Churn Busting: Best Practices for Small Business Advertiser Retention

Success stories, effective tactics & methods for higher SMB retention

Small business (SMB) advertiser non-retention or “churn” has been a chronic problem for local media sellers and agencies since the advent of the digital era. SMBs constitute the largest group of advertisers by volume but are often difficult to acquire and retain.

Due to widespread SMB dissatisfaction, churn rates are well over 50% annually for many media sellers. The problem persists despite years of industry discussion and analysis. There has, however, been progress recently and there are success stories that point to a way forward.

This report draws on SMB advertiser surveys and a range of interviews with media sellers, technology providers and agencies. It seeks to identify the main factors behind churn and, more importantly, ways to minimize it.