For small businesses in the United States and in the United Kingdom, marketing tactics can be pretty similar.


It’s easy to find examples of businesses that follow the same processes, regardless of the country they’re in—but there are also many differences between small business marketing in both countries and you may be surprised to learn about some of them. These are just a few of the most striking differences you’ll find when comparing UK small business marketing and US small business marketing strategies.

Consumer behavior

In the United States, we tend to be very individualistic in our purchasing decisions. We like to think that we are making rational decisions based on our own needs and wants. However, studies have shown that emotional factors play a much bigger role in our decision-making than we realize. For example, when we see a commercial, we may not even be aware of the fact that it is influencing our emotions and affecting our purchase decisions. Likewise, word of mouth has been found to be significantly more influential for US consumers than for those living in the UK. Americans also spend more time researching their purchases than do people from other countries.

Spending patterns

In the United States, small businesses spend an average of $106 per month on marketing. This is a significant increase from last year, when they spent just $83 per month. The most popular marketing tactic for small businesses in the US is online advertising, followed by email marketing and then print advertising.
In contrast, small businesses in the United Kingdom spend an average of £79 per month on marketing. The most popular marketing tactic for small businesses in the UK is word-of-mouth, followed by email marketing and then online advertising. Print advertising is not as popular in the UK as it is in the US.
While there are some similarities between the marketing tactics of small businesses in the US and UK, there are also some significant differences. One of these differences is that spending patterns differ: American small businesses spend more than their British counterparts. Spending patterns have been steadily increasing in America over the past few years, but have remained stagnant in Britain. It’s likely that this difference has to do with increased competition and digital penetration rates in America. Another major difference is that while Americans rely heavily on social media, UK businesses tend to focus more on word-of-mouth marketing strategies.

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