Small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) can teach larger companies a thing
or two about online marketing. How? By giving their sites personality.
Brand marketing in the 21st Century is about ruling the heart as well as the head. With competition growing day-by-day, achieving business success on price or a unique selling point is becoming increasingly difficult. This is especially true on the Internet, where the boundaries of competition are endless.
"Tug at the heartstrings"
As a result, many of today's successful companies are finding business advantage by tugging at their customers' heartstrings. They create brands that bond, brands that understand needs and desires, brands that form a relationship. And who's best at doing this? It's the new-starters, especially those with a strong Internet presence.
Let's give you some examples to prove our point.
How about Egg.com, for starters? Although backed by a financial giant, this is one company that's hatched into a successful and extremely attractive brand. Customers might gain a sense of security from knowing their money is safe in the hands of the Prudential. But the Egg brand gives its customers the feeling they're trying something new, something exciting, and something that says a little about the type of people they are. The personality rubs off, for want of a better term. And that's the attraction.
Then, how about Amazon? Although a huge global brand nowadays, Amazon will always be one of the first of the garage Internet start-ups. You can order books, CDs (and your breakfast soon, no doubt) from anywhere in the world, but there's still a comforting feeling that you're dealing with a company that hasn't got too big for its boots, a company who'll still listen to you.
"Personality is differentiation"
So what are we saying? We're obviously not suggesting that all SMEs can become an Egg.com or an Amazon, with a few nice words and an agreeable site. What we are saying though is that 'personality goes a long way' - quoting the words of Samuel L Jackson from Pulp Fiction.
Sites should be accessible, easy to navigate and focused on its customers' needs. But online SMEs can also afford to differentiate themselves by adding personality to the pot. They can be the corner shop, the local mechanic, the family tailor - or even the friendly online marketing consultancy!
At the end of the day, people would rather do business with a friend than a stranger. And online SMEs are in prime position to teach the big boys how the game's played.
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