Small Fish, Big Splash
Moving from startup life to SMB mode is like trading in your beloved, scrappy bicycle for a shiny, reliable car. Sure, the bike got you where you needed to go, but now you’re ready for the highway—and that means a whole new set of gears. As you grow, those clever little tricks that fueled your startup’s early success might not cut it anymore, especially when it comes to demand generation. It’s time to shift gears and adopt strategies that can help you reach a wider audience, build a stronger customer pipeline, and keep that growth engine running smoothly. In this post, we’ll dive into demand generation strategies designed specifically for SMBs, helping you navigate this exciting transition. So, are you ready to grab the keys, switch on the ignition, and drive your business toward sustainable success?
From Invisible to Unstoppable
1. Website
Path to Success
When you first started, the journey was different. Now that you've entered the SMB arena, you've opened a new door—one where experience sharpens your messaging and positioning. You know your target customer, understand their pain points, and, most importantly, know how to solve them. It’s time for your virtual office to reflect that experience and showcase your journey. Remember, a perfect website never exists, so let go of that idea. Consider this phase 2 of your website, where your messaging, positioning, technology, speed, and UI/UX will all be better than before, showing that you’re moving ahead on the curve.
Ground Reality
In reality, what I’ve seen and experienced is that the big challenge lies in navigating the chaos where founders and C-suite executives have too much on their plate. The brief given to the team, who are supposed to be the backbone of the website, often boils down to: "This is our competitor, and we need to be better than them." And that’s it. The website team is left scratching their heads, tasked with churning out a clone. To make matters worse, with little patience to spare, the process becomes a hurried exercise—choosing a template with minimal attention to detail, resulting in a site that misses the mark entirely.
2. Content Marketing
Path to Success
Creating valuable and relevant content is the golden road to demand generation success. Think blog posts, whitepapers, videos, and infographics that address the pain points and interests of your target audience. Quality content not only attracts potential customers but also positions your business as a leading industry thought leader. It requires a skilled writer who can research and craft content that ties back to the core of your demand generation strategy—understanding who it’s for, why you’re creating it, and what the ultimate goal is. It’s a straightforward exercise with long-term rewards.
Ground Reality
From firsthand experience, I've seen the chaos that unfolds during rapid transitions. The rush to produce content often leads to a disjointed mess, with no clear strategy tying it back to your demand generation goals. Instead of a well-coordinated approach, content is created haphazardly, sometimes with product managers or even founders squeezed for time and forced to step in. This lack of dedicated resources means content lacks the depth and relevance needed to resonate with your audience. The result? A series of disconnected blog posts, whitepapers, and videos that fail to address key pain points.
3. SEO
Path to Success
As your organization transitions from startup to SMB, it’s the perfect moment to get SEO done right. This isn’t just a checkbox; it's a path to success. SEO is a complex field that requires expert handling. By prioritizing expert-led SEO during this crucial transition, you’ll significantly enhance your online visibility. This ensures that when potential customers search for relevant keywords, your business is front and center. Properly executed, SEO will ensure your content reaches the right audience at the right time, driving growth and attracting quality leads.
The Ground Reality
Many SMBs fall into the trap of believing that online tools and rapid content posting will solve their SEO challenges. The reality is quite different. The approach often starts with listing keywords and cranking out daily blog posts using an AI tool, with the assumption that this will magically boost rankings. Meanwhile, backlinking becomes a chaotic effort, with links scattered across irrelevant sites. The mistake? Relying on these tactics without a solid strategy or expert oversight. The assumption that posting content quickly and setting unrealistic targets for an SEO agency will solve everything leads to disappointing results and missed opportunities.
4. Email Marketing
Path to Success
A powerful tool for nurturing leads and engaging your audience, but it’s most effective when integrated with a broader strategy. Relying on standalone email campaigns won’t maximize impact. Instead, align your email marketing with SEO and advertising efforts to drive traffic and boost visibility. Build a high-quality email list to send targeted messages and share valuable content. Consistency in your email schedule, coordinated with other marketing activities, enhances effectiveness.
The Ground Reality
As we’re scaling up, it’s time to broaden our reach—so let’s go big or go home! How about we snag some massive lists, target every customer our competitors have, and blast out those emails like there’s no tomorrow? We’re talking lists in the range of 2,000 to 5,000 (or more if you’re feeling adventurous). Let’s sprinkle in some promotions, like a free trial or discount coupons, to really catch their attention. Who needs subtlety when you can go for the grand slam? And I am not surprised, when I hear, “My domain got blocked!” and “Email marketing is dead and doesn’t work!”
5. Social Media Marketing
Path to Success
Success in demand generation for SMBs starts with understanding your audience—where they are, what they want, and the type of content they consume. Each social media channel has its own unique dynamics, so your messaging needs to be tailored accordingly. A strategic approach that considers the nuances of each platform ensures that your content resonates and engages effectively, driving real results.
The Ground Reality
In the hustle of managing demand generation, it’s easy to fall into the trap of posting the same message across all channels, believing that daily posts are a must. The reality? Festive greetings flood the feeds, content gets posted just for the sake of it, and the team juggles multiple tasks with no clear process, working from scattered documents instead of leveraging tools. And in the end, your social media feed looks like a flood of posts with no clear connection.
6. Webinars and Events
Path to Success
Webinars and events can be powerful demand generation tools for SMBs—when done right. Success lies in understanding your audience’s needs, crafting content that speaks directly to them, and tailoring your approach to each event. Whether it’s a webinar or an in-person event, the key is to create value and engagement by addressing specific pain points and providing actionable insights. A well-planned event with targeted messaging can drive meaningful connections and move prospects further along the buyer's journey.
The Ground Reality
In the rush to put together webinars and events, the reality often looks different: generic topics that don’t quite hit the mark, last-minute planning, and the same cookie-cutter presentation used for every event. With a small team juggling multiple tasks, the focus can shift from quality to just getting it done—resulting in lackluster engagement and missed opportunities. Without a clear strategy and proper tools, it’s easy for these events to become just another checkbox rather than a catalyst for growth.
7. Advertisement
Path to Success
To truly succeed, your ad messaging and positioning must blend with your other tactics—whether it’s email, social media, your website, or events. When a potential customer sees your ad, searches for you, and finds exactly what they’re looking for, that’s the eureka moment. This consistency not only drives conversions but also strengthens brand recall, making your brand memorable and trustworthy in the long run.
The Ground Reality
In the rush to push out ads, the ground reality often tells a different story: advertisements that are totally campaign-focused, with branding guidelines tossed aside. The message in the ad doesn’t match what the product actually delivers, and the ads are reaching all the wrong audiences. As the cost per click skyrockets, frustration builds, and in the end, I hear the usual rant: “Advertisements don’t work.” The truth is, without strategy and alignment, it’s easy to miss the mark and waste precious resources.
When we outgrow, we don’t stick with the small size—we upgrade to fit our new stride.
For SMBs, this means transitioning from the chaotic, all-over-the-place startup phase to a streamlined demand generation process. At this stage, it’s crucial to align your strategies and condense your efforts to create a cohesive 360-degree view of your market. By refining your approach and focusing on alignment, it will be a smooth ride on the GTM curve, evolving from ideation to a strategic transition that drives scalable and sustainable growth.
See, I get it. Transitioning isn’t easy—letting go of the old ways can be tough. If your founders and C-suite are stuck in a never-ending loop of pings, shifting strategies, and breaking/ broken processes, scaling will remain a distant dream. What got you from $0 to $1M won’t cut it for reaching $5M or $10M. So, embrace your new size and steer clear of the chaotic ground reality I’ve described. Instead, aim for the path to success, where strategic focus and expert execution will guide you toward genuine growth.
Stay tuned for my next blog post, “Demand Generation for Mid Market- From Scale to Soar.” Until then, keep hustling, keep innovating, and keep your demand generation engines revved up, by booking a call with us!
