**The Importance of Marketing for Small Businesses**
Small business owners wear many hats, and one of the most important is the head of marketing. Marketing is everything in the early days of building a business. It helps create proof of concept for your product or service, it’s baked into your business plan, and you can’t grow without it. But what is most exciting about the marketing done by small and midsize businesses (SMBs) is that their brand is a manifestation of the passion they have for their product or service. The energy, dedication, and innovation of SMBs is inspiring, and these skills come to life in each customer touch point, including in the way they build their brand and market their business.
**Why Small Businesses are Great at Marketing**
Here are three things SMBs do really well when it comes to branding and marketing:
1. **SMBs Know Their Customers**
– No one knows their customers better than an SMB owner.
– The relationship goes above and beyond the transaction, which allows SMBs to understand new needs, hear feedback firsthand, and promote what’s working.
– SMBs prioritize proximity to customers, building lasting and trusted relationships, and serving their customers better.
2. **SMBs Share Stories Authentically**
– SMBs are deeply and personally invested and passionate about their businesses.
– This authenticity often comes through in SMB brand and marketing, and it’s really powerful.
– Customers are very discerning, and when a business acts or behaves in ways that don’t align with its mission or purpose, it shows—and quickly.
3. **SMBs are Always Evolving and Innovating Their Brand**
– Successful SMBs don’t stay static—they can’t afford to.
– SMBs are always evolving and innovating to stand out from the crowd and keep their competitive advantage.
– This focus on value and loyalty flows through to how SMBs market their products and services, and ultimately makes them masters at branding.
**The Role of Small Business in Building Strong Brands**
Small businesses are scrappy and energizing. They’re the underdogs and pillars of our communities that we all love to support. Their creativity, authenticity, and grit show up, not only in the way they serve their customers, but also in the way they build their brands and promote their business. For SMBs, business is personal. And for that reason alone, the brands that SMBs build are some of the strongest, most innovative, and enduring.
**About the Author**
Sarah Acton, CMO at BILL, brings more than 25 years of experience in marketing and brand-building work in both consumer and business markets. An entrepreneur at heart, Sarah was the owner of a small retail business where she had firsthand experience with the rewards and challenges of running a business. Sarah holds an MBA from Northwestern University, Kellogg School of Management.
For more information, visit [BILL](www.bill.com) and connect with Sarah Acton on LinkedIn, Facebook, X, and Instagram.
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