The SME Marketing Report and Playbook
Explore SME marketing hurdles in 2025 and transform your business strategies effectively.
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Understanding SME Marketing Challenges 2025
However, smaller businesses are often left struggling to understand how they can navigate the growing complexities of business ownership and growth opportunities available to them. While this report cannot help businesses understand how to cope with the growing complexities of other departments, we can help businesses identify and overcome their key marketing challenges.
Too often, marketing is seen as a “hassle”. It may be something that they’ve tried before but haven’t felt it was the best use of funds, or it could be that they’ve struggled to identify what specific skills they need their employees to have to make the most of their strategy.
With more than 5.6 million private sector businesses in the UK, the impact of small and medium businesses on the economy is undeniable.
Written by a collaborative team of marketing experts, this report identifies the common challenges faced by small and medium-sized businesses in the UK. It will give practical solutions and for how you can overcome those challenges.
Industry benchmarks suggest that small businesses should allocate 5-10% of their annual revenue to marketing.
Source: (Aedus, 2024)
B2B marketing teams make up about 5% of the total headcount with only 3 of the top 10 B2B marketing titles being specialised roles.
ClearBit, 2023
In 2023, advice on marketing was more likely to be sought by micro (10%) than by small and medium-sized businesses (7% and 6%)
Source: 2023 Longitudinal Small Business Survey
Our survey says: 58% of businesses are spending less than £250 per month on marketing initiatives – a mere £3,000 per year.
Our survey says: 65% of marketing activities undertaken by in-house teams are being managed by the business owners themselves.
Our survey says: 46% of respondents stating they “do not have a formal marketing strategy that they use”, and a further 6% saying they were “unsure” if they had one or not.
Ready to upgrade your marketing?
Understanding SME Marketing Challenges 2025
However, smaller businesses are often left struggling to understand how they can navigate the growing complexities of business ownership and growth opportunities available to them. While this report cannot help businesses understand how to cope with the growing complexities of other departments, we can help businesses identify and overcome their key marketing challenges.
Too often, marketing is seen as a “hassle”. It may be something that they’ve tried before but haven’t felt it was the best use of funds, or it could be that they’ve struggled to identify what specific skills they need their employees to have to make the most of their strategy.
With more than 5.6 million private sector businesses in the UK, the impact of small and medium businesses on the economy is undeniable.
Written by a collaborative team of marketing experts, this report identifies the common challenges faced by small and medium-sized businesses in the UK. It will give practical solutions and for how you can overcome those challenges.
Industry benchmarks suggest that small businesses should allocate 5-10% of their annual revenue to marketing.
Aedus, 2024
B2B marketing teams make up about 5% of the total headcount with only 3 of the top 10 B2B marketing titles being specialised roles.
ClearBit, 2023
In 2023, advice on marketing was more likely to be sought by micro (10%) than by small and medium-sized businesses.
2023 Longitudinal Small Business Survey
Our survey says: 58% of businesses are spending less than £250 per month on marketing initiatives – a mere £3,000 per year.
Our survey says: 65% of marketing activities undertaken by in-house teams are being managed by the business owners themselves.
Our survey says: 46% of respondents stating they “do not have a formal marketing strategy that they use”, and a further 6% saying they were “unsure” if they had one or not.
Ready to upgrade your marketing?
Report Authors
Amy Dawson
Gatekeeper Communications
Amy Dawson owns Gatekeeper Communications, a PR, copywriting and report-writing agency based in Suffolk. From content marketing support to thought leadership, Gatekeeper Communications works with clients to enhance their reputations and drive new conversations through strategic PR and marketing campaigns.
Annique Tate
Alex Stone
Liz Malone-Johnstone
Tate Digital Consulting
Strategic Marketer and Fractional CMO
Bureau 43 Digital Marketing Studio
Annique Tate, is a Marketing Mentor and Consultant for bmall businesses. A strategist at heart, she’s been in marketing for over 20 years. She’s passionate about helping small businesses and tech startups cut through the noise and build marketing strategies that work. She helps business owners create a clear, actionable plan that aligns with your business goals without wasting your time or budget.
Alex is an award-winning and strategic senior marketing leader with over 30 years’ experience in marketing, media and comms. Core skills and experience include strategic marketing, brand strategy and awareness, demand generation, digital and AI marketing. She is an inspiring marketer who brings energy, straight-talking and a results-driven attitude to everything she does.
Liz Malone-Johnstone is a straight talking digital marketing strategist with over 15 years of experience in B2B services, manufacturing, education, sustainability, and tech. She helps business owners and solo marketers swerve the hype and embed digital marketing strategies that build resilience and fuel lasting growth.
Helen Feeley
Indie Marketing
Helen Feeley is a Meta Accredited freelance marketing manager with 20 years of experience working with independent businesses across West Yorkshire. Specialising in organic social media and Meta Ads, she can support, train or completely manage the social media presence of your business.
Janine Owen
JO&Co.
Janine is an experienced marketing strategist who works closely with growing businesses to help them connect marketing to real commercial outcomes. As the founder of JO&Co., she supports SMEs through practical strategy, mentoring, and hands-on guidance, ensuring marketing isn't just a cost, but a driver of growth.
Kate Hammond
Sunbeam Marketing
Kate Hammond is an Email Marketing & CRM Consultant who runs Sunbeam Marketing. We partner with retail eCommerce brands to create customer-centric email campaigns and flows that drive revenue and long term engagement.
Rachel Williams
Google Ads Specialist
Rachel Williams is a certified Google Ads Specialist who helps e-commerce brands grow through data driven campaign management. Her expertise helps businesses maximise their return on ad spend and scale revenue while maintaining profitable customer acquisition costs.
Rosie Denham
Project Comms
Rosie helps purpose-driven leaders and brands demystify marketing, shape their strategy, and connect with their audiences. Her collaborative, empowering approach ensures clients have confidence in both the strategic and tactical dimensions of brand and marketing. She works with startups, SMEs, and nonprofits across sectors including environment, education, health, community, and the arts.
Sarah Temprell
Keep It Simple Marketing Solutions
Sarah has worked in B2B marketing for over 18 years covering a multitude of industries working for family businesses, solo operators, SMEs and a FTSE100. She has managed a variety of budgets from shoe-string to showstopper. From copywriting to social media or full marketing support she works as part of your team to help your business succeed.
Tania Prior
Prior Marketing & Co.
Tania is a marketing consultant who works with founders, directors and marketing teams to develop and implement clear brand and marketing strategies that drive growth. She has over 15 years experience as the brand guardian and marketing lead for global and multi-million pound brands, scaling start-ups and driving record numbers through the doors of some of the UK’s top 20 retail, leisure and hospitality destinations.
Report Authors
Amy Dawson
Gatekeeper Communications
Amy Dawson owns Gatekeeper Communications, a PR, copywriting and report-writing agency based in Suffolk. From content marketing support to thought leadership, Gatekeeper Communications works with clients to enhance their reputations and drive new conversations through strategic PR and marketing campaigns.
Annique Tate
Alex Stone
Liz Malone-Johnstone
Tate Digital Consulting
Strategic Marketer and Fractional CMO
Bureau 43 Digital Marketing Studio
Annique Tate, is a Marketing Mentor and Consultant for bmall businesses. A strategist at heart, she’s been in marketing for over 20 years. She’s passionate about helping small businesses and tech startups cut through the noise and build marketing strategies that work. She helps business owners create a clear, actionable plan that aligns with your business goals without wasting your time or budget.
Alex is an award-winning and strategic senior marketing leader with over 30 years’ experience in marketing, media and comms. Core skills and experience include strategic marketing, brand strategy and awareness, demand generation, digital and AI marketing. She is an inspiring marketer who brings energy, straight-talking and a results-driven attitude to everything she does.
Liz Malone-Johnstone is a straight talking digital marketing strategist with over 15 years of experience in B2B services, manufacturing, education, sustainability, and tech. She helps business owners and solo marketers swerve the hype and embed digital marketing strategies that build resilience and fuel lasting growth.
Helen Feeley
Indie Marketing
Helen Feeley is a Meta Accredited freelance marketing manager with 20 years of experience working with independent businesses across West Yorkshire. Specialising in organic social media and Meta Ads, she can support, train or completely manage the social media presence of your business.
Janine Owen
JO&Co.
Janine is an experienced marketing strategist who works closely with growing businesses to help them connect marketing to real commercial outcomes. As the founder of JO&Co., she supports SMEs through practical strategy, mentoring, and hands-on guidance, ensuring marketing isn't just a cost, but a driver of growth.
Kate Hammond
Sunbeam Marketing
Kate Hammond is an Email Marketing & CRM Consultant who runs Sunbeam Marketing. We partner with retail eCommerce brands to create customer-centric email campaigns and flows that drive revenue and long term engagement.
Rachel Williams
Google Ads Specialist
Rachel Williams is a certified Google Ads Specialist who helps e-commerce brands grow through data driven campaign management. Her expertise helps businesses maximise their return on ad spend and scale revenue while maintaining profitable customer acquisition costs.
Rosie Denham
Project Comms
Rosie helps purpose-driven leaders and brands demystify marketing, shape their strategy, and connect with their audiences. Her collaborative, empowering approach ensures clients have confidence in both the strategic and tactical dimensions of brand and marketing. She works with startups, SMEs, and nonprofits across sectors including environment, education, health, community, and the arts.
Sarah Temprell
Keep It Simple Marketing Solutions
Sarah has worked in B2B marketing for over 18 years covering a multitude of industries working for family businesses, solo operators, SMEs and a FTSE100. She has managed a variety of budgets from shoe-string to showstopper. From copywriting to social media or full marketing support she works as part of your team to help your business succeed.
Tania Prior
Prior Marketing & Co.
Tania is a marketing consultant who works with founders, directors and marketing teams to develop and implement clear brand and marketing strategies that drive growth. She has over 15 years experience as the brand guardian and marketing lead for global and multi-million pound brands, scaling start-ups and driving record numbers through the doors of some of the UK’s top 20 retail, leisure and hospitality destinations.
Ready to upgrade your marketing?
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