Small businesses, far from needing motivation to market their companies, primarily struggle with a fundamental lack of clarity and direction regarding what actually needs to be done. They unequivocally understand the imperative to attract new customers and recognize that effective marketing is the most reliable strategy for growth, yet they are often paralyzed by the sheer volume of choices and the absence of a clear roadmap.
The top challenges thus revolve around deciphering which marketing channels to leverage for their specific audience, formulating a cohesive strategy that transcends sporadic efforts, and possessing the knowledge to accurately measure performance and improve their campaigns over time. Ultimately, it is this profound informational deficit – the “how-to” quandary – that forms the biggest hurdle preventing them from translating their understanding of marketing’s importance into tangible business success.
- Finding new customers—60%
- Determining what is working/measuring performance—33%
- Lack of resources (time, budget, skills)—32%
- Retaining current customers—31%
- Creating a strategy/plan—25%
- Sending the right messages—25%
- Using multiple platforms/tools—24%
- Motivation—19%