Forgotten marketing sees small firms lose £122 billion in sales
Improved marketing could create £43 billion in value added from SMEs. The research by Pitney Bowes found that the average SME is only achieving 39% of its planned marketing activity. Yet when business owners were asked to predict the sales impact …
See all stories on this topic
Yogi Berra: 4 'Comments' on Mobile Marketing
Sometimes I like to imagine what famous philosophers would say if they were asked to comment on timely topics like global warming or mobile marketing. In today's case, I thought it would be illuminating to hear what the Hall of Fame catcher Yogi Berra …
See all stories on this topic
Nintendo Amazingly Gets Worse At Marketing Just In Time For Plummeting Wii U …
Perhaps poor marketing is holding back Wii U sales for Nintendo. As Spike TV's GTTV host Geoff Keighley noted on Twitter, a new campaign from Nintendo is using flyers to show just how awesome the Wii U is. Except, instead of going after console rivals …
See all stories on this topic
…
Popular Questions
Why does forgotten marketing cause small firms to lose £122 billion in sales?
Forgotten marketing can make a small firm difficult to find, remember, or choose when customers are ready to buy. Inconsistent promotion, neglected follow-ups, and outdated customer information can allow competitors to capture demand. Businesses can reduce this risk by reviewing every marketing channel, assigning clear ownership, and scheduling regular campaign checks. Tracking enquiries, conversions, and repeat purchases also shows where missed sales are occurring.
What marketing activities are small firms forgetting when sales are lost?
Small firms often overlook basic activities such as following up with leads, updating websites, requesting reviews, and staying in contact with previous customers. They may also stop publishing useful content or fail to measure which campaigns generate enquiries. Create a simple weekly checklist covering lead follow-up, customer communication, online visibility, and performance reporting. Automating reminders and using a shared calendar can help prevent these tasks from being forgotten.
How can small businesses recover sales linked to forgotten marketing?
Start by contacting inactive customers and recent prospects with a relevant offer, useful information, or a request for feedback. Review abandoned enquiries and identify whether slow responses, unclear pricing, or weak calls to action contributed to lost opportunities. Refresh the website, social profiles, and email campaigns so customers receive consistent messages. Measure the results by tracking response rates, bookings, and revenue rather than impressions alone.
Can consistent marketing prevent small firms from losing sales?
Consistent marketing keeps a business visible and gives potential customers repeated reasons to make contact. A manageable plan might include one customer email each month, regular social updates, prompt lead responses, and quarterly reviews of campaign results. The aim is not to promote everywhere but to maintain the channels customers actually use. Documenting responsibilities and setting reminders can stop important marketing work from being neglected.