According to a study by Thrive Analytics, 40% of US SMBs cited not having enough time as a challenge to digital marketing, 37% pointed to a lack of knowledge, and 33% said their
budgets simply weren’t big enough.
Due to spending constraints, the demand for vendors to prove their value is more important than ever, says the report. According to
polling by G/O Digital and Entrepreneur, 86% of US SMBs had narrowed their preferred list of digital marketing vendors to just four.
To select a digital marketing vendor that
stands out from the competition, price was the most important factor when selecting a digital marketing vendor, cited by nearly one-third of respondents. But SMBs weren’t going to buy unless
vendors showed that they understood their organizational needs and goals; a cookie-cutter strategy doesn’t work.
Most Important Vendor Factors For SMBs Selecting A Digital Marketing Vendor (% of Respondents) |
Important Consideration | % of Respondents |
Price | 32.8% |
Understanding organization
needs/goals | 27.0 |
Delivering on commitments | 18.0 |
Post sales support | 7.0 |
Insights/leadership digital marketing concepts | 6.0 |
Delivering within agreed timeframe | 5.0 |
Source: G/O Digital & Entrepreneur, May 2015 |
When asked how
their content consumption habits had changed over the past year, nearly two-thirds of SMBs said they were finding and utilizing more on the web. They had also focused in on trusted and independent
sources, with no time to waste on so-so info, says the report.
Ways in Which US SMBs Have Changed Content Consumption |
Change | % of Respondents |
Finding/utilizing more
content on web | 63% |
Focused on trusted
independent sources | 38 |
Less time devoted to
reading and research | 36 |
Less time attending
events like breakfast meetings | 36 |
Less time
and budget to attend industry events | 36 |
Requiring more mobile optimized content for smartphone/tablet | 32 |
Overwhelmed by content available | 30 |
More research thru social networks | 29 |
Using more vendor content in research | 16’ |
Source: G/O Digital & Entrepreneur, May 2015 |
The study found that
on vendor websites in particular, SMBs looked for depth of content, downloadable product information and premium content such as white papers, among other things. And, they also wanted more than
content, with price listings and the option to get a quote are important too.
The report concludes that, with content now king, digital marketing vendors must prove their
value through understanding SMBs’ organizational goals and establish themselves as leaders by serving up the content targets want to consume.
For additional information, please visit eMarketer here.