The 3 most common marketing mistakes Swiss SMEs make (and how to fix them)

After working with dozens of Swiss SMEs, one thing is clear: most of them make the same marketing mistakes.

Not due to a lack of competence — but due to lack of time, clarity, or methodology.

These mistakes slow down growth.

But once corrected, they become powerful performance levers.

Let’s explore the 3 most common ones — and how to fix them.

1. Weak or non-existent positioning

Many companies just list what they offer:

“We do consulting, training, communication, digital, recruiting…”

But that’s not positioning. That’s a catalogue.

A strong positioning answers 3 key questions:

• Why choose you over a competitor?

• What’s your specific promise?

• What pain point do you solve better than anyone else?

👉 Example: "We help Swiss medical practices save 1 day per week by digitising their admin workflows."

That’s clear. It’s specific. It’s compelling.That’s positioning.

➕ At Birdy, we recommend:

• A quick brand messaging audit

• Clear definition of your ideal client profile

• A concise and distinctive positioning statement

2. Underestimating the power of content

Many business owners still view content as “optional”.

“We’ll post when we have time.”“We get clients through referrals anyway.”

Short-term thinking.

Content is one of the most valuable long-term investments you can make.

It’s what makes you visible in a saturated market.It’s what builds trust with your audience.It’s what turns expertise into business.

And no, you don’t need to be everywhere.One or two consistent formats are enough to make a real impact.

➕ At Birdy, we suggest:

• Choosing the right content format (articles, newsletter, video…)

• Defining 3–4 editorial pillars aligned with your expertise

• Planning a simple content calendar by quarter

3. Lack of performance tracking

Some SMEs spend time and money on campaigns or a website…But don’t track performance.

No KPIs = no visibility = no control.

You can’t improve what you don’t measure.

Start with 3–5 relevant KPIs that help you understand what works and where to invest.

👉 Example KPIs:

• Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC)

• Customer Lifetime Value (LTV)

• Conversion rate

• Client retention rate

• Qualified website traffic

➕ At Birdy, we recommend:

• A simple dashboard (e.g. Google Looker Studio)

• Clear quarterly objectives by channel

• A short review session every 2 months

In summary

These might sound like basics. But they’re often what’s missing.

👉 Great positioning makes you stand out

👉 Consistent content builds visibility & trust

👉 Smart metrics turn your marketing into a growth engine

Once these foundations are in place, performance follows.

Curious how your current marketing strategy scores?

We help Swiss SMEs build lean, strategic, high-impact marketing foundations — without the fluff.

📩 Ready to talk? Get in touch with us here.