Strategic marketing paves the way to sustained business growth and success. With a solid, functional plan in place, teams can optimize resources, execute initiatives, and achieve operational goals.

While the importance of planning is undisputable, many organizations encounter barriers when executing their plans. These obstacles often include inconsistent messaging, inability to capture unexpected opportunities, and failure to leverage data. Unclear strategy and mismatched marketing efforts can hinder marketing success. These challenges can affect visibility, customer loyalty, and ultimately, the bottom line.

Five Marketing Barriers and Steps to Overcome Them

Marketing execution roadblocks can slow success and damage a brand’s reputation. The good news? Every challenge has a solution.

Challenge #1: Insufficient Market Insights

Do you ever feel like you’re throwing darts in the dark with your marketing? Without solid market insights, you’re guessing instead of strategizing. No matter how flawless your execution is, if your market insights are off, your initiatives won’t resonate with your target audiences.

Imagine a software company rolling out an AI-powered CRM, assuming the target market wants cutting-edge automation. The marketing plan focuses on advanced features and complex integrations. It turns out, however, that most decision-makers in the industry prioritize ease of use and seamless onboarding. Despite flawless execution, the campaign failed because the market insights were misaligned with what customers actually wanted.

Solution: Get to know your customers better.

How to accomplish it:

• Leverage internal teams. Sales and customer service teams interact with clients daily. Hold regular meetings with these frontline employees to uncover patterns and insights that can refine your marketing strategy.
• Conduct customer surveys and interviews. Survey existing and potential clients to understand their biggest challenges, what they look for in a solution, and how they make purchasing decisions. For deeper insights, go a step further by conducting small-group or one-on-one interviews.
• Look at the numbers. Use CRM data, website analytics, and social media insights to track customer behavior. Identify which content they engage with, what questions they ask, and where they drop off in the buying journey.

Challenge #2: Early Focus on Marketing Without a Minimum Viable Product

Jumping the gun on marketing efforts before finalizing a profitable minimum viable product (MVP) won’t cut it. Element Three explained that “marketing won’t solve a product problem.”

Samsung’s rushed launch of the Galaxy Note 7 in 2016 is an example of this mistake. The company focused on marketing and launched without fully testing the product. While pre-launch marketing created massive demand, reports of overheating and explosions flooded in after the launch. The product was pulled from shelves, costing Samsung $14.3 billion in market value as investors feared the recall’s impact. Despite strong marketing efforts, the failure to validate the product led to catastrophic results. Had Samsung prioritized thorough product testing and quality control before launch, they could have delayed the release to address battery issues, prevented recalls, protected customer safety, and preserved brand reputation.

Solution: Validate your MVP before scaling your marketing efforts.

How to do it:

• Beta test: When launching a new product or service, test it out on a small group of trusted customers. Gather feedback on usability and functionality and adjust as needed. One example of this approach is how Slack started as an internal communication tool before pivoting into a public-facing app. Early testing with friends and a 120-person startup revealed usability issues, prompting eight more months of development. After a preview launch in August 2013, they refined the app using customer feedback. This led to massive demand and $1M in subscriptions within three days of its official release in February 2014.
• Create landing pages. To gauge initial marketplace interest, create and launch landing pages to collect potential customer information. Use A/B testing to refine the value proposition and messaging.

Challenge #3: Underestimated Timelines

Many businesses miscalculate how long tasks will take. Teams often assume tasks will go smoothly, underestimating the time needed for research, execution, and revisions. It’s important to consider how unforeseen obstacles, multiple decision-makers, technical issues, and shifting priorities can impact marketing plans.

Solution: Build in buffer time to stay ahead.

How to do it:

• Set “false” deadlines. Internally, plan for earlier completion dates so teams have time to handle last-minute adjustments without missing actual “public” deadlines.
• Plan for the unexpected. Allocate extra time for each phase so setbacks don’t derail the entire schedule. Also, give leaders and teams extra time for approvals and last-minute changes.

Challenge #4: Overestimating Sales

Aiming high is great but be realistic when forecasting sales. Marketers may opt for easy sales and short-term plans, but this can cause long-term failures. This can be caused by relying on gut feelings rather than solid market research, past sales trends, or customer insights. It’s also important to consider how market conditions, economic downturns, competitive shifts, and industry trends could impact sales.

Take care to not give in to the pressure to impress stakeholders by overinflating projections to attract investors, secure funding, or gain executive approval, leading to unrealistic expectations. Short-term thinking can be another hindrance, causing teams to focus on quick wins rather than sustainable, long-term growth. This mindset leads to inflated forecasts that don’t align with actual customer demand.

Solution: Set realistic sales forecasts.

How to do it:

• Use data-driven forecasting. Use historical sales data, industry trends, and market research rather than gut feelings. Use CRM analytics, customer insights, and competitor benchmarks to make projections.
• Plan for best- and worst-case scenarios. Instead of relying on a single optimistic projection, create multiple scenarios (pessimistic, realistic, and optimistic) to prepare for fluctuations.
• Monitor and adjust regularly. Sales trends change, so revisit forecasts frequently. Monthly or quarterly adjustments help keep expectations aligned with reality.

Challenge #5: Lack of Plan Execution and Monitoring

Creating a marketing plan is a critical first step, but its success depends on consistent execution and ongoing monitoring. Many businesses struggle to allocate the necessary time, personnel, and budget to implement their plan effectively. Without the right resources and a structured approach to track progress, even the most well-crafted plan can fall short of its goals.

Solution: Establish accountability with every initiative.

How to do it:

• Create an execution timeline: Break down your marketing strategy into actionable steps with specific deadlines. Outline when each tactic will be deployed, who is responsible, how long it will run, and where efforts should overlap for maximum impact.
• Ensure resources are in place. Don’t simply assign tasks. Make sure your team has the time, tools, and budget needed to execute effectively. Consider outsourcing to supplement strained internal teams.
• Track and measure performance. Use tools like Google Analytics, CRM software, and customer feedback surveys to monitor progress. Set key performance indicators (KPIs) and review results weekly, monthly, or quarterly.
• Adjust and optimize regularly. “Don’t just set it and forget it,” according to LitmanGerson Associates. Use your marketing performance data to refine your approach. Double down on what’s working and drop what’s not.

Pro tip: Need a step-by-step guide to build a solid marketing plan? Our 8 Steps to Creating a Marketing Plan will help you plan and execute with confidence.

Turn Roadblocks into Results

The biggest barrier to marketing success isn’t the competition—it’s the roadblocks that pop up along the way. A marketing plan with unrealistic timelines and poor execution holds businesses back. But by tackling challenges head-on, a strategic marketing plan stops being just a document and starts driving real results. The key? Stay proactive, adaptable, and most importantly, take action. Marketing success isn’t about avoiding challenges but about overcoming them. Fix the gaps, and watch your results take off.