We’re nearing the end of another year. It’s time to take a look back and figure out how your marketing team did, what you could do better, and what you plan to change for the year ahead. The Young Entrepreneur Council asked some of its members to list their toughest challenges from this year. Compare their list with yours to see how you stack up.

Keeping a fresh face

When it comes to businesses that have been around a while, one challenge marketers have is keeping customers interested. When people live in a world that is constantly updating, upgrading, and refreshing itself, an older business has to constantly come up with ways to reinvent itself.

Michael Sinensky, of Village Pourhouse, said keeping his bar business fresh “has a lot to do with staying on top of trends that I worry I’m out of touch with. So the people I hire are crucial to keeping us relevant.”

Being a little fish in a big pond

Every brand has competition, but start-ups and small businesses have an especially tough time getting their names in circulation—also known as brand recognition. This is one challenge Shane Adams of Sagacious Consultants faces in his business. He struggles to be “recognized as an influential force in the industry.” That’s why businesses have to come up with ways to offer value and good information to their customers.

Converting loyal customers

It’s great to get a visitor to click through to your site one time. A first time purchase is a great start. But where the real ROI comes in is when people return to make another purchase, and they encourage their friends to do the same. But that’s the trick—how do you convert someone into a loyal customer? Tolga Tanriseven of GirlsAskGuys said a lot of customers sign up for their service, but then almost immediately drop off. They’re planning on using email marketing to keep in touch with customers and encourage them to return.

Choosing the best marketing platforms

Is your marketing platform maximizing your budget? Could there be another option out there you haven’t considered? The problem is, you only have so much manpower and you can’t afford to change your software every two months. That’s the challenge Jared Feldman of Mashwork faces in his marketing efforts. He said, “It’s a lot of trial and error. We are constantly in Google Analytics seeing what’s driving traffic to our site so we can adjust our tactics.”

Being willing to change your tactics is one important step forward. Some businesses are so entrenched in their own practices they don’t even consider a change.

Marketing News brought to you by ClickToCallMarket.com
Source: business2community.com/marketing/11-tough-marketing-challenges-01026749

Tags: challenges, marketers, 2014, marketiner, brand, competition, brand recognition, loyal customer, best marketing platforms