Understanding the Difference Between Marketing Big Brands and Small Businesses

Every business needs a successful marketing strategy. A marketing strategy is a long-term plan that outlines how a business will connect with and continuously interest customers. Your marketing strategy will distinguish your business from your competitors and explain to consumers why your business deserves their attention. 

You’ll want your marketing strategy to encompass everything about your business and brand, as it will determine who your customers ultimately are.

Within your marketing strategy, you’ll want to define your products or services, focus on the lanes of advertising that fit your niche, and decide what channels you’ll use to ensure you’re reaching interested customers. But when formulating a marketing strategy for your business, it’s important to understand that they work differently for various sized businesses. 

Big Brand Marketing

There are some major differences between marketing for big brands versus small businesses. A brand can be deemed a “big brand” is how well-known and well-established the brand is within the eyes of the public. Big brands have the luxury of name recognition and typically dominate or are at least one of the top producers within their markets. 

Some examples of big brands are Coca-Cola, Walmart, and Amazon. They can invest in huge advertising campaigns, employ the best marketing agency they can find, and leverage the most advanced technology. While this offers them a wide and diverse consumer base, it also means their advertising techniques need to feel new, fun, and inviting to those who are already aware of the brand and haven’t become interested in it yet. 

It’s easier for big brands to forget that their marketing campaigns need to be rejuvenated. Appealing constantly to a wider audience can be difficult, especially considering the different lifestyles of families in different locations of the country. 

Big brand businesses need to invest time in studying their different demographics throughout the country and coming up with marketing strategies that fit the needs of the various places. By investing in a marketing strategy where your big business is looking into consumer habits, you’ll have your finger on the pulse of each geographical location’s wants and needs, allowing you to form your marketing strategy to be more beneficial for your business.  

Small Business Marketing 

Small businesses need to be a little more creative and have a true passion behind their business to ensure their marketing strategy has a chance of being successful. While some similar avenues and tactics can be evoked in a small business marketing campaign, small business owners need to be more rigorous when doing so. 

It’s important for small businesses to personalize their messaging as much as possible. You don’t want to copy or try to be as good as or better than another brand through your small business marketing campaign. 

Your goal is for your small business to hold as much power within the market as those big brand competitors, you don’t want to try to mimic or emulate them in your marketing strategies. You should play to your strengths and communicate what makes your small business special to your potential consumers. Your goal should be to accurately portray the heart of your business. Through your authenticity, you’ll attract consumers. 

Local search engine optimization (SEO) is a pivotal tool for small business marketing. SEO is a tactic that is used to ensure your small business organically makes it to the top of the search result list on search engines such as Google. Implementing a strong local SEO strategy will help ensure those who are searching within your community come across your small business. 

This is incredibly important for small businesses as your local communities interest and support of your business can truly dictate your success or failure. Locals help spread the word about businesses they enjoy, they recommend products to friends or give them products, they buy gift cards and they encourage foot traffic for brick-and-mortar stores. 

Small business marketing strategies should also focus directly on community outreach. The local consumers who are eager to shop at small businesses won’t buy your produce or service simply because you’re offering it to them locally. They need to be invested in the brand. Consumers are buying who you are, they want to know why you deserve their business over a competitor. 

Your marketing strategy needs to address both of these consumer concerns thoughtfully and soundly. Think about getting involved in local events, whether it’s a monthly farmers market or a Sunday bazaar, and look for ways to have your brand and your business visible within the community.