The 28 Million Opportunity You Cant Afford to

The 28 Million Opportunity You Can’t Afford to Miss Gerri Detweiler, Nav Stu Richards, Bredin 1

Gerri Detweiler Head of Market Education, Nav

Stu Richards CEO, Bredin stu@bredin. com

Who Are They? • 28. 8 million small businesses • 9. 9 million women owned firms • 80% no employees • 406, 000 start ups • 401, 00 firm closures • Nearly 35% of workforce is non employee workers

Experts In Their Business, Not Business Experts 6

Consumers Too 7

Preferred Topics SMBs are most interested in content on technology, and their industry On a scale of 1 (never) to 5 (very often), how often do you go online to find thought leadership content on the following topics to help you manage and grow your business? Technology 54% 52% Industry news and trends Law and taxes 51% Marketing 48% Financial planning and management Financial 39% Leadership and management 36% Operations 34% Human resources 28% Import / export 8 n=302 Top-two box 20% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50%

Preferred Topics: Company Size The largest SMBs are most interested in content on financial planning and management On a scale of 1 (never) to 5 (very often), how often do you go online to find thought leadership content on the following topics to help you manage and grow your business? Technology Industry news and trends Law and taxes Marketing Financial planning and management Leadership and management Operations Human resources Import / export 9 n=302 Top-two box Unweighted 0% 10% 20% 1 -19 30% 40% 20 -99 100 -500 50% 60% 70% 80%

Preferred Topics: 2016 Business Outlook Fast-growth SMBs are most interested in content on technology On a scale of 1 (never) to 5 (very often), how often do you go online to find thought leadership content on the following topics to help you manage and grow your business? Technology Industry news and trends Law and taxes Marketing Financial planning and management Leadership and management Operations Human resources Import / export 10 n=302 Top-two box 0% 10% 20% Fast growth 30% Slow growth 40% No growth 50% 60% 70%

Preferred Topics: Respondent Age Millennial SMBs are most interested in content on technology and financial management On a scale of 1 (never) to 5 (very often), how often do you go online to find thought leadership content on the following topics to help you manage and grow your business? Technology Industry news and trends Law and taxes Marketing Financial planning and management Leadership and management Operations Human resources Import / export 11 n=302 Top-two box 0% 10% 20% 30% 18 -34 35 -49 40% 50+ 50% 60% 70% 80%

New Product Awareness: Sources SMBs are most likely to learn about your new offerings directly from you In general, where would you say you first learn about new products and services for your business? (rank from most to least important) Direct from vendors 1 39% Businessnewsmedia/ /reviewsites/ /blogs Business 38% 28% Other business owners // peers // colleagues Other 19% In a store 2 My Myexternalteam 17% 3 15% My internal team Social media site 12% Analysts like Forrester or Gartner 12% Online forum / discussion board 12 Rated 1 or 2 n=307 1 – e. g. , email, websites, trade shows, sales call from representative, etc. 2 – e. g. , my accountant, attorney or local technology consultant / reseller 3 – e. g. , my IT manager, financial manager, HR manager, etc. 8% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40%

Contact Preferences: First Touch SMBs prefer that marketers send them advisory content as a first touch If you were a marketing consultant, how would you recommend that companies contact you? Please rank these ways that a company can first contact or engage with you from top (most likely to be effective) to bottom (least likely to be effective). An email with a link to marketing content 41% An email with a promotion, discount or special offer 33% Allow me to find their marketing content on their site 27% A phone call 26% 1 Allow me to find their marketing content elsewhere online 25% A banner ad with a link to marketing content 19% A banner ad with a promotion, discount or special offer 19% 2 Allow me to find their marketing content on social media sites 13 n=301 Top-two box 1 – e. g. on news sites 2 – e. g. Facebook, Twitter and Linked. In 7% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40%

Format Preferences: Syndicated Content SMBs are most likely to click on case studies from a text or banner ad On a scale of 1 (very unlikely to read or watch it based on a link or an ad) to 5 (very likely to read or watch it based on a link or an ad), please rate each of these kinds of marketing content. Top 5 Case study 44% Whitepaper 43% Article 43% Survey / research report 42% Webinar / webcast 39% Video 36% Guide 36% Checklist 33% Kit 29% Workbook 27% Ebook 27% Infographic 25% Cheat sheet 25% Podcast 24% Blog post 22% Template 14 n=301 Top-two box 21% Slideshare 15% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50%

Purchase Intent SMBs are most likely to ship a package this year, and purchase new office technology next year What is your best guess as to when you will do each of these things for your business? 1 By the end of June Between July and December Ship a package overnight 29% Stay in a hotel on a business trip 18% Take a business trip on a plane 15% 18% PCs / laptops / desktops 15% 17% Get something printed 15% 16% Pay down debt 13% Tablets (e. g. , i. Pad, Surface) 7% Printers 10% Rent a car for a business trip 11% Apply for a new / additional credit card 6% Improve / upgrade current website 9% Launch new products / services for your business 8% Get new cellphone/s for myself and/or my team 5% Hire staff 9% 15 n=310 0% Next year After 2017 16% 4% 8% 20% 10% 15% 4% 19% 11% 16% 3% 10% 6% 18% 11% 17% 10% 15% 24% 13% 8% 7% 15% 11% 14% 17% 21% 18% 12% 8% 26% 15% 11% 4% 17% 20% 11% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70%

Purchase Intent (continued) SMBs are least likely to change their landline phone service provider this year What is your best guess as to when you will do each of these things for your business? 1 By the end of June Between July and December Increase employee pay / benefits 4% 13% 16% Create / launch a new website 5% 20% Apply for aloan new loan of credit Apply for a new / line of credit 8% a new business checking account Open a Open new business checking account 6% 10% 7% Server 7% 8% 10% Change / upgrade Internet access 4% 11% Change cellphone carriers 5% 10% Start using a, or switch to a new, payroll company 6% 7% 11% 8% 11% up, or change providers of, a company retirement plan Set up, or. Set change providers of, a company retirement plan 4% 9% 9% n=310 Change / increase business insurance 4% 9% Change landline phone service providers 4% 5% 0% 7% 11% 15% 16% 12% 3%10% 8% 9% 14% 8% 5% 11% 10% After 2017 13% 11% Change / increase employee health or life insurance Phone system 16 Next year 10% 6% 8% 8% 13% 19% 13% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60%

Awareness Research Purchase Sales Stage Influences Radio TV Instagram Outdoor billboard or signage SMBs learn about products and Pinterest services through mass and Facebook social media; use content to Twitter conduct research; and rely on Banner ad on a website sales reps, the product section Postcard, letter or catalog in the mail of your site, and peers to make Blog a purchase decision Audio podcast Infographic For each of these sources / Linked. In One-off email formats, please select the Press release stage in the purchase cycle You. Tube – awareness (i. e. , where Google+ / Google My Business Newspaper / magazine (print or online) you first learn about a Print newsletter product or service), Webinar / webcast research (i. e. , investigation Forum or discussion board / evaluation) or purchase – Video on vendor website White paper where you are most likely Event or trade show to use it. Email newsletter e. Book / guide / handbook Call from or meeting with sales representative Product section of a vendor's website Resource section of a vendor's website Analyst report n=301 Case study Peer / colleague Research report 17 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

Same Topics, New Angles 18

9 Ways to Monetize #Smallbiz Content • • • 19 Brand Ambassador Social campaigns Email marketing campaigns Affiliate programs Sponsored posts Content creation Lead generation Advertising Create a course

Affiliate Program Examples Tax Legal • Tax. Act • Xero • Quickbooks • Just. Answer • USLegal. Forms • Corporate. Direct Financial • Nav • Authorize. net • Debt. com Want more? Complete list email gerri@nav. com 20

Contact Bredin for: Content marketing strategy Develop an effective SMB content marketing plan Original content Tailored, relevant and actionable for SMBs Market research Fast, inexpensive SMB data and insight Stu Richards, CEO stu@bredin. com Twitter: @SBDF 21

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