"Small business owners are not marketers,” says our guest Stephanie Schwab, CEO of Crackerjack Marketing. But she can help them become proficient, and successful, if they follow a distinct process that she shares during this episode. As the world enters a time of business uncertainty, Stephanie recommends that owners reassess their marketing, to understand the nature of their unique offering and to take stock of their customers. Listen in, as we explore the details around her process, and her marketing must-dos—including the surprising Top Tip she gives to business owners.
Three Takeaways
- For very small businesses, where a single owner is likely the sole decision-maker, marketing is similar to a consumer considered-purchase which is different from most B2B marketing.
- The most productive marketing strategy for small business owners is to tightly identify their target audiences and then focus on building a robust email list of niche contacts.
- As we enter into a time of uncertainty, business owners should take stock by reviewing their offerings, their target audiences, their points of differentiation and their messaging.
About our Guest
As CEO of Crackerjack Marketing, Stephanie Schwab creates engaging digital marketing programs for exuberant lifestyle, tech, and education brands. Over the last 20+ years, Stephanie has focused on social media, content marketing, and influence marketing, blending management consulting best practices with agency creativity.
She is the Director of the Digital Marketing Programme at Harbour. Space, a high-tech university in Barcelona, Spain and Bangkok, Thailand, where she teaches course on fundamentals of digital marketing, social media and content marketing, and starting and running an agency.
Stephanie also works with coaches, consultants, and service providers to create profitable and sustainable marketing through her Business Marketing Blueprint program.
Stephanie received her MBA in marketing and strategic planning from the University of Illinois at Chicago. When not working or teaching, Stephanie travels, plays board games with her husband and teenager, knits, and cooks gluten-free meals.
Meet the Hosts
Cyndi W. Greenglass is a founding partner and president at Livingston Strategies, a data-informed, strategic consulting firm that helps clients develop, execute, and measure their customer communications with a close focus on results. Cyndi has razor-sharp strategic skills matched by impeccable on-the-ground savvy and tactical abilities. She is an Adjunct Instructor in the Data Marketing Communications online master's degree program from West Virginia University.
Greenglass has twice been named into the Top 100 Influential BTB Marketers by Crain’s BtoB Magazine and was the 2012 CADM Chicago Direct Marketer of the Year. She is a member of the Board of Advisors for BRAND United and has taught, trained and presented at over 50 conferences throughout the world.
Ruth P. Stevens consults on customer acquisition and retention, for business-to-business clients. Ruth serves on the boards of directors of the HIMMS Media Group, and the Business Information Industry Association. She is a trustee of Princeton-In-Asia, past chair of the Business-to-Business Council of the DMA, and past president of the Direct Marketing Club of New York.
Ruth was named one of the 100 Most Influential People in Business Marketing by Crain’s BtoB magazine, and one of 20 Women to Watch by the Sales Lead Management Association. She serves as a mentor to fledgling companies at the ERA business accelerator in New York City.
WVU Marketing Communications Today: Horizons is presented by the West Virginia University Reed School of Media and Communications, which offers renowned online master’s degree programs in Marketing Communications. Interested in growing your career with a master's degree in Data, Digital or Integrated Marketing Communications? Request more information today!