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<\/div>Challenge #3: Lack of marketing knowledge<\/h3>\n
Entrepreneurs are jacks of all trades by default.<\/p>\n
Truth be told, they usually have no choice.<\/p>\n
When you start or run a small business, many responsibilities fall to the person in charge.<\/p>\n
But just because a job fell into your lap doesn’t mean you know what you’re doing. This is why entrepreneurs – successful entrepreneurs, anyway – learn on the fly.<\/p>\n
If you aren’t a marketer by trade but you need to make integral marketing decisions, it’s easy to be paralyzed into inaction if you don\u2019t know what to do. But don’t let fear hold your business back.<\/p>\n
How to fight back<\/h4>\n
While you must<\/i>\u00a0be brave enough to jump into unknown marketing waters, please don’t do it blindly. Targeting the wrong tasks is easy if you don\u2019t know what to do.<\/p>\n
So, take the time to educate yourself. Here are a few places to start:<\/p>\n
- \n
- Neil Patel is a fantastic online marketing expert. Check out what he has to say\u00a0here<\/a>.<\/li>\n
- Entrepreneur and marketing guru Seth Godin’s blog<\/a>\u00a0is another great resource for marketing wisdom.<\/li>\n
- Tim Ferriss, the author of the best-seller The 4-Hour Work Week<\/em><\/a>, has a blog and podcast<\/a>, too.<\/li>\n
- The crowdspring blog is one of the top 50 business marketing blogs globally, and we regularly publish actionable content about small business marketing<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
You’ll also want to create a marketing plan<\/a>. That will help to ensure you’re staying on track.<\/p>\n
Hubspot also offers a handy free tool that’s worth checking out – How to Create An Annual Marketing Plan<\/a>.<\/p>\n
The bottom line is your world is full of resources that can help you educate yourself and get your marketing on track. Take advantage of these resources.<\/p>\n
Challenge #4: Lack of time<\/h3>\n
Many small businesses have an all-hands-on-deck approach.<\/p>\n
There’s a good chance that you and your employees all probably share many roles to get everything done.<\/p>\n
With so much to be done and a limited number of people to do it, it’s easy to see how marketing could get overlooked if you don’t have a dedicated marketer on your team, especially since marketing can be such an intangible.<\/p>\n
And, as we’ve already mentioned, tasks that don’t fall under someone else’s job description tend to wind up on the small business owner’s already overflowing to-do list.<\/p>\n
But the truth is that if you’re too busy hustling for business to market your business properly, it’s probably because<\/em> you’ve failed to market your business.<\/p>\n
Marketing helps to grow your business in an intentional, meaningful way. You have to make time for it.<\/p>\n
How to fight back<\/h4>\n
It’s easy to say that marketing is important.<\/p>\n
And it’s easy to say you must “make time.” But how does one actually do that?<\/p>\n
The easiest ways to reclaim time for marketing are by delegating and automating.<\/p>\n
Delegate<\/strong><\/h4>\n
As a costume designer, I got a crash course in delegating. There are certain tasks that only the designer can do. Everything else has to be assigned to other people.<\/p>\n
Why?<\/p>\n
So that I could be free to do the tasks my team was relying on me to do.<\/p>\n
If I failed to hold fittings on time, make design choices, or prioritize tasks, the rest of my team couldn’t do their part.<\/p>\n
The same is true for an entrepreneur.<\/p>\n
If you hold onto every task on your to-do list, you’re doing your business a disservice. Certain areas are your forte. There are certain tasks that only you can do. That’s where your focus should be.<\/p>\n
Take the time to examine your current workload. What tasks are essential for you? What can you delegate?<\/p>\n
If you have a flair for marketing, delegate other tasks to your employees<\/a> to free up your time for more marketing.<\/p>\n
If marketing is not your strong suit, delegate those tasks to someone better equipped for the job.<\/p>\n
Automate<\/strong><\/h4>\n
Sales and marketing automation<\/a> can take some time-consuming marketing elements off your plate.<\/p>\n
The experts at CMK Marketing explain<\/a>:<\/p>\n
Marketing automation is the process of using software and technology to optimize, automate and measure repetitive online marketing tasks. Once you find yourself doing the same task, over and over again, you can almost be sure that there is a way to automate it.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Automating certain elements can make your marketing more efficient (and your life a little easier).<\/p>\n
One of these elements is the coveted lead generation!<\/em> Imagine a world where you can passively acquire new leads with little-to-no effort!<\/p>\n
If you’re intrigued and you’d like to learn how you might be able to incorporate marketing automation<\/a> into your small business, check out this article<\/a>.<\/p>\n
Challenge #5: Lack of budget<\/h3>\n
Small businesses often struggle with cash flow.<\/p>\n
In fact, a shortage of cash and cash flow issues are two of the top five reasons small businesses fail, according to this infographic<\/a>.<\/p>\n
And, when there are so many places where your money is needed, it may seem hard to justify spending a great deal on your marketing.<\/p>\n
Even if you don\u2019t have money to devote to a big marketing campaign, that’s okay. Effective marketing doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg.<\/p>\n
How to fight back<\/strong><\/h4>\n
If you’re low on funds, focus your marketing efforts on the most cost-effective options available.<\/p>\n
The good news is that there are many<\/em> financially lean marketing techniques to choose from.<\/p>\n
Social media marketing<\/h4>\n
Social media marketing is the most cost-effective<\/a><\/em> marketing platform.<\/p>\n
Establishing a personable social media presence is particularly effective for small businesses. It’s much easier for customers to relate to smaller businesses. For this reason, small businesses can successfully create a sense of intimacy and trust with their audience.<\/p>\n
Lean into this small business strength by creating genuine social interactions with your followers on Facebook and Twitter. And, check out this article<\/a> to learn more about how to get the most from your social media marketing.<\/p>\n
Content marketing<\/h4>\n
Another cost-effective option is content marketing. Starting a blog doesn’t have to cost a lot. And the value you produce through quality content will appeal to your customers and prospective customers.<\/p>\n
In fact, you may be able to combine social media and content marketing by leveraging your social media followers into blog subscribers.<\/p>\n
Connecting with potential customers on multiple platforms strengthens your relationship, making it more likely that they will turn to your business when they need a product or service like yours.<\/p>\n
The Content Marketing Institute<\/a> is a great resource for mastering content marketing.<\/p>\n
We also recommend you read Supercharge Your Small Business Marketing: How To Market To the Social Media Generation<\/a> and 11 Essential Content Marketing Tools That Will Help Your Business<\/a>.<\/p>\n
Influencer marketing<\/h4>\n
You may also want to explore influencer marketing. Developing a relationship with an influencer who resonates with your target customers can really expand your reach.<\/p>\n
Many influencers embrace and endorse useful products or services to their fan base free of charge – as long as the product or service has a real benefit for their followers. This can evolve into great profits and growth for your business.<\/p>\n
Just be careful to select an influencer with the right audience.<\/p>\n
Stop by the Influencer Marketing Hub<\/a> to learn more.<\/p>\n
We recommend reading 21 Ways To Market Your Small Business On a Shoestring Budget<\/a>.<\/p>\n
Cast your net<\/h3>\n
If you want to give your small business its best chance for success, embrace marketing.<\/p>\n
- Entrepreneur and marketing guru Seth Godin’s blog<\/a>\u00a0is another great resource for marketing wisdom.<\/li>\n
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