5 Social Media Marketing Challenges 93% of Small Businesses Face

The majority of small businesses continue to invest time and resources in social media marketing. In fact, most small businesses engage with followers at least weekly across various social platforms.

However, turning awareness into conversions is easier said than done. Despite small businesses' engagement on social media, less than half of marketers believe it generates a return on investment (ROI).

Conversions aside, many small businesses struggle to secure a following and raise brand awareness on social platforms.

While small businesses face various social media challenges, many encounter similar obstacles and can collectively learn from them.    

Clutch surveyed 500 small business owners and managers to identify the most prevalent social media challenges in the current market, with the aim of facilitating solutions and learning. 

Our Findings 

• Almost all small businesses (93%) struggle with social media marketing challenges, underscoring the need for nuanced best practices across different social platforms.
• On Instagram, 19% of small businesses most commonly struggle to gain new, engaged followers, emphasizing the need for a compelling content strategy. 
• On LinkedIn, 32% of small businesses struggle to generate high-quality leads, suggesting unique barriers in the B2B social environment.
• On TikTok, 17% of small businesses struggle to create content as they continue to acclimate to the rapidly growing platform. 
• A software solution could help the 16% of businesses with fewer employees that struggle to maintain a consistent posting cadence.

The 5 Most Common Social Media Marketing Challenges 

While social media platforms may seem like a straightforward, approachable medium for marketing, nuances across platforms can compound into prevalent social media challenges.

Currently, 93% of small businesses experience a major social media challenge in their marketing work. 

• Generating high-quality leads (21%)
• Gaining new followers (19%)
• Increasing audience engagement (17%)
• Posting content consistently (12%)
• Creating content (11%)

Meagan Morris, a senior SEO strategist at Hurrdat Marketing, discusses key factors to consider before posting, illustrating the complex nature of social media marketing:

“As we all know, being present on social media is important for a business, but I always say quality over quantity,” Morris said. “There are also some factors to think of before you just send out a post.”

Morris recommends that small businesses consider the following questions before sending out a social media post:

• Does the post support your broader business goals?
• Does the content’s messaging match your brand?
• Is the content engaging and relevant?
• Can you include an eye-catching graphic or video?
• Which platform is this post the best fit for?
• Are you posting consistently and maintaining an active presence?

Using these questions to check your content and strategy will help align your marketing efforts with what works best for social media platforms.

Connecting and Engaging With Instagram Followers

Instagram allows companies to showcase their products visually and compete with larger brands. However, finding new followers and engaging them with content are the most significant challenges for 19% of small businesses on Instagram.

Finding new followers and engaging them with content are the most significant challenges for 19% of small businesses on Instagram.

Instagram offers businesses opportunities for success, but requires companies to effectively apply their brand identity and unique voice to their content to cultivate their audience. 

Finding the right voice, tone, and graphics for your audience can seem like a guessing game, but the answers may already exist on your profile. 

Sharon Mills, the lead publicist at BySBM, recommends that small businesses leverage engagement metrics from past posts. 

“Small businesses should be focusing on their engagement rates for each post and not for their overall accounts,” Mills said. “Pay attention to which types of posts get the most engagement and focus on creating more content like that.”

“Pay attention to which types of posts get the most engagement and focus on creating more content like that.”

Small businesses can gain insights into what kind of content resonates with their audience by leaning on content types that have performed well in the past. Once you find the right content niche and stick to it, you can foster a consistent brand voice and visual aesthetic on the platform that will attract new followers.

Instagram can be crowded and complex for small businesses, especially those seeking followers and engagement. However, companies can cater to their growing audiences by critically examining their highest-performing content to inspire new posts. 

Generating Leads On LinkedIn

LinkedIn is a unique, business-focused social media platform for small businesses to connect with and grow among other professionals. However, small businesses find it challenging to generate leads based on their LinkedIn activity. 

Nearly one-third of small businesses that use LinkedIn (32%) find that generating qualified leads is their most significant social media challenge. 

Clutch found that generating qualified leads is the most common social media challenge across platforms, but the most severe problem exists on LinkedIn. 

Many experts find LinkedIn to be the perfect place for generating business connections, relationships, and leads. Why don’t small businesses feel that way?

LinkedIn conversion strategy can be particularly challenging for small businesses due to the platform’s B2B nature. As a result, companies can’t replicate their Facebook and Instagram strategies on LinkedIn to achieve success. LinkedIn requires a different approach.

For instance, engagement metrics may feel hugely important on consumer-driven channels. However, they may not be a priority for LinkedIn. Digital marketing agencies suggest that companies seeking conversions should pay close attention to conversion metrics rather than engagement metrics.

Jackie Kossoff, a marketing and design consultant, warns small businesses to avoid prioritizing engagement over generating high-quality leads across any social platform. 

“Too often, I see businesses focusing on engagement at the expense of profits and ROI,” Kossoff said. “Especially when it comes to paid advertising, it's common for businesses with low engagement to have incredible returns.”  

“Too often, I see businesses focusing on engagement at the expense of profits and ROI.”

Small businesses shouldn’t prioritize engagement above their bottom line. Generating leads on unique platforms like LinkedIn will be more attainable to those focusing on conversions and ROI. 

Creating Content On TikTok

TikTok may be rising in popularity among social media users, but small businesses are still acclimating to creating content on the short-form video platform.

Currently, 17% of small businesses that use TikTok believe creating content is their most prominent social media challenge. 

Established in 2016, TikTok has been described as the ‘wild west’ of social media marketing. The relatively new platform is driven by a young user base and rapidly changing trends, making for a more unpredictable marketing environment.

Some consumer brands have experienced success in marketing on TikTok, many relying on their appeal to younger audiences.

Even if your company can position itself on TikTok, you still need to create compelling video content that aligns with current trends.

Crystal Statskey, OBM and Visibility Strategist, agrees that creating video content is a widespread challenge for small businesses on social media.

“If your small business is wanting to market to the younger generation, TikTok is where it's at,” Statskey said. “Video takes more work than just writing a blog post, so I can see that being an issue for many small businesses that don't have the time.”

"Video takes more work than just writing a blog post, so I can see that being an issue for many small businesses that don't have the time.”

For companies with limited resources, Statskey suggests outsourcing projects to video production companies. That way, creating content on TikTok becomes more manageable for small businesses looking to experiment with the platform.  

Posting Consistently With Limited Resources

Businesses with smaller staffs (under 50 employees) often struggle with maintaining a consistent social media posting cadence. In fact, 16% of these smaller companies report more difficulty posting actively than their larger competitors.

Many small businesses have limited resources to devote to social media marketing. Posting consistently becomes a problem for employees juggling multiple responsibilities along with social media.

Top social media agencies recommend making it easier on marketing employees by introducing social media management software, such as Hootsuite, Tailwind, Sprout Social, etc., into the workflow. These software systems provide the following benefits to small businesses:

• Community management
• Post scheduling
• Analytics and reporting  

Fewer than one-third of small businesses currently use social media software. Still, Meranda Vieyra of Denver Legal Marketing believes automation programs are essential to a well-executed social media strategy. 

“Smart businesses automate their social media through programs like Hootsuite,” Vieyra said. “It allows them to maintain a consistent presence on social media even when they are busy, distracted, etc.”

A social media management software will keep your posts on a schedule, even if your employees work on other core business goals. Management software systems will guarantee that making consistent posts isn’t one of your social media challenges. 

Turn Social Media Marketing Challenges Into Growth Opportunities

Social media marketing is rarely as simple as it looks — and the data proves it. But knowing where small businesses most commonly stumble is half the battle. The other half is taking deliberate action.

Whether you're struggling to build a following on Instagram, convert connections into clients on LinkedIn, or simply find the time to post consistently, the solution usually comes down to one thing: having the right strategy and support in place.

That might mean auditing your content performance, investing in scheduling software, or experimenting with short-form video. But for many small businesses, the fastest path forward is partnering with an experienced social media agency that already knows what works.

A skilled agency can handle the heavy lifting — content creation, community management, paid campaigns, and analytics — so you can focus on running your business. And unlike trial-and-error in-house efforts, agency partners bring proven frameworks and platform expertise from day one.

Ready to stop guessing and start growing? Browse top-rated social media marketing agencies on Clutch to find a partner that fits your budget, industry, and goals.

About the Survey

Visual Objects surveyed 500 small business owners and managers at companies in the U.S. with fewer than 500 employees in December 2020.

Fifty-three percent (53%) of respondents are female; 47% are male.

Twenty-six percent (26%) are 18 to 34; 50% are 35 to 54; 24% are 55 or over.

Seven percent (7%) of respondents’ businesses have 1 employee; 36% have 2 to 10 
employees; 25% have 11 to 50 employees; 18% have 51 to 250 employees; 15% have 251 to 500 employees.

Respondents are from the South (35%), Northeast (23%), West (22%), and Midwest (20%).    

About the Author

Sydney Wess SEO Manager at Clutch

Sydney Wess is a SEO manager who focuses on strengthening organic performance and building topical authority for Clutch.

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