The micro consulting business in Sweden : A multiple-case study of content marketing methods used to attract potential customers

Abstract: Background:  In recent years, Sweden’s micro consulting enterprise (MCE) industry has grown significantly. Even during the COVID-19 pandemic, the MCE business in Sweden continued to grow in a positive direction, while bigger consulting firms were heavily impacted, with around 48% of firms seeing negative growth. Because of the growth, there is a necessity for MCEs to distinguish themselves in the market as smaller consulting firms face stiff competition from larger enterprises. Due to today’s digital generation, MCEs are provided with an excellent opportunity to develop a digital communication strategy. Hence, a common strategy being used is content marketing which acts as a communication strategy to attract new customers. Problem:  After founding a MCE, there is an ambiguity in how to reach customers, as a cause of the small size of the company. The low amount of employees leads to lacking intangible assets, which instead induce word-of-mouth marketing. However, such marketing is rather uncertain and difficult to strategize. Meanwhile, there is a growth of MCE’s utilization of content marketing to increase sales. Previous researchers within the area have expressed the need for understanding MCE’s relation to content marketing, to evaluate how MCEs can apply content marketing to acquire new customers. Purpose: This thesis aims to develop knowledge on the possibilities for MCEs to strengthen their chances to acquire new customers through content marketing. Method: This qualitative research has been conducted through multiple-case study with six different cases, which includes organizational documents and semi-structured interviews. The sampling was based on the criteria of being a CEO of a MCE in Sweden, which must have a website and a LinkedIn-profile. The data analysis followed a thematic analysis to identify patterns of how MCEs use content marketing.   Results: The empirical findings presented homogenous answers aligned with the process of how to conduct successful content marketing. By identifying the four steps of ‘Awareness’, ‘Initiate Contact’, ‘Sales and Delivery’, and ‘Long-term Relationships’ the ‘MCE’s Content Marketing Model’ was established. By utilizing the model, MCEs could sustain a competitive advantage in the crowded market.