Forbes recently released an article in which Business council leaders shared their small business trend predictions for the latter half of 2022.
In this article, I am going to talk about 5 of them and what they mean for those of us that serve business customers i.e. operate in the world of B2B.
| Small Business Trend | Tips to Succeed in B2B |
| 1. Providing Quality Content | Make sure that your content is aimed at providing the decision-maker (aka the B2B Buyer) with: “A-I-R”: Advice, Insights and Recommendations to help them achieve their priorities and objectives “Sense-Making”: Helps buyers to work through all the information and data they are bombarded with and determine what’s relevant for them as well as what they should do next |
| 2. Creating Ready-Made Solutions | Think broadly about the value-adds you can provide such as reporting, access to expertise, enhanced service and support If you want recurring revenue, then you must provide value on a recurring basis! |
| 3. Creating Leadership Positions | Two roles to consider to help drive business growth: Head of Business Innovation: to ensure your company is continually evolving in line with market and customer needs Head of Revenue Operations: to manage Marketing, Sales and Service/Support which are the 3 functions that must work cohesively due to the buying behaviours and expectations of today’s business customer |
| 4. Outsourced Professional Services | Consider using external providers for key activities you may not have the skills nor the time but they are essential to growing your business. For instance, many SMEs do not undertake regular market and customer analysis. However, without it, your company will miss out on growth opportunities Options to consider in sourcing external support include: · Freelancers · University interns Online platforms to identify and access contractors and freelancers |
| 5. Using Free Social Platforms | Be visible where your target buyers actually go for “A-I-R”-Advice, Insights and Recommendations. Don’t rely too heavily on LinkedIn. While it is the platform for B2B and is helpful in generating awareness, buyers are conducting a great deal of self-education and research using a variety of sources. Think broadly and consider the “dark funnel” channels such as industry and professional associations, podcasts, online communities and business groups. |
What Should You Do Next?
Create your company’s content marketing strategy for the rest of 2022
- Remember Content Marketing has two components:
- Content Creation: the tools and resources buyers use in their decision making
- Content Distribution: making content available where buyers go for advice, insights and recommendations
Review Your Company’s Product and Service Offering
- Are their opportunities to provide additional value-adds to cater to additional needs of your business customers? To learn more check out my article on B2B Product Development Strategy
Need help in responding to these trends, let’s have a chat.
