Why online marketing in SMEs is stalling more often in 2026 than 'before'
Online marketing has not become simpler in recent years – especially not for SMEs that have to organize "on the side." In particular, measuring and steering is more difficult due to stricter privacy and consent requirements (including in the EEA), making tracking and attribution less straightforward. Google links this to consent requirements (Consent Mode v2) for ad measurement.
At the same time, the web itself is changing: Google has abandoned its previous course of phasing out third-party cookies by default and is now focusing on user choice, which in practice means that as an advertiser, you need to lean even more on first-party data and good setup.
And platforms are under pressure to be more transparent about advertisements and targeting (DSA), which raises the bar for "just quickly running some campaigns" even higher. The EU is also developing these transparency requirements into formats for reporting under the Digital Services Act. This makes online marketing for SMEs less 'plug-and-play': you need to make more choices and set things up smarter.
A profession that is widely underestimated
According to Sohier, the crux lies not necessarily with agencies, but with collaborating without internal ownership: from a distance, with little context and limited coordination. "We hear it so often: 'we'll just do some social posts,' or: 'our web developer will handle the SEO, right?' But those are all parts of the whole, not a strategy." In practice, online marketing often ends up with an overloaded colleague who is 'good at it' or is outsourced to an agency that hardly knows what is happening internally. "If no one in your organization understands what you are steering towards, it will inevitably go wrong." This is a classic in online marketing within SMEs: there is activity, but no shared direction.
What many entrepreneurs underestimate, according to him, is how complex marketing has become. "It is simply a profession," emphasizes Sohier. "It is knowledge-intensive, it is technical, and it is a lot of work. But it is still too easily dismissed as something you do 'on the side.' And that is precisely why it often stalls."
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The cause, according to him, lies not only in a lack of knowledge but also in culture. "Many companies are sales-driven. They are judged on results today, on deals, pipeline, revenue. But marketing works differently. It is about building, about sowing. And that requires different expectations, a different mindset."
No proper action without a plan
From isolated actions to a fixed structure: online marketing only works if you make choices and secure the rhythm.
What stands out in many SMEs: marketing actions start without a clear goal or direction. "Then there is a junior or intern who wants to do something but has no idea where to start," says Sohier. "The result? A random post, a newsletter in between, a campaign without coherence. That doesn't work." According to him, effective marketing always starts with a clear plan. Not a thick report, but a compact analysis of target audience, proposition, and priorities. "If you know where you are heading and why, you can make choices. And then everyone – whether a junior or senior – knows what needs to be done." For online marketing in SME teams, that plan is often the only thing that prevents everything from remaining 'on the side.'
What is a 'clear plan' in practice (without a thick report)?
- Goal: what should marketing deliver (leads, revenue, retention, brand) – and when is it successful?
- Target audience + proposition: for whom are you the best choice, and why (in 1-2 sentences).
- Offer + flow: where are you directing people (landing page/offer) and what is the next step (intake/demo/etc.).
- Channel choice + rhythm: choose 2-3 channels and agree on what you will do there weekly/monthly.
- Measurement plan + owner: 3-5 KPIs/conversions + regular evaluation (e.g., every 4 weeks) with an internal owner.
Sohier uses this approach himself. "For example, we work with a hundred-day plan: every period of a hundred days, we set concrete priorities. That forces you to focus and prevents you from getting stuck in isolated ideas," he explains. "But any SME could do this, even without outside help."
Why it often doesn't work well with agencies
According to Sohier, the crux lies in how many companies collaborate with agencies: from a distance, with little context and limited coordination. "You speak to each other once every two weeks, there is no time to really delve into the company, and in the meantime, the client still expects results. But without input, without collaboration, without someone internally understanding what you are doing, that is an impossible task." In many online marketing projects with SMEs, this is precisely the bottleneck: there is too little internal connection.
A more effective approach, according to him, is to anchor marketing as much as possible within the team itself. "If you have someone on the shop floor who understands the organization, is involved, speaks the language, and feels the dynamics, you make much better choices. You hear what is happening, you know who to involve, and you can switch faster. Good marketing never arises in an isolated bubble."
A junior only works if you guide them well
Many SMEs opt for a junior or intern – for cost reasons, or due to lack of better options. But without guidance, according to Sohier, that is asking for trouble. "You cannot expect someone who is 23 to independently roll out a strategy. You do not learn that in school," he says.
Sohier therefore advocates a different approach. "We only deploy people at companies once we have trained them ourselves. In practice, and always based on a clear plan. Only then can you let someone participate in an organization with confidence." This practical approach is essential, according to him. "You do not learn marketing from a book. It is like driving a car: theory is one thing, but you only learn it when you are behind the wheel yourself."
More and more, he and his team also guide juniors or mediors who are already employed at an SME but do not yet have enough support. "With good training and guidance, you see such people really grow in their role in a short time. They gain direction, make sharper choices, and have much more impact."
The solution lies in attention and structure
According to Sohier, companies do not need to make it complicated. "Reserve one day a week. Give someone responsibility. Start with a plan. And ensure that you place the right people in the right positions, whether that is someone internal or through a party like us." That is at the core the route to mature online marketing for SMEs: ownership, rhythm, and repeatable choices.
Ultimately, he says, it is not about the job title or experience, but about how an organization approaches marketing. "Once you take it seriously – as a profession, as part of your company – only then will it work. Until that time, it remains a struggle."
