
18% 29% 27%
17% 34% 29%
16% 26% 33%
16% 25% 35%
14% 27% 31%
Total
17. Your site’s product section is the most important resource for SMBs to make a purchase decision
17
n=500
What information sources do you use when you are assessing technology solutions for your business? Select the sources you are to make a final purchase decision.
SMB TECH PRODUCT PURCHASE DECISION
12%
13%
13%
14%
15%
15%
16%
16%
18%
18%
18%
19%
19%
19%
19%
22%
24%
YouTube
Interactive tool
Postcard, letter or catalog in the mail
Webinar / webcast
Video on a vendor’s website
White paper
Case study
Live event or trade show
Analyst report
External / third-party IT (or other) consultant
Resources section of a vendor’s website
Research report
Peer / colleague
In-house IT (or other) staff
Search
Product section of a vendor’s website
Call or meeting with a vendor sales…
VSB
(<20)
SB
(20-99)
MB
(100-500)
24% 34% 32%
22% 27% 25%
19% 24% 22%
19% 33% 32%
19% 29% 26%
19% 27% 29%
18% 27% 34%
18% 27% 27%
18% 32% 35%
16% 23% 28%
16% 27% 25%
15% 24% 27%
14% 21% 20%
14% 25% 24%
13% 22% 20%
13% 23% 25%
12% 17% 24%
Total
18. SBs and MBs rely on significantly more resources than do VSBs
18
n=500
What information sources do you use when you are assessing technology solutions for your business? Select the sources you are to make a final purchase decision.
SMB TECH PRODUCT PURCHASE DECISION (CONTINUED)
7%
7%
7%
8%
8%
8%
9%
9%
9%
10%
10%
10%
11%
11%
11%
12%
12%
Pinterest
Outdoor billboard or signage
Podcast
Twitter
Instagram
Press release
Radio
Facebook
LinkedIn
One-off email
Email newsletter
Infographic
Blog
TV
Newspaper / magazine (print or online)
Forum or discussion board
eBook / guide / handbook
VSB
(<20)
SB
(20-99)
MB
(100-500)
12% 19% 21%
11% 23% 31%
10% 25% 29%
10% 24% 23%
10% 18% 25%
10% 23% 26%
10% 20% 20%
10% 13% 23%
9% 21% 17%
9% 21% 22%
9% 19% 27%
8% 22% 21%
8% 21% 21%
8% 21% 21%
7% 19% 21%
7% 15% 20%
6% 18% 19%
Total
20. Have an IT director Do not have an IT director
20
n=500
Do you have a full-time internal IT director?
IT DIRECTOR STATUS
The presence of an IT director increases sharply at 20 employees...
12%
88%
Total
10%
90%
VSB (<20)
71%
29%
SB (20-99)
87%
13%
MB (100-500)
21. 32%
33%
56%
59%
Managed service provider, for any kind of service
Phone hardware / software consulting, installation, service etc.
Hardware repair ("break / fix")
Hardware / software consulting, installation, service etc.
What kind of tech consultant do you have?
…as does the presence of an external IT consultant.
21
IT CONSULTANT STATUS
n=131
n=500
Do you have an external tech consultant?
Have a tech consultant Do not have a tech consultant
26%
74%
Total
26%
74%
VSB (<20)
54%
46%
SB (20-99)
69%
31%
MB (100-500)
SMBs in the professional services
segment are most likely to have an
external consultant with 33%
having one.
Large revenue SMBs ($5M+) are
twice as likely to have a consultant
compared to low revenue
companies (<$500k).
22. 62%
66%
67%
69%
78%
79%
80%
80%
38%
34%
33%
31%
22%
21%
20%
20%
System software
Servers and storage
Application software
Routers / switches / wireless access points
Phone systems
PCs, desktops, laptops
Cellphones / tablets
Printers / copiers / faxes
For both hardware and software, SMBs would rather buy directly from the manufacturer
22
n= Ranges 472-488
For each of these tech product categories, please indicate whether you would rather purchase them from a tech consultant or direct from the vendor / manufacturer:
SMB PURCHASE CHANNEL PREFERENCE
Direct from the manufacturer Tech consultant
23. 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
100-500
20-99
1-19
System software
100-500
20-99
1-19
Servers and storage
100-500
20-99
1-19
Application software
100-500
20-99
1-19
Routers / switches / wireless…
100-500
20-99
1-19
Phone systems
100-500
20-99
1-19
PCs, desktops, laptops
100-500
20-99
1-19
Cellphones / tablets
100-500
20-99
1-19
Printers / copiers / faxes
Larger SMBs are more likely to prefer purchasing from a tech consultant than VSBs
23
n= Ranges 472-488
For each of these tech product categories, please indicate whether you would rather purchase them from a tech consultant or direct from the vendor / manufacturer:
SMB PURCHASE CHANNEL PREFERENCE: COMPANY SIZE
Direct from the manufacturer Tech consultant
24. 13%
10%
13%
16%
15%
15%
17%
21%
31%
27%
10%
15%
16%
15%
15%
16%
16%
17%
17%
23%
9%
10%
11%
12%
12%
15%
13%
17%
18%
18%
32%
36%
39%
42%
43%
45%
46%
54%
66%
68%
Phone system
Other system software
Onsite servers and storage
Database software
Routers / switches / wireless
access points
Operating systems
Tablets
Printers / copiers / faxes
Cellphone(s)
PCs / laptops / desktops
By the end of 2018 In 2019 After 2019 = % buying / upgrading
In 2018 SMB budgets, PCs and smartphones are the most likely purchase
24
n=Ranges 494-500
What is your best guess as to when you will buy new / additional, or upgrade, each of these technologies for your business?
SMB TECH PURCHASE OUTLOOK
Hypergrowth SMBs are the most likely to
buy ‘by the end of 2018’ in every single
product category vs. other SMBs.
In the PCs / laptops / desktops category
Hypergrowth SMBs are more than 3x
more likely to buy in 2018 than no growth
SMBs (57% vs. 17%).
Millennials are more likely to invest in 9 of
10 product categories vs. older SMBs. In
the tablets category 40% of Millennials
plan to buy or upgrade by the end of 2018,
vs only 18% (35-49) and 10% (50+).
25. Email, online storage/backup, and payments are the most common apps
25
n=Ranges 494 to 500
Which, if any, of these kinds of software or apps do you currently have, or will you acquire? (please pick the best option in each row)
APPLICATION USAGE AND PURCHASE OUTLOOK
8%
9%
10%
13%
15%
26%
27%
28%
28%
29%
31%
35%
36%
37%
41%
49%
54%
55%
58%
78%
9%
10%
12%
14%
12%
11%
9%
10%
10%
11%
9%
9%
8%
14%
10%
13%
9%
7%
9%
4%
4%
7%
7%
6%
3%
4%
3%
6%
4%
4%
3%
6%
3%
3%
5%
3%
3%
4%
4%
1%
2%
3%
1%
2%
5%
4%
2%
2%
3%
2%
2%
2%
2%
2%
4%
2%
3%
2%
1% 2%
Fleet management
CRM / sales force automation
Survey administration
Marketing automation
Analytics
Website analytics
Production management
Web / video conferencing
HR / payroll / benefits administration
Design / illustration
Inventory management
Expense management
File sharing
Social media management
Office productivity suite
Accounting / financial management
Security software
Payments (any kind)
Storage / file backup
Email
Already have Will get by the end of 2018 Will get in 2019 Will get after 2019
Millennials are less likely to have a
security software than their older peers
with only 40% currently having one vs.
54% (35-49) and 57% (50+).
Almost half (48%) of Millennials use
website analytics compared to only 18% of
the 50+ audience.
Hypergrowth companies are big CRM
users, with 32% already have one and
31% expecting to buy by end of year. This
is a big contrast to ‘no growth’ SMBs, of
whom only 2% have a CRM system.
26. ‘Commodity’ tech purchases are made within a month
26
n=varies 492-498
On average, how long does it take from beginning to conduct research on these technology products and services for your business until you make a purchase or upgrade
decision?
TECH PURCHASE CYCLE
17%
16%
19%
19%
22%
24%
31%
36%
27%
36%
25%
26%
26%
26%
28%
26%
28%
26%
29%
27%
15%
20%
18%
19%
14%
17%
11%
11%
15%
11%
12%
10%
11%
8%
11%
8%
7%
6%
9%
8%
8%
8%
7%
9%
7%
7%
6%
8%
7%
6%
77%
80%
80%
81%
82%
82%
82%
88%
88%
89%
Other system software
Onsite servers and storage
Database software
Operating systems
Phone system
Routers / switches /
wireless access points
Tablets
Printers / copiers / faxes
PCs / laptops / desktops
Cellphone(s)
A week A month Three months Six months A year = % that buy within a year
27. 50%
43%
5%
2%
24%
57%
13%
5%
21%
47%
25%
6%
1 or 2
3 or 4
5 to 9
10 or more
VSB (<20) SB (20-99) MB (100-500)
The vast majority of SMBs consider four or fewer vendors
27
VENDOR CONSIDERATION
n=500
How many vendors do you typically consider when assessing a new technology solution for your business?
28. Clear pricing and industry expertise are paramount
28
n=500
On a scale of 1 (not at all important) to 3 (very important), please rate each of these attributes when you are assessing a potential technology vendor.
VENDOR PURCHASE ATTRIBUTES
50%
50%
51%
49%
49%
52%
62%
62%
46%
44%
47%
45%
56%
59%
63%
67%
27%
30%
40%
42%
43%
49%
62%
70%
Has many customers
Robust business management tips and advices, such
as articles or videos
Robust tips and advice on getting the most from their
solution, pre- and post-purchase
Online ratings or reviews
Has the most innovative or function-rich solution
Experience / expertise with companies the same size
as mine
Experience / expertise in my industry
Clear, competitive pricing
VSB (<20) SB (20-99) MB (100-500)
Hypergrowth SMBs place
greater importance on all
of these attributes than
fast growth, slow growth
and no growth SMBs.
30. Content can boost brand perception, conversion and retention
30 n=Ranges 496-498
Please indicate whether the business management advice you've read from technology vendors:
EFFECT OF CONTENT MARKETING
73% say reading
business management
advice makes them
think more
favorably of the
sponsoring company
68% say reading
business management
advice makes them
more likely to
become a
customer of the
sponsoring company
73% say reading
business management
advice makes them
more likely to
remain a customer
of the sponsoring
company
Favorability Acquisition Retention
VSB (<20) SB (20-99) MB (100-500)
32. 32 n=varies
TECH BRAND AWARENESS VS. TRUST
% of respondents ‘very aware’
%ofrespondentsthattrusteachbrand
Awareness correlates with trust
n=varies. Top 1 box
Horizontal axis: On a scale of 1 (not at all aware) to 5 (very aware), please rate your awareness of (or familiarity with) each of these technology firms
Vertical axis: On a scale of 1 (do not trust at all) to 5 (trust very much), please rate your trust in each of these technology firms (if >2 on awareness)
33. 33
HOW BREDIN CAN HELP
Stu Richards, CEO
stu@bredin.com
• Content strategy
• Creative brief / ed cal
Strategy
• Original content development
• Exclusive SMB focus
Content
• Product / go-to-market strategy
• Persona / buyer journey
• Original data for standout content and PR
Research
Work with the experts in SMB insight and engagement
34. PARTICIPANT FIRMOGRAPHICS
Want to watch the original
Fastcast? Watch it here.
Want to talk with the B2SMB
experts? Email us at:
info@bredin.com