What are the main postulates modern marketing in a small business? How to succeed in promoting a small company?
In small businesses, marketing is always a problem. This is often explained by the lack of funds for hiring high-class marketers, specialists in the promotion of goods and services, and the low degree of qualification of a businessman in marketing.
Often the marketing strategy of small companies is built around purely advertising, which indicates ignorance of the deep essence of marketing.
How to succeed in small business marketing? Today, one of the dominant trends in society is the Internet technologies, which have literally penetrated into all spheres of life.
Therefore, small firms should take maximum advantage of building a loyal audience, building relationships with customers and ultimately making a profit using modern instruments internet marketing.
At the same time, one should not neglect the postulates of classical, traditional marketing - Philip Kotler's books are still relevant.
Excessive concentration on web technologies, an excessive shift in emphasis on social networks leads to a dispersion of marketing efforts (for example, when a company is registered in dozens of social networks, and all of them need to be administered).
Therefore, marketing in a small business should be based on a reasonable combination of traditional approach and Internet promotion tools.
#1 Know your target audience
Perhaps you have already conducted market research and know the basic parameters of your target audience: gender, age, average level income, social status. However, learning about your customers is a continuous, never-ending process.
To stop it means tomorrow to be behind your competitors who are diligently doing their job. homework while you watch TV in the evening.
Knowing about your customers is never enough. This array of information needs to be constantly expanded and supplemented. Consumer habits can change very quickly.
The model of consumer behavior also does not stand still. Perhaps sometime in the process of studying consumers, you found out that they prefer to pay in your store using a credit card. And suddenly today it is more convenient for them to use mobile payments? Probably earlier it was convenient for your customers to order pizza by phone.
What if today they like to do it with an app on their smartphone without leaving Facebook?
If your competitors continuously study their audience, they will easily identify latest trends in consumer habits and preferences. Accordingly, by offering them new opportunities, they will lure customers to them.
And as is known from operational management, the cost of attracting a new customer is 5-10 times higher than the cost of retaining old ones.
Learn from your competitor because he will learn from you. (Jeff O'Leary)
Many entrepreneurs retail business they sin by hiring distributors in their stores and outlets, they completely distance themselves from the sales process and interaction with the target audience.
Such unfortunate businessmen are only interested in the volume of daily earnings. They don't care about customer feedback at all. Moreover, they do not even connect sellers to purchases, which is extremely strange. Who knows buyers better - a seller who sells 8-12 hours a day or a store owner who appears there once every 2-3 days to carry out collection?
In the West, even the top management of many companies does not hesitate to periodically take off their starched white shirts and take the place of salespeople, cleaners, and workers in production. In such corporations, they understand that sitting in offices, you don’t learn much.
Only by seeing with your own eyes, talking with buyers personally, you can get a complete picture of what is happening.
#2 Use social media analysis tools
Perhaps yours already has accounts in a dozen social networks. Perhaps you have a well-designed content strategy. However, this is not enough. You need to track the effectiveness of your activity on the Internet.
For this, social network analysis tools are widely used. They give an idea of the results, dynamics, statistics etc. Good analyzers, as a rule, are paid, and this is quite natural.
If your business can afford these extra costs, it's worth a try. With their help, you can increase the effectiveness of interaction and attract new customers on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and other networks.
All this pays off in the long run by attracting new customers.
#3 Build your network
No social network in the world can replace live communication. Did you know that we receive most of the information from the interlocutor non-verbally - gestures, facial expressions, facial expressions, gaze, posture, etc. On the Internet, the process of communication is impersonal, we do not see our interlocutor.
In the article, we wrote that newcomers to business often face a lack of business contacts. To be successful in business, you absolutely need to develop your own network of business partners. You don't have to do business together. Relationships can be based on common interests, similar investment objects, hobbies, hobbies, etc.
An excellent platform for establishing contacts are specialized exhibitions, business forums, seminars, trainings, lectures, conferences. In addition, local and large-scale business events such as the opening of a facility can also play a good role.
Networks of business contacts are truly invaluable. Their significance is mentioned by many successful people- the authors of the bestseller "Millionaire in a Minute" Victor Mark Hansen and Robert Allen, the author of "" Robert Kiyosaki, billionaire real estate developer Donald Trump, etc. By the way, in a recent, expert in network marketing, he also emphasized the importance of networks as one of the success factors.
#4 Practice Socially Responsible Marketing
We have already written about what the concept of socially responsible marketing is. In a small business, there is often not enough money for advertising, promotion, creating awareness among buyers about the company, etc.
One of the effective ways to solve this problem is to interact with a local charitable foundation or organization.
Even a small sponsorship based on a sincere desire to do good, to benefit the local community, citizens, socially vulnerable groups of the population, environment can spread a good word about the company, a positive image. The most effective advertising is advertising distributed by word of mouth by the customers themselves.
#5 Check the relevance of information
According to statistics, 49% of small businesses never update their information online. Once developed and filled with a one-page site, it remains unchanged for years. This creates a negative impression of the company.
Buyers may think that such a businessman is not serious enough, or does not develop. In any case, periodically it is worth posting fresh information. If your contact details remain the same, you can add new photos of goods or services, talk about a new promotion, and finally congratulate you on the upcoming holiday.
Show creativity, unconventional approach.
These are the basic, but not exhaustive, secrets of small business marketing. Try, experiment, test and analyze!
Marketing as a concept of managing an enterprise in a competitive environment has become known due to the effectiveness of its application in the commercial sphere. The introduction of the term "marketing" into scientific circulation is associated with the beginning of the 20th century. The term took root in the American version of English language as a combination of two words "market getting", which translates into Russian as "market development", and even better - "finding the market".
Marketing in small business sectors is a complex system of managerial, regulatory and research activities, taking into account industry specifics and aimed at meeting the needs of society in accordance with consumer demand. As a result, the main goal of marketing is to meet the needs of society, taking into account material and spiritual needs.
Due to the fact that each small firm operates in specific conditions and decides its own specific tasks, the marketing system undergoes significant changes depending on where it is implemented.
Any small organization carries out its marketing activities under the influence of a complex of forces and factors of the surrounding market environment. To individual factors it is necessary to adapt, others to use as tools for regulating behavior strategies in the markets.
The forces and factors acting on marketing results can be divided into two groups. The first includes factors created by the company itself and under its full control. The second group of factors, as a rule, does not depend much on the behavior and efforts of the company, but due to the optimization of management decisions, it can be controlled by it. This complex of internal and external factors is called the marketing microenvironment.
The internal environment of the company depends entirely on the adopted management model, marketing tools, the availability of money, elements of the market infrastructure (communications, fixed assets, office equipment, communications, transport); technology, organizational culture and achieved popularity in society.
The second group includes external forces and factors directly related to the company's activities, namely: suppliers, intermediaries, customers, investors, banks, competitors, government agencies and other contact audiences that influence public opinion.
The concept of marketing management in the field of small business should be based on the social significance and innovative nature of entrepreneurship and proceed from the fact that under the current conditions, the problems of small business development can only be resolved by the efforts of entrepreneurs to unite and harmonize the goals, principles, functions, and actions in the field of marketing.
For many aspiring entrepreneurs, it is sometimes not entirely clear what marketing is and what it is for. The word is fashionable, but it is not entirely clear where to apply it in your enterprise.
The first question that an entrepreneur faces is: "What will be in demand among buyers?" This question is the beginning of all entrepreneurial activity. The answer to it can be obtained through marketing research. Conclusions based on intuition are more related to television programs, and are of little use in market economy. The study of competitors, their products (services), the definition of target consumers of the products offered and the high-quality processing of the information received - this is the necessary minimum of measures that an entrepreneur must take before offering his product to the market. Such market monitoring will allow answering the question - is it worth it to enter the market with this product, and what kind of return can there be from this? Get an accurate answer to the question: "How much will I earn?" it will not work, but it is quite possible to determine the direction of movement in the market and an approximate result.
Marketing research is a systematic process of studying, forecasting the market for goods and services, supply and demand, consumer behavior, market conditions, price dynamics in order to better promote their products on the market, increase their sales, sales.
Almost every company, to one degree or another, is engaged in marketing research, studying the market in which it operates. The collection of information about the state and prospects of the market, about competitors (range, prices, marketing policy) and consumers (behavior and preferences), at least in the simplest, intuitive form, is carried out by almost all market participants.
In the later stages of a firm's development, marketing is just as necessary. Working in Russian conditions far from favorable, an entrepreneur must engage in marketing activities in order to be competitive in a particular market for goods or services. Marketing allows the organization to communicate with consumers and the public through information that is used to identify marketing opportunities and problems; generating, adjusting and evaluating marketing activities; monitoring of marketing activities; improve understanding of marketing as a process.
Thus, the results of marketing activities allow the entrepreneur to:
make more informed management decisions;
better understand the needs and preferences of customers;
evaluate the market prospects of products;
Evaluate and improve the effectiveness of a campaign to promote goods / services;
choose the most effective means promotion of goods/services;
identify strengths and weak sides companies in relation to competitors;
work out effective ways opposition to competitors.
However, market research alone cannot guarantee success; The key to business success is the judicious use of market research results.
Marketing decisions can relate to a variety of issues: from a complete change in the company's positioning strategy and entering new market to smaller, tactical decisions. These decisions are made in the context of the marketing planning process, which involves the following successive stages: situation analysis, strategy development, marketing program development and implementation. This process never stops: the evaluation of the strategic decisions made in the past is the initial information for the analysis of the situation. At each stage, marketing research makes a significant contribution, helping to prepare and make decisions.
Marketing, on the one hand, is a rather complicated process and requires certain knowledge and skills, and not everyone is able to implement a set of marketing activities on their own, on the other hand, the process is absolutely necessary for an enterprise to successfully exist in a market environment. It should be noted that marketing research should be carried out professionally and thoughtfully at all stages, from the choice of the type of marketing research to the methods of data processing and the form of presenting the results, and the specific managerial decision, of course, the business of the enterprise itself.
Marketing is especially important for small businesses for the following reasons. As a rule, they lose to large companies in terms of costs, and in terms of the amount of financial resources available. Consequently, often the main competitive advantages that small businesses have are flexibility and proximity to the buyer, the ability to pay attention to each client, to change, adapting to his requirements. This is expressed in the fact that:
· Small businesses can quickly respond to global demand changes. In this case, a small business will be able to quickly reorient itself to the purchase of more popular products, whereas a large enterprise will take much longer to reorient and sell off stocks due to its inherent inertia and large scale;
· Small businesses can purchase a small batch of goods in accordance with the wishes of a particular consumer. This scheme is followed by most small firms, and because of this, they compete very successfully with large enterprises offering quality, but mostly generic products.
Thus, close interaction with the buyer and prompt response to his wishes is the main competitive advantage small businesses. And in order to take full advantage of this advantage, it is necessary to constantly monitor changes in consumer preferences (through market research).
Hence the conclusion - for small and medium-sized enterprises, the introduction of marketing as the main function of the enterprise is necessary, since it provides them with an advantage in the competition for the consumer with large enterprises.
Ministry of Education and Science Russian Federation
Federal State Budgetary Educational Institution of Higher vocational education
"NATIONAL RESEARCH
TOMSK POLYTECHNICAL UNIVERSITY"
Novokuznetsk branch
COURSE WORK
FOR THE DISCIPLINE "Marketing"
TOPIC: "Marketing in small business"
Made by M. K. Babkin
student gr. 3A10NK, course 2
checked
teacher G.V. Chikonina
Novokuznetsk, 2013
Introduction
1. The essence and content of marketing in small business
1.1 Criteria for small business (entrepreneurship)
1.2 The essence and principles of marketing in small businesses
2. Study of marketing activities in the store "European Products"
2.1 Organizational and economic characteristics of the store "European products" JSC "Tsentrprodservis"
2.2 Analysis of the external and internal environment of the European Products store
3 Organization of marketing activities in the European Products store
Measures to improve marketing in small businesses on the example of the store "European products"
Conclusion
Introduction
At present, small enterprises are the backbone of the economy, which is proved by the economies of leading countries - more than 20% of GDP - such a contribution is made by small enterprises. This is due to the fact that small businesses are able to fully satisfy consumer demand, they are more mobile, innovative, able to quickly adapt to market fluctuations and general economic situation in the country.
The high level of competition among small businesses allows them to steadily improve the quality of their products and services. In addition, there are areas that are based on small businesses, for example, household services for the population: small convenience stores in both large cities and small ones; farms specializing in the production of organic food, etc. It should be taken into account that the development of the country's economy as a whole will directly depend on the growth rate of small businesses in Russia.
At the same time, the activity of the enterprise is 80% dependent on marketing. Marketing, as a system for managing the production and marketing activities of a company, takes special place in conditions market relations, and aims to effectively meet consumer demand. Marketing directs manufacturers to respond quickly to consumer demands in order to convert them into their customers and thus ensure long-term prosperity for their company. The broad scope of marketing has been formally recognized in the following definition: "Marketing is the process of planning and inventing, pricing, promoting and realizing ideas, goods and services through exchange to satisfy the goals of individuals and organizations."
Marketing includes a set of measures in the field of research of the trade and marketing activities of an enterprise to study all the factors that influence the production process and the promotion of goods and services from producer to consumer. With the help of marketing, the management of the enterprise receives necessary information about what products and why consumers want to buy, about the prices that consumers are willing to pay, about in which regions the demand for these products, i.e. market capacity, the highest, where the marketing of the enterprise's products, can bring the greatest profit. With the help of marketing, it is determined in which types of products it is most profitable to invest, where to establish a new enterprise, which market segment to master.
The relevance of this work is due to the fact that a small enterprise also needs a marketer, as well as a large one - a whole marketing department, because marketing makes it possible to "fit" into the market, occupy its niche in it and successfully implement commercial activity. The object of the research is marketing activity at a small enterprise. The subject of the research is the study of marketing activities on the example of the European Products store.
The purpose of this work is to study marketing activities in small businesses. The given goal is specified in solving the following tasks:
characterize the criteria for small business (small business);
to study the essence of marketing and the principles of marketing activities in small businesses;
on the example of the store "European products" to get acquainted with the marketing activities at the enterprise.
In the process of work, the following ways of solving the main tasks are assumed: internal documentation store "European Products", the study of specialized literature, the study of articles in specialized magazines. structural course work consists of an introduction, three chapters, a conclusion, a list of references.
1. The essence and content of marketing in small business
1.1 Criteria for small business (entrepreneurship)
The concept of "small business" is a popular term, which, depending on the need and political preferences, denotes different concepts. Unlike "small business", the concept of "small business" is enshrined in law.
According to Article 4 of the Federal Law No. 209 dated July 24, 2007 "On the development of small and medium-sized businesses in the Russian Federation" (with amendments and additions), small and medium-sized businesses include those entered in the unified state register of legal entities consumer cooperatives and commercial organizations (with the exception of state and municipal unitary enterprises), as well as individuals, entered in the unified state register of individual entrepreneurs and carrying out entrepreneurial activity without forming a legal entity (hereinafter referred to as individual entrepreneurs), peasant (farm) enterprises that meet the following conditions:
) for legal entities - the total share of participation of the Russian Federation, constituent entities of the Russian Federation, municipalities, foreign legal entities, foreign citizens, public and religious organizations (associations), charitable and other funds in the authorized (share) capital (share fund) of these legal entities should not exceed twenty-five percent (except for the assets of joint-stock investment funds and closed-end investment funds). funds), a share held by one or more legal entities which are not subjects of small and medium-sized businesses, should not exceed twenty-five percent (this restriction does not apply to business entities whose activities consist in the practical application (implementation) of the results of intellectual activity (software for electronic computers, databases, inventions, utility models , industrial designs, breeding achievements, topologies of integrated circuits, production secrets (know-how), the exclusive rights to which belong to the founders (participants) of such business companies- budgetary scientific institutions or scientific institutions established by state academies of sciences or budgetary educational institutions higher professional education or educational institutions of higher professional education created by the state academies of sciences);
) the average number of employees for the previous calendar year should not exceed the following limit values average number of employees for each category of small and medium-sized businesses:
a) from one hundred and one to two hundred and fifty people inclusive for medium-sized enterprises;
b) up to one hundred people inclusive for small businesses; among small enterprises, micro-enterprises stand out - up to fifteen people;
) proceeds from the sale of goods (works, services) excluding value added tax or the book value of assets (residual value of fixed assets and intangible assets) for the previous calendar year should not exceed the limit values (in 2013, the limit values of proceeds from the sale of goods, works or services for the previous calendar year, excluding value added tax for the following categories of small and medium-sized businesses are: micro-enterprises - 60 million rubles; small enterprises - 400 million rubles; medium-sized enterprises - 1000 million rubles).
Newly created organizations or newly registered individual entrepreneurs and peasant (farm) enterprises during the year in which they are registered can be classified as small and medium-sized businesses if their indicators of the average number of employees, proceeds from the sale of goods (works, services) or book value of assets (residual value of fixed assets and intangible assets) for the period elapsed from the date of their state registration, do not exceed the limit values established by law.
The average number of employees of a micro-enterprise, small enterprise or medium-sized enterprise for a calendar year is determined taking into account all its employees, including employees working for civil law contracts or part-time, taking into account the actual hours worked, employees of representative offices, branches and other separate subdivisions specified micro-enterprise, small enterprise or medium-sized enterprise.
Small businesses provide tax reporting in a simplified way.
1.2 The essence and principles of marketing in small businesses
Marketing is a collective activity of people related to the market. Marketing is a job whose purpose is to satisfy human needs and requirements. The basis of marketing activities is marketing research, product development, communications, sales organization, price setting, service organization.
The purpose of marketing is to attract buyers, obtain high profits and successfully sell the goods produced. At the same time, the use of marketing in the complex has a significant impact, i.e. using it as a system.
Marketing is based on the following principles:
produce what the consumer needs;
to enter the market with means of solving consumer problems;
organize the production of goods after a study of needs and demand;
concentrate efforts on achieving the final result of the production and export activities of the company;
use the program-target method and A complex approach to achieve the set goals;
apply the tactics and strategy of actively adapting the production of goods to the requirements of the market with simultaneous targeted impact on it in order to cover all the links in the chain of promotion of goods to the consumer with marketing;
to orient the activities of the enterprise towards a long-term perspective of production based on the implementation strategic planning and forecasting the behavior of goods on the market.
By type of activity, they distinguish: financial marketing; innovative marketing; industrial; service marketing.
Marketing management is the analysis, planning, implementation and control of activities designed to establish, strengthen and maintain beneficial exchanges with target buyers in order to achieve certain goals of the organization, such as making a profit, increasing sales, increasing market share.
The task of marketing management is to influence the level, time and nature of demand in such a way that it helps the organization achieve its goals.
Simply put, marketing management is demand management. The organization develops ideas about the desired level of demand for its products. At any given moment in time, the level of real demand may be below the desired level, meet it or exceed it.
There are five main approaches on the basis of which commercial organizations conduct their marketing activities: the concept of production improvement, the concept of product improvement, the concept of intensification of commercial efforts, the concept of marketing and the concept of socially ethical marketing. These concepts represent various periods in the history of the American economy and major social, economic and political changes over the past 50 years.
The general development trend is a shift in emphasis from production and goods to commercial efforts, to the consumer, and an increasing focus on the problems of the consumer and social ethics.
The marketing mix is a set of controllable marketing variables that a firm uses in combination to elicit a desired response from its target market.
The marketing mix is everything a firm can do to influence the demand for its product. Numerous opportunities can be grouped into four main groups: product, price, methods of distribution and stimulation.
A product is a set of products and services that a firm offers. target market. Yes, new milk product- acidophilus will be in convenient packages of different packaging, with a long shelf life, money back guarantee in case of customer dissatisfaction.
Price is the amount of money that consumers must pay to receive a product. The company offers retail and wholesale prices, preferential prices and discounts. The price charged by the firm must match the perceived value of the offer, or buyers will buy competitors' products.
Distribution methods are all kinds of activities that make a product available to target consumers. Thus, the company selects wholesalers and retailers, convinces them to pay more attention to the product and take care of its good display, monitors the maintenance of its stocks and ensures efficient transportation and storage.
Let us assume that a company decides to produce a dairy product based on consumers who prefer high quality product, but with various fruit additives. Such positioning suggests that this dairy product should be at least as high quality as, for example, kefir or fermented baked milk. The company must use high-quality packaging for it, and the product itself must be offered to the market in several different packages. Its price should be higher than that of ryazhenka or kefir. It should be sold in solid retail stores. Advertising spending should be large. The ads should feature wealthy consumers who want the best dairy product on the market. This brand should be avoided by price cuts and promotions that could diminish its image. From all this, it becomes clear that the decision to position a product in the market is the basis for developing a targeted marketing mix. To solve a complex set of problems of creating a product and its movement to the consumer, marketing in an enterprise must perform the following functions: research, strategy development, performance (Figure 1).
Figure 1 - Functional tasks of marketing in the enterprise
For the successful operation of the enterprise, it is necessary not only to develop a marketing philosophy, but it is also necessary that all employees of the enterprise are imbued with this philosophy.
business entrepreneurship marketing economic
2. Study of marketing activities in the store "European Products"
1 Organizational and economic characteristics of the store "European products" JSC "Tsentrprodservis"
The store "European products" is a division of JSC "Tsentrprodservis" (JSC "TsPS"), it carries out a full technological process, which includes the following operations: the conclusion of contracts and the purchase of goods from suppliers; acceptance of incoming goods in terms of quantity and quality; storage of goods; preparation of goods for sale; placement and display of goods in trading floor;sales of goods and customer service. Its main activity is the implementation retail food and related products. Store "European products" is located at: st. Spartaka, 18. The store belongs to the enterprises of the residential area, is located on the first floor of a residential building, has a built-in project. According to the assortment profile, the store is universal, because has a wide range of food products, the main of which are bread, confectionery, gastronomy, wine and vodka products, beer, soft drinks. The store also sells non-food items- cultural goods, haberdashery goods and perfumery and cosmetic goods, toys, folk art crafts, etc. The administration of JSC "TsPS" approved the mode of operation of the store. The buyer can always find out about the opening hours from the sign located at the entrance to the store, the store is open from 9.00 to 24.00 seven days a week. The goals of the store are as follows: meeting the demand of the population, both in terms of assortment and quality consumer goods; organization of an appropriate level of customer service in order to provide a variety of goods and services. In terms of scale of activity, the store belongs to small enterprises, the number of employees is 25 people. According to the method of customer service, the store belongs to enterprises that sell goods by self-service and through the counter (sale of culinary products and semi-finished products). A feature of the sale of goods by the self-service method is that buyers have free access to all goods openly laid out on the trading floor on the equipment. They have the full opportunity to independently familiarize themselves with the goods, choose the goods they like without the help of the seller, and, if necessary, use the services of a sales assistant. Payment for the goods is made at the settlement node located at the exit from the trading floor. The organizational structure is presented by the European Products store in Figure 2. Figure 2 - Organizational structure of the store "European products" This management structure is a set and subordination of interrelated organizational units that perform certain functions. All activities of the management apparatus are aimed at ensuring the smooth operation of the store. The rules of the store define: the main provisions related to the acceptance, storage and preparation of products for sale; the procedure for selling products; requirements for sellers; store control. For all goods sold, there are certificates of the established form, issued by authorized bodies (since 2010, the Government of the Russian Federation, by its Decree, canceled mandatory certification, leaving only voluntary). They certify the quality of products, their safety for human life and health. Thus, the organization of labor in the store is aimed at implementing a set of organizational, technical, economic and sanitary measures that allow rationalizing the trade and technological process, creating favorable conditions labor and on this basis to ensure the high quality of commercial services to the population. 2 Analysis of the external and internal environment of the European Products store To characterize the operating environment of the store, it is necessary to study the factors of its external and internal environment. External environment. Factors external environment include direct and indirect factors. The environment of indirect impact does not have a significant impact on the commercial activities of the European Products store, therefore, the work pays special attention to the factors of direct impact, which include consumers, competitors, suppliers and the state, or rather state regulation areas of trade. Consumers. Main potential consumers are residents of nearby houses who visit the store mainly in lunch time- from 11.00 to 14.00 and in the evening - from 18.00 to 24.00. Therefore, the store's working hours - from 9.00 to 24.00 is the most optimal for consumers. The prices set for goods are designed for people with an average and above average income, which allows the store administration to ensure a high turnover. The store "European products" sells by the self-service method, which significantly saves time for customers and is an important factor for them when choosing a store. Suppliers. When choosing suppliers in the European Products store, they are guided by the following characteristics: financial capabilities and a stable position in the market; mediator capacity; availability of a warehouse network; Vehicle; market coverage; availability of service, fame, reputation. Then their placement, assortment and volume of expected supplies, price, terms of supply, etc. are studied. Let's analyze the main suppliers (they occupy large shares in total supplies), table 1. Table 1 - Shares of the main suppliers in the total volume of purchases Product nameSupplier name Share of purchases in the total volume %Fish productsOJSC "Penguin"12Grocery productsOOO "Kiya"12Sausages, smoked meatsOJSC "Kuzbass Food Plant"7Milk and sour-milk productsIP Pavlenko A.A.8Mayonnaise, cheese, yogurtLLC "Solti"8Meat semi-finished productsLLC "SPK" 8Juices, nectars, canned vegetables and fruitsLLC "Kuznetsky Terem"10Confectionery productsLLC "West-Products" 5Meat semi-finished productsLLC "KTM" 5Wine and vodka productsOJSC "NLVZ" 8Chest legs, poultry meat, semi-finished products from poultry meatLLC "Refrigerator"6 The share of intermediary suppliers is more than 80%, and the main type is the supply contract. Drawing up contracts in accordance with the requirements of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation. An analysis of the structure of the content of contracts concluded in the store showed the following: Contracts comply with civil law; the contract consists of 4 mandatory parts (introductory part; subject of the contract; rights and obligations of the parties; additional terms of the contract; other terms of the contract); contracts include additional conditions (for example, an advance payment for the goods is 30% of the contract value). More than 50% are supply contracts. The store constantly keeps records of the fulfillment of contractual obligations: delivery dates, assortment, quality of goods, availability accompanying documents, the correctness of their design. Competitors. The closest competitors of the European Products store are the Solnyshko store (32 Pionersky Ave.) and the Maria-Ra store (33 Kirova Street). Table 2 shows comparative analysis store "European Products" and its competitors in terms of the main indicators characterizing the competitiveness of trading enterprises Table 2 - Comparative characteristics of the European Products store and its competitors Feature Store "European Products" Store "Maria-Ra" Store "Solnyshko"Price455Assortment544Quality of service544Sales area533Display544Location545Parking availability544Average score4.854.04.1 When assessing the signs of competitiveness, a 5-point system was used: 1-"very bad" 2-"poorly" -"satisfactorily" -"Good" -"Great" It can be seen from the data in the table that the European Products store is the leader among its competitors in terms of the range of goods, quality of service, area of the trading floor, layout, location, and availability of parking. One of the main signs of competitiveness is the price. In the European Products store, they are higher than those of competitors. Therefore, the store administration needs to improve the pricing policy. commercial enterprise. The internal environment of the European Products store. The organizational structure of the enterprise is determined staffing, according to which there are 50 employees in the store (Figure 2). General leadership the store is run by the director, who also manages the planning and economic work, recruits and organizes the improvement of their qualifications, ensures labor protection, safety and fire safety. The store manager draws up applications for goods, checks invoices, invoices and commodity reports. It is also a link between the director and other employees; administrators, salespeople and cashiers report to him. Heads of departments organize the work of their departments, monitor the maintenance of inventory on certain level, and also deal with the acceptance of goods, check the availability of certificates, certificates of quality and sanitary certificates offered for shipping documents, draw up commodity reports. Sellers are subordinate to them, whose functions are reduced mainly to laying out goods on the trading floor and advising buyers. The duties of the sellers also include the preparation and cleaning of the workplace (receiving packaging material, checking the functionality of commercial equipment and inventory, replenishment of working inventory, cleaning containers, maintaining proper sanitary conditions), preparing goods for sale, serving customers, accounting for unsatisfied demand, etc. Cashiers prepare their workplace to perform settlement operations (check the serviceability of the cash register, record meter readings, receive a bargaining chip, etc.), perform settlement operations with customers, transfer proceeds, etc. Table 3 - Analysis of the financial results of the store "European products" for 2011 - 2012 Indicators 2011 2012 Deviation, ± Growth rate, % Trade turnover, thousand rubles 11106.012596.0+ 1490.0113.4 Gross income, thousand rubles line 1 - line 43484.03961.0+ 477.0113.7 Level gross income to turnover, %31.3731.44+0.07100.2 Cost of goods sold, thousand rubles 7622.08635.0+ 1013.0113.3 Distribution costs, thousand rubles 1699.01965.0+266.0115.6Level costs of handling goods turnover, %15.315.6+0.3102.3Number of employees, people2225+3113.6payroll, thousand rubles 1188.01380.0+ 192116.2Labor productivity, thousand rubles/person179.1174 .9-4,297.6 Return on sales, %16,115.9-0.298.8 Profit (loss) before tax1785.01996.0+211.0111.8 Income tax, RUB thousand 428.0479.0151.0111.9 Net profit, thousand RUB 1357.01517.0+ 160.0111.8 Table 3 shows that in 2011-2012 there is a positive trend in all indicators, except for the profitability of sales. Trade turnover in the period from 2008 - 2009. increased by 1490 thousand rubles, gross income - by 477 thousand rubles, profit from sales - by 211 thousand rubles, net profit - by 160 thousand rubles. At the same time, a negative point is the increase in 2012 of the cost of goods - by 1013 thousand rubles. and distribution costs - by 266 thousand rubles. compared to 2011 Figure 3 - Main financial results store "European products" for 2011 - 2012. 3 Organization of marketing activities in the European Products store The organization of the marketing activities of a commercial enterprise involves a systematic approach to the implementation of clearly defined goals through a combination of various interrelated activities based on the use of a specific organizational and economic mechanism. The role of marketing in the structure of the store "European products" is not great. In a retail trade enterprise, marketing is aimed at solving the following tasks: Formation of methods of sale and distribution of goods; regulation and direction of all store activities, including current operational management sales and advertising aimed at expanding and stimulating the sale of products. The main functions of the marketing activities of the European Products store are: Study of consumers, their tastes, requests, solvency; assortment development and planning; planning goods, services that meet the nature and quality of consumer demand; planning prices that meet the solvency of potential consumers; security social responsibility manufacturer; study of the competitiveness of a commercial enterprise. It should be noted that individual functions are performed by different departments and with varying degrees of depth of development. The development of a strategic plan and the adoption of tactical decisions in marketing matters is carried out by the top management of a trading enterprise - the store director. The strategic plan is drawn up after the completion of a serious scientific and practical research, namely: Analysis marketing environment, comprehensive study of the market, requirements; studying the attitude of consumers to goods; analysis of the pricing system, the level and dynamics of prices of competing firms; studying the forms and methods of marketing, the characteristics of the behavior of buyers and the motives for making a decision when buying, assessing the production resources and marketing opportunities of an enterprise, etc. The store director also monitors the business climate in the dynamics of its development, i.e. controls the financial, personnel, research, design and technological actions of the enterprise for compliance with the recommendations and forecasts formulated by him; has full information of an economic nature, which suppliers also have; ensures that there is a high turnover of goods; evaluates the competitiveness of a commercial enterprise. The marketing service is the most important link in the management of an enterprise, which, together with other services, creates a single integrated process aimed at satisfying market demands and making a profit on this basis. As such, there is no marketing service in the store, but the marketing functions are carried out by the store manager, who is responsible for organizing research aimed at achieving the intended goals, monitoring the implementation of marketing activities, and developing sales and advertising programs. In addition, heads of departments are engaged in the formation of a product range and study the range of potential buyers. The commercial department of OAO "CPS" is not engaged in advertising goods, because. manufacturers do it for him. However, sales department pays significant attention to the advertising of the stores themselves, included in its structure, tk. called image advertising. Manufacturers advertise their products in the European Products store - this is achieved through sales exhibitions and promotions. Eligible items are marked with a prominent yellow flag that says "PROMOTION" in large red letters. Thus, the demand for goods is formed only through promotional activities directly in the store. Sales promotion is an important event that contributes to the expansion of sales of goods in the European Products store. Most often this event is aimed at buyers and sellers. Sales promotion focused on buyers is carried out with the help of various kinds of discounts for the purchase of goods, the issuance of goods "for testing" for subsequent purchase, seasonal price changes. Sales promotion focused on sellers, includes activities such as monthly, quarterly and annual bonuses, awards thank you letters and commendations. As well as at all trading enterprises, marketing control is carried out in the European Products store - periodic, comprehensive and objective verification of marketing activities based on the balance of profit and loss, the ratio of costs and profits (table 3). 3. Measures to improve marketing in small businesses on the example of the store "European Products" Determination of directions for improving the organization of marketing activities is of particular importance, especially at the decision-making stage in holding a specific event. When choosing certain areas of PKF Sorma LLC, the Sever store determines their impact on the implementation of target programs, the efficiency, efficiency and reliability of the marketing system and increasing its competitiveness, sustainable positioning of the enterprise and its products on the market, the position of the trading enterprise in a particular environment . In the analytical chapter of this work, the organizational and economic characteristics, organization of marketing activities of the European Products store were considered. According to the research, the following positive aspects were identified: 1.The store's working hours (from 9.00 to 24.00) are the most convenient for consumers, since their main flow falls on lunch (from 11.00 to 14.00) and evening (from 18.00 to 24.00). .The assortment of goods in the store meets the needs and demand of customers. .The store is competitive, as it is designed for buyers with average and above average incomes and wins due to its convenient location. However, the study revealed negative sides in store activities: Conclusion Today, small businesses are an important element of a market economy, without which the state cannot develop harmoniously. Small business largely determines the rate of economic growth, the quality and structure of GDP, since it makes up a large part of it. In addition, small business gives the market economy the necessary flexibility. It makes a significant contribution to the formation of a competitive environment, which is of paramount importance for the Russian economy. It is in the environment of small business that conditions are created as close as possible to the conditions of perfect competition. In terms of quantitative indicators of small business development, the Russian economy lags behind the leading countries of the world. It should be noted that the problems and shortcomings in the development of small businesses are determined not only by the external conditions of their functioning, but also by internal reasons, among which the most important place is occupied by inefficient management. Currently none commercial enterprise does not do without a marketing service, and it can be represented as a large department focused on the international market, and just one marketer. However, they have the same functions and tasks - to promote the promotion of goods to the markets. The paper studies the organization of marketing on the example of the European Products store. The following conclusions were drawn from the studies: 1. The opening hours of the store (from 9.00 to 24.00) is the most convenient for consumers, since their main flow falls on lunch (from 11.00 to 14.00) and evening (from 18.00 to 24.00). The assortment of goods in the store meets the needs and demand of customers. The store is competitive, as it is designed for buyers with average and above average incomes and wins due to its convenient location. 1. The maximum (80%) number of intermediary suppliers, which negatively affects the cost of goods. Lack of a marketing service (marketer). Considering the positive and negative sides the work of the enterprise, it is possible to clearly formulate the main directions for improving the organization of the marketing activities of the store: the need to reduce the links in the flow of goods (detailed analysis of suppliers, analysis of local suppliers with similar products, comparison of wholesale prices, selection of a local supplier with similar products and the lowest wholesale price); Inclusion in organizational structure marketer to create a holistic, flexible and dynamic marketing system that was adaptive and receptive to consumer demand, market changes. List of used literature 1. Civil Code of the Russian Federation. - M: NORMA, 2010.- 372 p. 2.FZ No. 209 of July 24, 2007 "On the development of small and medium-sized businesses in the Russian Federation" (with amendments and additions). Babaeva L.B. Small business in Russia. - M.: Infra-M, 2010. - 387 p. Gerasimchuk V.G. Marketing. - M.: Gardariki, 2009 - 537 p. Kotler F. Marketing management. Analysis, planning, implementation, control. - St. Petersburg: Peter Kom, 2010. - 632 p.
In the modern world, incredible opportunities are opening up for private entrepreneurs, which were previously out of the question. Every person who has accumulated start-up capital and has any idea in his head, can open his own business. However, unfortunately, a huge percentage of these start-ups called today go under pretty quickly, and the reasons for this can be very diverse. However, if you take a closer look, you will notice that the problem often lies in the complete absence of marketing activities.
Small business marketing is a must, but many entrepreneurs find they can do just fine without it. And this is where they make a fatal mistake, because marketing is the engine of any company. And if you have created your own small business, then this should be as relevant to you as possible. The marketing strategy is the first thing you need to think about. In this article, you'll learn why small business marketing is so important, and you'll also find a few practical advice about building your own marketing strategy, which will allow your business not only to stay afloat, but also to constantly grow and expand.
Small business marketing
So, it's no secret to anyone that marketing is a field of activity that is responsible for the promotion of goods and services by all accessible ways. What is the difference between small business marketing and big business marketing? At first glance, it may seem that there is no difference, but you should not succumb to this apparent simplicity, because in fact there is a difference.
Marketing for small businesses has its own characteristics, such as constant changes in the market, losing and gaining new players every minute, incessant competition, that is, the impossibility of reaching the first place in its industry and creating a semblance of a monopoly, and much more.
You should understand that at first you will need constant advertising in order to survive in the harsh world of small businesses. Marketing in this case is not only your main key to connecting with customers, but also a vital necessity for both the growth of the company and its banal survival. As you can see, without marketing you will not be able to achieve good results, and it is likely that your company will join the dozens and hundreds of small businesses that are closing every day.
Strategic Approach
Now it's time to deal with the marketing strategy. Many entrepreneurs think of marketing as advertising their product, but it is much more than just advertising. Strategic marketing in small business plays a very important role and thanks to this article you will understand why. It’s worth starting with the fact that a young company that enters the market must set itself two goals: survival and profit. To achieve each of them, it is necessary to create a strategy that would allow us to achieve both goals as quickly, reliably and successfully as possible.
This is where strategic small business marketing comes into play. Using it, you can determine key points about your product, such as whether it has an advantage over other products that consumers want. Is your product unique or has it already been seen somewhere? Can your competitors replicate it? Accordingly, with the help of strategic marketing, you can find an effect that suits you, then translate this effect into an actual advantage, win people's attention with it, induce them to make a choice in your favor, and then evaluate your marketing activities in accordance with your strategy.
Creating a strategy
Even if you have 100 small business marketing ideas, they will have very little value on their own. That is why you first need to think about how to create a full-fledged marketing strategy, and then implement your advertising ideas within its framework. What does the creation of a marketing strategy in a small business environment look like?
First, you need to define your goal, or better yet, goals. How will it help you? Before starting a project, whether it's an entire business or a marketing campaign within an existing firm, you need to identify all the tasks that need to be completed in order for the project to be listed as a success. You can divide these goals into primary and secondary, but the essence remains the same. You will have specific points written down on paper or on a computer that your project will ultimately need to meet in order to be successful. This will allow you to more intelligently think through the strategy further in order to allocate resources as efficiently as possible to achieve your goals.
Second, you need to document your strategy. This means that you need to take your goals that you have just outlined and develop step by step instructions to achieve each of them. What you get will be your marketing strategy. And here it is already easy to understand what role competent marketing plays in promoting small businesses. The clearer the plan, the easier it will be to carry it out. You will be able to calculate in advance all the resources that you will need to achieve a particular goal, determine the intersection points that will allow you to more effectively move towards the achievement of goals, and much more.
Thirdly, you need to remember that there are two main tools for your strategy that should be key to your business throughout its existence. It's about the customers and the quality of the goods. This means that as part of your marketing strategy, you need to consider how you will attract customers, as well as how you can reallocate costs so that your marketing campaign is successful, but does not lead to a decrease in the quality of the manufactured products. The quality of the product and the quality of the marketing content is the most important thing that can be. You may lose customers, but you must not lose the quality of the product. Moreover, you can lose customers due to poor quality marketing content. In general, now you can understand how important these two tools are. And it's time to look at practical marketing tips and ideas that can benefit your business.
From the editor:
This is our favorite topic - what to do small business, how to put into practice the techniques that demonstrate the monsters of the industry? How to live and work in a small factory, a modest shop, a lonely kiosk by the road. Are the mechanics that colleagues at conferences describe so deliciously applicable to them?
(There is a short interview at the end of the article - with a rather unexpected ending).
In 2014 and 2015, we used to hear peremptory statements about the benefits of content marketing for everyone and everything. Sometimes we were even shown cases about how content marketing brought thousands of leads and a lot of money. The problem is that the majority success stories content marketing implementations are cases of agencies and consultants who earn their living from this very content marketing.
What about real business? Where is the proven benefit of content marketing for the manufacturer of something sane, and not just marketing services? Is this benefit possible in principle?
Before we begin to deal with these issues, let's agree on the shore that our conversation will not be about consultants and agencies. When you see the phrase “small business” in an article, think of cinder blocks. For clarity, let's add the main character to the article - Vasily Petrovich, the owner of a small enterprise for the production of cinder blocks "Romashka".
Picture for those who have not seen cinder blocks. Or did not know that these are cinder blocks.
This will help us all focus on real problems, and not philosophizing about the next ways to make an info business out of nothing only with the help of a blog and a mailing list.
Matches are not toys for children.
Why those who think that content marketing is useless for small businesses are right
When Vasily Petrovich is imbued with a desire to promote his business with the help of content marketing, he faces a difficult choice: buy services from agencies or do everything on his own. Now, together with Vasily Petrovich, we will see why any choice will not be in his favor.
Problem 1.
When you go to buy content marketing, it's hard to buy it
If it seems to you that now every third agency provides services related to content marketing, and buying them is easy, then you are greatly mistaken. This is what they will offer Vasily Petrovich in 99% of cases.
- SMM. Under the guise of content marketing, yesterday's SMM agencies offer businesses to run communities. Content marketing from their point of view is a content plan for a community or a group and short texts with branded pictures. The area of responsibility of such agencies now begins with the “people join your community” stage. Where they come from, why they enter, what to do with them next - nobody cares. The fact that social networks are only one channel for distributing content, and that there are others, Vasily Petrovich will not be told here.
Oh, who is this?
- SEO. Under the guise of content marketing, mutated SEO agencies offer all the same articles pumped with keywords, but in thematic series. Everyone is modestly silent about the fact that content is a tactic, and that you need to think about the channels for its distribution, about the connection with business tasks. Only a few of these agencies are developing towards search marketing, and it will be very difficult for an inexperienced Vasily Petrovich to find them among the crowd of mutants.
- Copywriting. Here, under the guise of content marketing, they will no longer sell individual selling articles, but blogging or mailing lists. Vasily Petrovich does not realize that content is not only texts, and that even his loving grandmother will not voluntarily read a blog about cinder blocks. But there is no choice!
What happens if a small business representative makes a choice in favor of any of these solutions? Nothing good - everything that you paid for yesterday, and that has already stopped working, you will receive today, but more expensive.
Problem 2.
Content Marketing Is Too Expensive
But what happens if Vasily Petrovich decides to do content marketing on his own.
- Plan A: All good things come at a price
If Vasily Petrovich has a budget, he can hire full-time specialists. He will need someone who can develop a strategy and implement it. The cost of an internet marketer with experience in content marketing can easily exceed monthly income Vasily Petrovich himself. Of course, you can save money and hire a newbie, but the effect of the work of such an employee will be negligible for a long time.
- Plan B: you can pay with other resources
Content marketing can be budget-free. Small business owners have a very valuable thing - expertise. Therefore, they are quite capable of working according to a ready-made strategy without the help of agencies. There is only one "but" - it takes time. Content marketing cannot be done on a case-by-case basis and cannot be reduced to filling external and internal sites with content. It's complicated daily work over the transformation of meanings into a useful experience for the audience. There is a great risk that Vasily Petrovich simply will not have time to manage the Romashka plant.
Whatever one may say, so far we see that there is almost no chance for small businesses to get at least some benefit from content marketing. But this is just one view of the problem. There is another.
Why those who believe that content marketing is necessary for small businesses are right
The answer is simple: it is the only sustainable platform on which business promotion can be built. It is especially important to have such a platform for small companies that cannot afford budget races in contextual advertising.
Firstly, as already mentioned, the owners and their employees have the necessary expertise. This is deep knowledge of your product and industry, which is very different from the emasculated Wikipedia articles. This is a unique experience that is not always obvious to the audience. This is an opportunity to really help your clients.
Secondly, It is small businesses that can afford such experiments. Large companies lose flexibility, it is difficult for them to even just try new approach in progress - it takes time to agree, time to implement, time to discuss each step. While large companies are just beginning to coordinate actions, small businesses at this time are already skimming the cream, and without significant investments. Look at the work of subwoofer manufacturers Pride on VK, on the approach of Mosigra or Alexey Zemskov. Yes, each of them has flaws, each can be faulted in terms of content marketing. But they are doing what is still impossible for many large companies: attracting and, more importantly, engaging their audience in the long-term dialogue that has made their business successful. And the main thing in their success is not money, but a deep meaning and real benefits that are obvious to every client.
Thirdly, Now there is no other way to attract and retain an audience other than through useful content. Advertising will not force your customers to stay with you, will not make them more loyal, will not affect the decision when the demand has not yet been formed.
Who is right in the end
The one who sees both the risks and opportunities for small businesses in promoting through content marketing is right.
Here is what set you should have if you want to achieve the result:
- Your product must be chosen some time before purchase. If it is bought spontaneously, content marketing will not help you.
- You must be a bearer of meaning and a source of expertise. If you only copy other people's solutions and ideas, you can make money on it, but it will be more useful for you to advance through advertising and SEO. Content marketing does not allow you to imitate value, so the essence of the business will quickly come to the surface.
- You must have sufficient resources. This is either money or time, knowledge and experience, but without them nothing will work.
If you think that you have something to talk about with your audience, and if your product has the ability to change people's lives for the better, then the second part of this guide will help you get started and get results.
To the madness of the brave we sing a song.
Action plan for owners and managers of small companies
Let's bring Vasily Petrovich and his Romashka cinder block plant back into the game. We will build the strategy of content marketing promotion on his example.
1. Set goals
Small businesses should leave behind the scenes all the image activities that are typical of giants. You need specific business goals so that promotion is not an interesting hobby or a sunk expense.
Suppose that our Vasily Petrovich needs to increase sales. He is unoriginal.
The catch is that content marketing excludes direct advertising. With the help of content marketing, we will work to get more incoming requests and applications, and specially trained managers will ultimately fight for sales.
2. Decide on the target audience
Who buys cinder blocks? Who doesn't buy them! People build houses and cottages, construction companies cinder blocks are used. The problem is that no one will consume content about such a product.
What's new can be said about the cinder block? How it is produced is of no interest to anyone. Everyone or almost everyone knows how to use it. And even if you target an audience with unformed demand, it will quickly become clear that the topics for proper quality content are over in a month or two. So, what is next?
Vasily Petrovich needs an audience that will bring money, and which he has something to say for a long time. Therefore, we abandoned the obvious solutions and aimed at dealers: those who buy cinder block in bulk from manufacturers for resale.
3. Find out what your target audience really wants
In the case of Vasily Petrovich, the needs of the target audience are obvious. Dealers want to know how to make more money by reselling cinder block. This and only this really excites the target audience.
In other cases, the needs will be different. There are many ways to find out preferences potential clients: you can analyze search queries, you can turn websites, forums, social networks inside out and get real questions real people. Lots of information on this subject. It is only important not to choose what is easier for you. Only the acute and relevant information needs of your target audience matter. And if they care about money, do not give them the properties of cinder blocks - it will not work.
4. Consider how your audience would be comfortable consuming content
When it comes to content marketing, copy is the first thing that comes to mind. But in addition to texts, there are also videos, audio, presentations, illustrations, short messages, games. What in your case will be more familiar to your potential customers, and what will help to better reveal the essence of your business?
Vasily Petrovich will teach dealers how they can increase their income by selling cinder blocks. Some of the information will be given to text form, but sometimes he will hold webinars, and it is better to present statistics in the form of infographics. He also needs presentations.
If Vasily Petrovich is the owner of not a factory, but a cosmetology clinic, he cannot do without photographs. And if he is the owner of an atelier, the video will become the main content, because many of the secrets of sewing and cutting are easier to show than to explain in words. Think about what will be optimal in your case.
5. Choose the best content distribution channels
For simplicity, we divide the channels into external and internal.
External content distribution channels that Vasily Petrovich will use are partners and their platforms. Partners will be everyone with whom the target audience of Vasily Petrovich coincides, who has developed sites on the network, the need for quality content, and with whom he does not compete.
It can be:
- clubs and business support centers;
- sellers of equipment for the production of cinder blocks;
- manufacturers of equipment for the production of cinder blocks;
- banks serving small businesses;
- transport companies;
- + specialized printed and electronic editions for owners and managers construction business and so;
- ... and so on, a million options.
Internal channels that Vasily Petrovich can use:
- blog on the site;
- email newsletter;
- groups in social networks (FB and VK);
- YouTube channel;
- channel on Slideshare.
When choosing content distribution channels, it is important to think not in stereotypes like those that tell us that Vkontakte is a social network for schoolchildren. It is important to simply be where your target audience is.
6. Write down chains of targeted actions
Everything before that was just preparation for content marketing. It starts from this very moment - from the moment of planning the movement of the target audience from the first contact with you to the goal. No predefined strings targeted actions Vasily Petrovich will not be able to control the behavior of visitors on his resources and will publish useful information at random.
As we remember, our main goal is to increase sales. And an achievable goal is an increase in incoming applications and requests. We are working on an achievable goal, because sales in the end is the responsibility of managers. If the manager can't connect the two words, all of our great content marketing will fall apart on this obstacle. But we believe that Vasily Petrovich's managers are professional and that everything will be fine.
As an example, let's take such a simple chain of targeted actions, which can be one of dozens of simultaneously launched chains in Vasily Petrovich's strategy.
7. Make a content plan
Once you have decided for whom, where, why you will distribute content, it's time to decide on the topics. Here is the simplest but very effective pattern a content plan that includes all the important details about each type of publication. Be sure to include dates and responsible persons in your plan.
In order for content plans to make sense and work, create them for the period that each chain of targeted actions lasts. Someone will need a content plan for a couple of weeks, and someone for six months ahead - there are no universal solutions.
8. Measure!
In order for Vasily Petrovich to understand how effective his promotion is, he will track key indicators every week. In his case, these indicators will be targeted actions.
Of course, views are also important, and their depth, and time spent on the site. But for businesses, the priority KPIs will be the number of subscribers to the newsletter, the number of registrations for the webinar, and the number of incoming applications. The rest of the indicators are secondary. This means that Vasily Petrovich will not fight for the number of "likes" in social networks. And he will be right.
Results
Of course, within the framework of one article, it is impossible to cover the entire topic of content marketing for small businesses, just as it is impossible to demonstrate a complete content strategy (the content-book that we issue to clients contains, on average, 70-100 pages of small text and graphics), but, in general, the picture is clear.
Getting a small business to start a meaningful and impactful promotion with useful content is easy. But only the best will get the result: those who do not imitate the benefits, those who have the resources, those who move consistently, and those who do not stop.
Do you want the main secret of content marketing in the end? Just keep going when others give up. This is enough for success, if, of course, you started with a competent content strategy, and not with intuitive decisions.
Interview following the article
Kotoreditor:
I read the text with growing interest - what will you offer the Romashka plant.
But it seemed to me that the proposal was ambiguous. He is the owner of the production, how will he teach someone to sell, this time.
And: stories about sales will last for a couple of months - that's two.
Sales, promotion, development are inexhaustible topics, in general. And owners are usually aware of the details, especially in small businesses. The main thing here is the author's view and approach, and not the canonical retelling of books. Take the same "Power of the Mind" and Fyodor Ovchinnikov - he just writes about it all, but the topics do not end there. And they are unlikely to run out as the company continues to grow.
Well, when business development ends, then what kind of content marketing.
Kotoreditor:
It's clear. But this is not the "Power of the Mind", but an ordinary factory that stamps cinder blocks.
So, it's not really important. If the owner has useful experience, expertise, his own vision, then he has something to say. Well, or from his specialists. Or both he and his specialists) Another question is that usually there is nothing like that. But then again - what kind of content marketing is there)
Usually at the audit stage it is clear whether the client has / does not have resources for all this fuss. And if not, then contextual advertising and this will all be much more useful than KM and imitation of benefits.
The editorial board does not agree with some theses, but the material is really valuable, do you agree?
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