Small Business vs. Corporations: Are you trying to slay the giant?

Did you know that in 2004, out of twenty-five and a half million registered US businesses, only about six million were considered corporations or employer firms? That means roughly 75% of US firms are considered small businesses, and that number has been growing more rapidly than employer firms since 1997. Yet, this mass of small businesses only account for 3.4% of the $22.8 billion dollars in sales receipts that year. Why the gap in earning power between corporations and small businesses? Stellar copy coupled with appropriate marketing venues.

These days, there are a lot of corporations that did not start out as a “Mom and Pop” operation. Many were launched with enormous budgets with an especially large chunk set aside for marketing. How does a small business compete with that?

What eventually set them apart from other businesses was not necessarily their amazing product that mows your lawn, records your movies and increases your energy all at the same time. No. What set them apart was the extensive research that provided them with a ticket to the latest movie of “Who our customers are, what they need, and why they need it.” Once they had that information, they visited the prestigious advertising firm of “We kick marketing tail” and found a way to connect to their consumers on an emotional level. The rest is profit history.

Competing against corporate giants and their huge marketing budgets is no small feat. If you are running a small business, you probably have little in the way of funds to direct towards marketing. Most of your business probably comes from word of mouth and repeat customers. When it comes to marketing your business, not only do you lack the corporate-sized funds; you also lack the time to research, write and implement marketing techniques yourself. It’s time to find a freelance copywriter.

It’s true; some freelance copywriters are more expensive than others. Still, there have been great marketing campaigns that were created by a greenhorn who possessed little in the way of experience but a lot in the way of creativity and a fresh perspective.

A good freelance copywriter will know how to “juice the orange” before creating copy. Pat Fallon and Fred Senn, cofounders of the Fallon Worldwide marketing firm, spell out how to create a powerful business advantage from a creative perspective in their book Juicing the Orange, from the Harvard Business School Press (2006). Take it from these marketing masters; you don’t need a huge marketing budget to outpace the corporations and gain a larger consumer base. You need a copywriting extraordinaire who possesses the creativity that will generate a foundation of loyal customers who have been “branded” for life.

How do you choose the right copywriter?

The best way is to find a copywriter who either clearly expresses knowledge in your product or service, or is willing to put in the time to research it thoroughly. You don’t have to pay top dollar for a good copywriter. You have to pay top dollar for copywriters who have been in the business long enough to know they deserve more than they charged when they first started out.

There are many inexpensive copywriters that excel at what they do, they just haven’t figured out they’re worth more than they charge. This relationship between you and your copywriter is a symbiotic one; you get great copy and marketing know-how for less than half the price and they get another notch in their belt that reminds them they are only a few years away from charging much more than they do now.

It’s time to get out there and hire a freelance copywriter that can help your business slay, or at least kick, the corporate giants and take a bigger slice of that $22 billion dollar pie.

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