How Using Data Science Can Help SMBs Work Smarter, Not Harder

Inflation is everywhere right now, and even SEO can’t escape it with PPC spends increasing 20% year over year for some industries. How can startups and other small- to mid-size businesses (SMBs) compete for online visibility against their better funded and more established competitors? The better question is: What marketing channels should SMBs be funding?

SMBs often forget that they’re working with the same marketing channels as their competitors. The most obvious difference is more budget—sometimes a lot more—which also creates access to well-staffed marketing teams, creatives and expensive software to help reach marketing and sales goals. That’s why SMBs need to find an edge, and that edge is data science. 

Use Your Data, Not Theirs

Data science is really decision science, helping companies make decisions based on scientific application or treatment of data. Companies that effectively use data science can make reliable decisions that produce a repeated replicable result. By being smarter and scientific with data, SMBs can improve their odds of reaching their target audience.

It’s easy to get trapped in the game of following best practices, where the only way to get ahead is to try and outspend the incumbent or leader, but that is not a realistic endeavor for startups and other SMBs that don’t have the luxury of inflated spends. Instead, SMBs have to be more efficient with their marketing efforts. SEO, content marketing, and lead generation aren’t going anywhere, they’re just changing; for established brands, it’s pretty worthwhile at any budget, but for SMBs, it may occupy a different share of the marketing mix. And, data science can help SMBs get ahead by spending less on SEO and more effectively targeting their customers.

Whereas some follow rules of thumb that are based on general data averages, such as allocating 15-25% of total digital marketing budget to SEO, it’s better to look at your own customer data to understand where they come from and which content they spend their time on, and use those insights to get in front of them. Unfortunately, search data that provides keywords, impressions and clicks will only get marketers so far. There’s more to data science than just the scientific treatment, there’s also a philosophic aspect. In other words, are you asking the right questions of the data? 

Glean Insights Without Breaking the Bank

While there is always market research (read: expensive) to learn about target audience attitudes and behaviors, and sophisticated technology (again, read: expensive) that helps marketers determine budget allocation and forecasted ROI, there are cleverer ways to glean customer insights without making a huge investment. 

Marketers already have access to AI and can use it to learn more about their target audience. Artios custom built its proprietary AI modelling technology to help brands do just this. By reading source data from online spaces such as X, Bluesky, and Reddit, SMBs can access this information for a fraction of the cost of the aforementioned swanky approaches. Through AI-powered audience modelling, marketers can learn almost anything they desire, including where their target audience spends their time, how they prefer to buy, and what they think of the brand. Clever use of these data-driven insights can refresh a company’s marketing mix and become the foundation of a strong content marketing strategy.

SMBs Should Switch the Focus from SEO to Content Marketing

For smaller businesses, especially those that are owner-operated and don’t tend to have domain authority or a lot of brand equity, SMBs should switch their focus from SEO and instead first invest in content marketing. 

Content marketing adds content to websites that also helps build domain authority and gives material to connect with target audiences on social media and other marketing channels. Without content, there is no value to the website; there is nothing to optimize or rank, but also no credible or persuasive reason to get people to stay once they do arrive. SEO needs content to organize and process; its job is to send traffic so consumers can engage, and build trust and loyalty with the brand. In order to build authority for SEO, content is required.

But not all content is created equal. Data science can actually help marketers produce authentic content for their websites—and beyond. For example, Artios packages its AI-powered data intelligence into a content strategy for clients to produce a more tactical and successful execution than traditional copy. 

With endless noise and short attention spans, why would marketers want to spend time and money pushing dozens of messages before even entering the sales pipeline? Instead, smart use of data can help SMBs work smarter by building long-term brand authority and reducing the number of engagements required to convert. It’s all about quieting a very distracting internet, and using data science to produce audience-inspired content will most definitely reach the target audience. 

If you’re reading this, it’s because you already know your SEO isn’t working like it used to. Have you considered shifting focus to your content strategy? Artios can help deliver authentic content marketing your target audience loves. Discover how data science can build brand authority and give your company an edge. Contact Artios today.