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“Small businesses are under real pressure to see positive results from their marketing, but many feel like they are doing more without getting more back. They are working harder than ever, but without the time, expertise, or data to guide them, many are still guessing about what will resonate with their customers.” –
– Smita Wadhawan, chief marketing officer at Constant Contact
Small businesses are feeling economic pressure – 44% cite the rising costs of goods, 62% report a negative impact from tariffs. Confidence is down – just 18% of small businesses feel confident in their marketing results, down from 27% in 2024. Yet, small businesses continue to increase marketing efforts, with AI and video growing in importance.
More work, less confidence are just some of the findings from the latest Small Business Now report, a survey of 2,500 small business decision-makers across the United States, Australia and New Zealand (ANZ), Canada, and the United Kingdom, conducted by email marketing platform, Constant Contact. If you’re a small business owner, freelancer or consultant feeling like you’re doing more but still feeling less confident, here are five ways to improve your marketing:
1. Interview Current Customers About Their Buying Process
Ask customers how they heard about you. This can be asked at the point of sale, or if you have a longer selling cycle, include this question in the initial consultation. If customers are willing, schedule a longer discussion with them to hear about their decision-making process. What else did they consider? Your competition is not just other businesses like yours, but could include technology solutions, free options or doing nothing. You want to understand as many aspects as possible about how your customers decided to buy, so you can speak to those options and make a targeted case in your marketing.
2. Revisit Past Customers About Their Results
Past customers might have feedback about your products or services that you didn’t think to incorporate in your marketing. For example, you run a branding agency, and past customers report that working with you gave them a clearer sense of self and improved confidence. These personal benefits may be a powerful addition to your marketing materials that you haven’t been emphasizing.
3. Find Out What Prospects Did Instead Of Buying From You
If you have access to prospective customers who decided not to buy, they can provide insights that can help you preemptively address objections with future prospects. For example, if you uncover a pattern of prospects not doing anything rather than going with you or even a competing solution, then you might emphasize the benefits of taking action in your marketing. Or you might design a time-sensitive bonus or discount to encourage a decision. Check that your Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) section addresses the specific concerns of your target customers.
4. Drill Down On When And Why Referrals Happen
In addition to current, past, and almost customers, check in with referrals. What prompts them to refer business to you? If it’s only when a prospective customer happens to come to them, then think about additional ways to stay front of mind – e.g., periodic referral campaigns, more proactive referring of their work on your side.
What causes them to refer you specifically, as opposed to other business owners who offer similar products or services? If it’s a personal connection, build in more social touchpoints with those referrers. If it’s a particular skill or expertise you have, and that’s only a portion of what you do, make sure they’re aware of other aspects of your background. If it’s the structure or pricing of what you offer, keep them updated when you roll out new products or services or have specials.
5. Prioritize Joy In Your Next Steps
Marketing your business is never going to be one-and-done. Market conditions, customer preferences, your competition all change over time. Your own goals and preferences for your business also evolve. One way to continually stay invested and excited about marketing is to find the joy in it. As you listen to what customers, prospects and referrers have to say and find options that speak to them, prioritize options that also speak to you – that you enjoy doing, that reinforce why you’re excited about being a business owner, that you’re willing to work on day-in and day-out even when times get tough.
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