Why Every Small Business Needs a Marketing Strategy
When you're running a small business, marketing can feel like throwing spaghetti at the wall and hoping something sticks. You're posting on social media when you remember, sending the occasional email, maybe running a Facebook ad here and there. But deep down, you know there's got to be a better way, right?
Here's the thing: a marketing strategy acts as your business compass. Without one, you're basically driving with your eyes closed, hoping you'll magically arrive at your destination. And whilst you might get lucky occasionally, it's not exactly a sustainable approach for growing your business.
Why Your Small Business Actually Needs a Strategy
It Stops You Wasting Time and Money 💸
Think about how many hours you've spent creating content that got zero engagement. Or that Facebook ad that ate through your budget without bringing in a single customer. Without a strategy, you're essentially playing marketing roulette, and the house always wins.
A solid marketing strategy helps you identify the most effective channels, messaging, and tactics for reaching your specific audience. Instead of trying everything and hoping for the best, you can focus your limited time and budget on activities that actually move the needle.
It Builds Trust Through Consistency
Ever noticed how some brands just feel more trustworthy? That's not by accident. When your messaging, visuals, and tone are consistent across all touchpoints, customers start to recognise and trust your brand.
Without a strategy, you might be posting motivational quotes on Instagram one day and product specs the next, whilst your email newsletters sound completely different from your website. This inconsistency confuses potential customers and makes your business feel less professional.
A marketing strategy defines:
Your brand voice and personality
Your key messages
Your visual style guidelines
How you want customers to feel when they interact with your brand
It Actually Gets You Where You Want to Go 🎯
Here's a question: what's your main business goal right now? More customers? Higher-value sales? Better customer retention?
If you answered "all of the above," you're not alone, but you're also making things harder for yourself. Marketing helps people discover your brand, understand how your product or service solves their problem, and eventually make purchases. But different goals require different approaches.
A strategy forces you to get clear on what you're trying to achieve and then maps out the most direct path to get there.
Beyond Word-of-Mouth: Why You Need More
Word-of-mouth is brilliant, when it happens. But relying solely on referrals is like waiting for rain in a drought. It might come eventually, but you could be waiting a very long time.
Plus, in competitive markets, your potential customers are being actively courted by businesses with proper marketing strategies. Whilst you're hoping someone mentions your name at a dinner party, your competitors are showing up where your customers are actually looking for solutions.
How to Start Your Marketing Strategy (Without the Overwhelm)
Ready to create your strategy? Here's how to do it without needing a marketing degree or hiring an expensive consultant.
Step 1: Get to Know Your People
Before you can market to anyone, you need to understand who you're actually talking to. And no, "everyone who needs my product" isn't a target audience: it's a recipe for mediocre marketing.
Start with your existing customers:
Who are they? (Age, location, job, lifestyle)
What problems were they trying to solve when they found you?
Where do they hang out online?
What language do they use when describing their problems?
Then research your competitors:
Who are they targeting?
What messages are they using?
Where are they advertising?
What seems to be working for them?
This isn't about copying what they're doing: it's about understanding the landscape you're operating in.
Step 2: Define Your Target Audience Properly
Here's where most small businesses go wrong: they think knowing who their customers are is enough. But you also need to understand what's important to them and where they go looking for solutions.
Create a simple customer profile:
Demographics: Age, location, income level
Psychographics: Values, interests, lifestyle
Pain points: What keeps them up at night?
Goals: What are they trying to achieve?
Behaviour: Where do they research before buying?
The more specific you can be, the better. It's much easier to create compelling marketing when you're talking to Sarah, the time-poor working mum who values convenience and quality, than to "busy women aged 25-45."
Step 3: Set Clear, Specific Goals
"I want more customers" isn't a goal: it's a wish. Your strategy needs specific, measurable objectives that you can actually work towards.
Instead of: "Get more customers"
Try: "Generate 20 new leads per month from our target audience"
Instead of: "Increase brand awareness"
Try: "Grow our email list by 100 subscribers this quarter"
Your goals will shape everything else in your strategy. Brand awareness requires different tactics than lead generation, which is different again from customer retention.
Step 4: Choose Your Marketing Channels Wisely
This is where many small business owners get excited and want to be everywhere at once. Don't do this. It's better to do three things well than ten things poorly.
Consider these factors:
Where does your target audience actually spend time?
What's your budget (time and money)?
What are your goals?
What are you actually good at?
Effective options for most small businesses include:
SEO and content marketing (great for long-term growth)
Email marketing (highest ROI for most businesses)
Social media (choose 1-2 platforms max)
Local networking and partnerships
Google Ads (if you have budget and can track ROI)
Start with 2-3 channels and do them consistently before adding more.
Step 5: Create Content That Actually Helps
Your content should do one of three things:
Educate your audience about topics related to your business
Entertain them in a way that builds connection
Inspire them to take action
The key is to focus on your audience's needs, not just your products. If you sell accounting software, don't just talk about features: create content about cash flow management, tax tips, and small business financial planning.
Step 6: Set Your Budget Realistically
Most small businesses should allocate 5-10% of their revenue to marketing. If you're just starting out or in growth mode, you might push this to 15-20%.
Divide your budget between:
Tools and software (email marketing, social media scheduling, etc.)
Paid advertising (Google Ads, Facebook ads, etc.)
Content creation (design, photography, copywriting)
Time investment (your hours or outsourced help)
Remember: consistency beats big budgets. It's better to spend £200 per month every month than £2,000 once and then nothing for the rest of the year.
Step 7: Measure, Adjust, Keep Going
Here's the truth: your first strategy won't be perfect. That's completely normal and expected. The key is to track what's working and adjust what isn't.
Track these basics:
Website traffic (Google Analytics is free)
Email open and click rates
Social media engagement
Lead generation numbers
Sales conversions
Review your numbers monthly and ask: what's working? What isn't? What can we test differently?
Making It Happen
Creating a marketing strategy might feel overwhelming, but it doesn't have to be complicated. Start with one goal, one target audience, and one or two marketing channels. Get consistent with those before adding more complexity.
Remember, the best marketing strategy is the one you'll actually implement. A simple plan that you follow consistently will always beat a complex strategy that sits in a drawer.
The importance of strategy for small business success can't be overstated: but it doesn't need to be scary. Start where you are, use what you have, and build from there.
Need help putting together a strategy that actually makes sense for your business? Get in touch and let's chat about making marketing work for you, not against you.