Running a small business is never easy. In the vast majority of cases just one or two people will be responsible for virtually every aspect of the business, including marketing. Unfortunately, small business owners are almost never marketers, which puts them at a distinct disadvantage.
This was shown in a new survey from InfusionSoft and LeadPages. They surveyed 1000 small businesses in the United States and found some very interesting information.
In fact 46.8% of small business owners said that they handle their own marketing efforts with 23.5% saying that someone on their team does it. 17.3% said that they do some on their own and some is contracted to a third party marketer. 6.5% actually replied that they don’t know who handles their marketing!
First, and perhaps most concerning, is that when asked whether or not their marketing efforts were effective, 48.5% said they don’t know. 37.6% said yes and 13.9% said no.
While this is definitely bad news for the small businesses, it does present some clear opportunities for a savvy digital marketer. Offering to partner with small businesses to handle their digital marketing efforts could present an exciting win-win solution for these marketers who clearly know that they need to be using the Internet for marketing, but really don’t know how.
Another question asked was about which channels the businesses expect invest more in next year compared to last. 51% listed both their website and their digital or social media advertising. 25.4% said email marketing.
This is at least somewhat good news in that these businesses recognize the need to invest more in key areas. The problem, however, is if they don’t know whether this investment will be effective or not may cause them to invest in the wrong products or services. Once again, however, it is a nice opportunity for a trustworthy marketer to step in and guide them along the way.
You can read the full survey HERE. Whether you are a small business owner yourself or you want to offer your marketing services to small businesses, this survey shares a lot of information that you may find very useful.
