Solving 3 Common Small Business Marketing Problems

‍Successfully marketing your small business can often be among the top problems that a business owner can face. When you’re facing budget issues and a tough digital landscape and more, there are a number of ways to stand out. I’m going to go through three of the problems small businesses can face, and our ideas on solutions for these marketing issues.

Problem #1. Every Small Business Needs a Marketing Plan

Not having a marketing plan is like having a car without an engine. Marketing drive sales. Just like the car won’t go far without an engine, your business will struggle without a plan. The Houston Chronicle’s Small Business section writer Lisa McQuerrey talks about this marketing problem in her piece about the consequences of not having a marketing plan.

Without a marketing plan, you often will not have a coordinated effort to succeed, and you won’t be able to track your successes and failures. To prevent this, you can find a way to build your marketing plan now. We’ve talked about this need before, but it is important enough to re-emphasize.

Problem #2. Successfully Branding Your Small Business

Branding your small business is easier said than done. Sometimes one of the hardest things to do is finding a way to stand out from the rest of a pack. Ask Attest gathered information about this very issue when talking about marketing challenges for brands in an article by Bel Booker. Even before COVID (when this article was written), small businesses faced this issue. Branding takes time and consistency.  One way to amplify your message is through influencers. Influencer marketing is such a buzz word. Therefore, the true meaning gets lost in the hype. Influencer marketing is a key part of any good social marketing campaign. It’s not bombarding them with useless information but educating them about your brand by providing value-added content that makes their lives easier and supports your brand. Once they see your value, then they will permit you to educate them on your brand. Once convinced, they can be valuable allies.

Problem #3. Know the Difference Between Inbound and Outbound Small Business Marketing

I’ve spoken about inbound marketing before, but it’s important to go over once again. Inbound marketing is about pulling readers into your site and interacting with an audience through direct communication. Outbound marketing is about pushing messages out through advertising what you can do to a wider audience. In other words, inbound marketing brings people with problems to your website directly in order for help, while outbound marketing is much more about building your small business’s reputation and brand across a myriad of sources.

In Conclusion

Here are the three small business marketing problems you’ll want to address when operating your own company.

1. I can’t stress this enough – Build a Marketing Plan! This is crucial for any business, large or small. A business plan sets goals for a small business to aim for and reasonably achieve, a map to future success
2. Branding really matters. Make sure that you have a consistent image to present to your public, and make sure as well that it fits with your marketing plan. Enlist allies to help you get your message out there to more people efficiently.
3. Use every marketing tactic available, including inbound and outbound marketing. If you focus on just awareness or just sales, you’re missing some larger targets along the way.