Small and midsize businesses have a tech problem: Since they don’t have the resources and capital available to larger companies, they can’t easily plug up security holes, extrapolate from the data available to them, or navigate their communication systems as easily. Tech roadblocks that other companies shrug off could trip them up.
New findings from creative file management service Bynder have pinponted a selection of the biggest tech challenges facing small business marketing teams. Here’s a rundown that hits the major issues identified in the report, which can be read in full over here.
Security Is a Problem
One issue facing small marketing teams is one that has dominated headlines in the tech community for a while with events like NotPetya and WannaCry.
“Security is a concern: only 37 percent of respondents feel very confident about the security of their digital assets in how they’re being stored and shared today,” the press release explains.
As we see more and more security breaches and data-loss scares, small businesses everywhere will need to go the extra mile to remain safe.
Access Is Limited
As small companies attempt to grow, seemingly minor issues that were once easy to avoid or overcome instead add up over time to turn into major tech roadblocks. Accessibility is one of them, and it’s a problem for three-fourths of the marketing teams polled.
“Employees don’t have the accessibility needed for anywhere and anytime access: Roughly 75 percent of respondents feel limited in how they can share assets internally and externally. Only 38 percent feel very confident in their ability to manage assets so that anyone within the organization can access from anywhere and at anytime,” says the report.
Companies Lack Comprehensive File Management Systems
Bynder, itself a file management service, naturally finds this issue a severe one: Most small marketing teams aren’t keeping their files on a centralized service, risking data loss as a result.
“Data shows that companies lack the technological and organizational structure for safely and securely storing and sharing digital files — including logos, images, video, brochures, white papers, presentation decks and more. 71 percent of respondents, for example, store creative content on their computer hard drives, inhibiting access to and use of digital content and putting files at risk of data loss,” according to the report.
Scaling Brings Consistency Concerns
Maintaining the same quality while upping your quantity is an issue for any marketer. At the smallest businesses, the marketers must work the hardest in order to grow.
“Marketers aren’t prepared to scale and keep pace with business growth: 47 percent of respondents say their top scalability concern is maintaining brand consistency. 39 percent say it’s getting more reuse out of marketing files. Other scalability concerns include measuring marketing ROI and managing version control and copyrights,” the report says.
In the end, small businesses may need to consider a CMS designed to handle these tech roadblocks itself. The world isn’t getting any less tech-dependent anytime soon.
