The Local Marketing Gap: What It Is and How It's Hurting Your Business

You’re sitting in a marketing meeting.  

It’s the typical agenda items — new campaigns, reviewing metrics, and discussing optimizations. 

You’re pretty much on autopilot.  

Then, all of a sudden, your CMO asks, “How much revenue did your local partners bring in last quarter?” 

You freeze. You’re doing all the right things, but how can you be sure that your affiliates are actually moving the needle? 

Little do you know, the local marketing gap is at play, and the results aren’t pretty. 

To address this obstacle (and countless more), we surveyed 3,192 local affiliates and analyzed 146,832 data points to bring you The 2023 State of Local Marketing.

You can grab the first report of our monthly series or keep reading for a peek into the insights.  

What Is the Local Marketing Gap? 

Here’s the thing: 83% of affiliates think marketing is important, but few of them actually put in the time and effort to execute their campaigns. 

If local partners see the value of marketing, then why are their marketing efforts so minimal? The answer: the local marketing gap. 

The local marketing gap is the disparity between how affiliates feel about marketing versus their actual marketing efforts. Despite understanding the importance of marketing, most partners don’t prioritize it like they should. As a result, their campaigns go unoptimized, and revenue growth dwindles. 

These affiliates exercise a set-it-and-forget-it mentality, walking away from campaigns after they've launched. They may revisit their marketing tactics a few times a year if you’re lucky, but this inconsistency won’t drive results. 

To get the full picture of where affiliates fall short, read the full Local Marketing Gap report. 

Why Does the Local Marketing Gap Exist? 

You don’t have to convince your affiliates that marketing matters — they already know that. So why don’t their marketing efforts match up? 

Lack of Time and Competing Priorities  

Your affiliates are busy running their businesses. They have no shortage of tasks on their plates, and business operations often take priority. They don’t have the time to dedicate to their local marketing.  

And if marketing processes are too clunky and complex? Forget about it. Your partners aren’t going to waste precious time trying to navigate complicated marketing systems that work against them. 

So, they don’t. 

Lack of Marketing Savvy 

Time isn’t the only factor holding your partners back from marketing. The fact of the matter is that your affiliates are experts at running their businesses — but they’re not marketers. So, they release assets into the marketplace but struggle to determine what comes next.  

However, there’s a massive upside to boosting partners' marketing knowledge. 

Our research revealed that affiliates with high marketing savvy — competence in their marketing efforts, confidence, and planning — see 44% more revenue growth than their less-savvy peers.  

The more marketing-savvy your partners are, the better equipped they are to effectively optimize campaigns, evaluate performance, adjust marketing strategies, and most importantly, drive results. 

How Will the Local Marketing Gap Impact You? 

The question isn’t whether the local marketing gap will affect you — it’s how. The disparity between what affiliates think about marketing and what they do about it has numerous consequences for brands: 

• Unoptimized campaigns: When your channel partners don’t do their local marketing due diligence, your campaigns go unoptimized. That means you’re missing out on maximizing marketing outcomes. 
• Stunted results: If your affiliates don’t put in the necessary effort toward advancing your marketing campaigns, they’ll fail to drive results for your brand. Launching campaigns without tracking, evaluating, or modifying strategies breeds stagnant outcomes. 
• Poor revenue growth: When your marketing campaigns aren’t driving results, they’re not boosting revenue either. 

To avoid this fate, take action today.  

Overcome the Local Marketing Gap 

Want more information on how the local marketing gap is impacting you and, more importantly, how you can conquer it? 

We’ve only given you a taste of all there is to learn in this section of The 2023 State of Local Marketing. Read the full report to learn how to improve your marketing programs, activate affiliates, and drive results. 

And make sure you hit subscribe to be the first to know when new data drops each month!