Why smart UK SMEs should up their marketing game

Author:

Lisa Barnett

Lisa B our very own Head of Creative, leads our studio and produces strong, vibrant communications to tell a story and get results. Lisa loves to turn the mundane into something beautifully creative and her love of procedures and order is a great asset to the studio and ensures projects are managed with precision and clarity.

Posted:

21/10/2025

For many UK small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), marketing still ends up in the “we’ll get to it later” pile. But here’s the thing: the smarter move is often to invest more, not just in money but in focus and planning. In the UK market, where competition is fierce and attention spans are short, being seen and trusted really matters.

Marketing is part of your business strategy, not an optional extra

There are around 5.5 million SMEs in the UK, making up roughly 99.9% of the business population and 60% of private sector jobs. Together, they turn over about £2.8 trillion every year.

(Sources: UK Parliament, Business Statistics 2024 and GOV.UK, Business Population Estimates 2024)

Impressive numbers, but here’s the thing: lots of those businesses still treat marketing as something they’ll “get round to later”.

The reality is, marketing isn’t a luxury. It’s how people find you, understand you and trust you. If you’re not showing up clearly and consistently, someone else will be.

You don’t need to spend wildly, just wisely

“Invest more in marketing” doesn’t mean blowing your budget on glossy campaigns or chasing every new trend. It means spending with purpose.

According to The Marketing Centre’s 2024 UK SME Marketing Maturity Report, more than half of SMEs don’t have a marketing plan in place. That means a lot of businesses are spending, but not necessarily seeing results. Read the report.

The fix is simple: have a plan. Know who you’re talking to, where they spend time, and what matters to them. Then track what works and adjust as you go. That’s how you make your marketing budget actually earn its keep.

Looking the part matters more than you think

Let’s be honest – people judge. If your website looks dated, your social posts feel off-brand or your proposals don’t match the tone of your website, it quietly chips away at trust.

In a competitive UK market, it’s not just what you do that counts, it’s how you present it. A consistent, confident brand makes you look reliable before you’ve even had the first conversation.

According to a 2023 YouGov poll, 74% of UK consumers say consistent branding makes a business look more professional and trustworthy. That perception matters, especially when clients are comparing options.

Marketing isn’t a cost, it’s an investment

Try flipping the mindset. Instead of saying, “We’ve spent £10k on marketing this year,” ask, “What return are we getting on that £10k?”

When you treat marketing as part of your business strategy, not a cost centre, everything changes. You’re no longer ticking boxes, you’re building momentum.

UK businesses that invest strategically in marketing see higher growth and resilience. A 2023 study by the Chartered Institute of Marketing found that SMEs with a defined marketing strategy were 2.5 times more likely to report revenue growth than those without one.

For SMEs looking to grow steadily and sustainably, that shift in mindset makes all the difference.

A few ways to make your marketing work harder

Here are some simple ways to get more out of your marketing spend:

Get clear on your goals. Know exactly what you want your marketing to achieve – more leads, brand awareness, client loyalty, or all three.
Choose channels that fit. You don’t need to be everywhere. Just be where your audience actually spends time.
Stay consistent. Keep your look, tone and message aligned, wherever you show up.
Track results. Look at what’s converting and what’s not. Keep refining.
Think long-term. The brands people trust most are the ones that show up again and again, not just when they’ve got something to sell.

Why now’s the perfect time to take it seriously

The UK picture is mixed, but there’s clear evidence of firms leaning back into marketing. The IPA Bellwether Report (Q2 2024) showed the strongest upward revision to UK marketing budgets in over a decade, with a net balance of +15.9% of companies increasing spend. That momentum paused in Q3 2024 as budgets flatlined, which underlines the point: brands that keep investing when others hesitate gain ground.

In short

If you want to grow your business, you can’t afford to treat marketing as optional. It’s not an afterthought, it’s part of the strategy.

When done well, marketing builds trust, brings in leads and keeps your name front of mind with the people who matter most.

So yes, put more into your marketing. Not just money, but time, thought and intention. It’s one of the smartest investments you can make in your business.