Lions, Zebras, and Small Business Marketing Strategies
Lions, in my world (and in the real one too, I’m pretty sure) eat zebras. Zebras are forever trying not to be lion meals. To achieve their goals, both engage in a set of small business marketing strategies.
Zebras have several functions they need to worry about: eating and drinking, procreating, and staying alive. They can go without eating or drinking for a while. They can go without procreating for a while. But they cannot go without staying alive. Because of that survival mandate, they put in place an automatic marketing system that permanently, automatically markets to the lion the main message: You don’t see me–I’m not here.
Zebra Small Business Marketing Strategies
- Marketing strategy #1: always be part of a large group of zebras.
- Marketing strategy #2: always wear clothes that confuse lions.
- Marketing strategy #3: always run away from lions.
- Marketing strategy #4: make sure there’s always one or more zebras between you and lions.
Some zebras are better than others at marketing. If their marketing efforts fail and there’s a hungry lion close by, the zebras business fails. Permanently. That’s why zebra’s are that good at marketing their little message at all times. It’s about nothing less than zebra-survival.
Lion Small Business Marketing Strategies
Interestingly enough, the lion has the same marketing message to the zebras of the world: You don’t see me–I’m not here.
Given the importance of marketing properly in their lives, lions too have developed automatic marketing strategies:
- Marketing strategy #1: always wear clothes that make zebras not notice you.
- Marketing strategy #2: move slowly and quietly.
- Marketing strategy #3: avoid being upwind from zebras.
- Marketing strategy #4: keep your young far away.
When the lion fails at marketing his message too many times in a row to his targeted audience, the lion’s business fails.
Lions, Zebras and Your Small Business Marketing Strategies
So what does all this have to do with small business marketing strategies–and, more importantly, with your small business marketing strategies?
It shows you that to have the greatest success, the following must always be true:
1. Your small business marketing strategies must always be on.
2. Your small business marketing strategies must have a message that always reaches its intended audience.
3. Your small business marketing strategies must use all possible means (media) to reach their target audience.
4. Your small business marketing strategies must always be targeting the right audience. (In lions and zebra terms, it does the zebra no good if its marketing message reaches rabbits but not lions.)
What’s the Difference Between Small Business Marketing Strategies and Big Business Marketing Strategies?
“Small business marketing strategies” is, actually, a bit of a misnomer. Because small business strategies can be used by big businesses. And vice versa.
Though all marketing strategies can be used by big and small businesses, that doesn’t mean they are. Small businesses, because they have less money and a different decision making structure, tend to avoid certain marketing strategies (like buying naming rights) that big businesses engage in. And big businesses, likewise, tend to avoid some strategies that small businesses engage in (like forum marketing).
So why the “small business marketing strategies” title?
I’m concentrating on small businesses because I have a heck of a lot more affinities with small business owners than with share-holders and big business owners. Besides, this is my baby and I want to call it small business marketing strategies. Sue me.