Appealing to businesses of all sizes and shapes gets tricky, particularly for the millions of gig workers nationwide. Who are these people? How do they make money? Do they even know what they want? In so many ways, B2Bs might be missing out on the growing success (and profits) of the gig economy because they’re not marketing to the freelancers working within it. But it doesn’t have to be this way. Here are a few ways to make sure that your B2B has the capacity to go B2G.
1. Keep Costs Down
Targeting only businesses with big budgets may be an effective approach, but it means you’re leaving a lot of potential money on the table. The U.S. Small Business Administration notes that over 60 percent of businesses out there have less than five employees. A significant number of those are sole proprietors, like your local gig worker.
People who make less than $20,000 a year still have to spend money on things for their businesses. But like the bad salmon from lunch, they hope to keep it down. Remember that gig workers need accounting services, software, technological devices and other stuff, just like big businesses. Set your prices accordingly, and they’ll take advantage of it.
2. Make Services Easy to Customize
Individuality is the soul of the gig economy. This is part of the beauty of gig working, but also makes it really hard to generalize what people need based on the type of job or even the industry. One person’s favorite meal is another’s penicillin experiment at the back of the fridge. If you want your product or service to get scooped up while it’s still fresh, make sure gig workers can choose exactly what they want. No one with an unpredictable salary wants to pay for stuff they don’t need.
3. Don’t Confuse the Client With the Platform
The news often features stories about gig economy platforms with huge profits and CEOs who have become practical celebrities overnight. These are not gig workers. It may seem like they are part of a much larger, reliable enterprise, but they are not.
Like waking up in a strange room after that really rowdy party, working in the gig economy forces people to adapt quickly to unpredictable circumstances. They lack stability and reliability if they don’t create it for themselves.
In your business, this can be a bug or a feature, depending on how you look at it. For example, the company may be driven entirely by profits, but workers may be motivated by anything that looks like an asset. If you can help them save time, that may be just as valuable as helping them make more money.
4. Find Ways to Partner With Gig Workers
Business is a partnership. When you think, “Why should I appeal to this demographic?” you know that gig workers are thinking, “How does this business benefit me?” The solution is to find ways to work together. Does your company have an affiliate marketing program that provides benefits to industry influencers? If not, it may be time to start. For the average gig worker, an asset in the form of discounts or free stuff they need is second only to cold, hard cash. Giving people an opportunity to earn credit by pitching your products or services helps both businesses.
5. Simplify, Simplify, Simplify
Why does Amazon get inside your head, find the products you want and do everything short of putting it in your cart? Why does your favorite restaurant have a mobile ordering system that lets you repeat a regular order with a couple of clicks? The answer is ease. Many businesses go wrong by focusing on making products and services easy to sell, but difficult to buy.
Gig workers tend to be short on both money and time. Think about how many steps customers need to go through to make a purchase, and see what you can do to simplify it. Can someone use your site at 3 a.m. in their underwear and find everything they need? Aim for that.
The gig economy is growing every year, and you can take a piece of the profit pie. By tailoring your business to the needs of gig workers, you can future-proof your company and tap a new market of potential customers. To learn more about the benefits the gig economy can bring to you, contact WriterAccess.
Holly S has a wide variety of interests and hobbies. She is an avid cook and baker who focuses on natural food that tastes wonderful. She loves to do many different forms of exercise including hiking, running, Pilates, yoga, interval training and weight-lifting. She has an extensive background in college debate, and so she has always had a love for argument and discourse. In her spare time, she might be seen reading or watching indie films.
