Small Business Owners Lack Confidence in Their Marketing

Most small business owners are not confident in their current marketing strategies, according to a new study by Constant Contact and Ascend2. The survey, which includes responses from more than 1,300 small businesses across parts of the world, found that 73 percent of entrepreneurs lack confidence in their marketing tactics.

There are many different challenges small business owners face, which can contribute to this lack of marketing confidence. For instance, 81 percent of respondents worry about the current economy, 56 percent said they only have an hour or less per day to dedicate to marketing, 34 percent feel that they lack efficiency, 33 percent have trouble understanding what’s working, and 32 percent said they lack resources.

Sarah Jordan, chief marketing officer at Constant Contact said in a release, “Small business owners are usually much more passionate about their products and services than they are about marketing, but they still need to attract and retain customers to grow. Our research shows that while most SMBs recognize the importance of marketing, they often lack the time and expertise to be effective, especially in the rapidly evolving digital landscape.”

Today’s entrepreneurs are often forced to play many different roles within their businesses. They aren’t always marketers by trade, but they still are responsible for these tasks if they don’t have the staff or resources to work with professionals. Even when hiring and outsourcing are possible, there are still many factors that contribute to marketing success – and it’s often tough to distinguish the best strategy for each business’s goals.

There is no one-size-fits-all approach to small business marketing, so evaluating your objectives and outlining the right tools and strategies to try is an essential step. If you can outline a few key metrics or KPIs to check as you try new strategies, you’ll be better positioned to learn about what works for your business and what doesn’t. Though you’re likely to try some things that aren’t effective, this method of measuring results and performing ongoing tests can help you feel more confident over the life of your business.

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This article, "Small Business Owners Lack Confidence in Their Marketing" was first published on Small Business Trends