Small business owners say customer acquisition is both the biggest marketing challenge they face and the top area they need to improve to achieve their marketing goals this year, according to recent research from Constant Contact and Ascend2.

The report was based on data from a survey conducted in February and March 2024 among 1,335 owners and operators of small business (i.e., fewer than 250 employees) globally.

Some 60% of respondents say finding new customers is one of the top challenges they face when marketing their business.

Some 54% of respondents say growing their customer base is an area they need to improve the most to achieve their marketing goals this year.

Small business owners and operators say the most time-consuming marketing tasks are content creation, strategic planning, and measurement.

Small business owners and operators say social media marketing is the marketing activity that they need the most help with.

About the research: The report was based on data from a survey conducted in February and March, 2024, among 1,335 small business owners and operators globally who represent firms with fewer than 250 employees.