Small business marketing in a lockdown

It is a strange time to be a marketer right now. But like with all times of uncertainty it brings opportunities for those agile enough to react to it.


So everyone is feeling the strain at the moment, some far more than others. Personally I am feeling overwhelmingly appreciative of the health service that we have in the UK. Though I am miles away from the front line, I’m super proud to work for NHS Property Services and to hear about the amazing work done by my colleagues.

The appreciation that I am feeling also goes to all the care workers, shop staff, cleaners and other key workers that are helping us to move forward.

Obviously many people have had personal tragedies, so it it is hard to think about how life will look on the other side of this crisis. I am lucky in that I haven’t been affected in terms of losing loved ones.

The isolation has been difficult though, I have struggled with it. Looking out at the sunny weather from my third floor flat in South East London hasn’t been easy. I have started to appreciate how great a distraction work can be for me.

The joy in marketing for small business

My last few roles have been at very large organisations, which does have its benefits. However recently I have started to work on a freelance basis for smaller clients. Something that I have loved.

Enabling small businesses to grow, to provide better lives for the workers and communities in which they operate is something that I feel is so worthwhile. Far more rewarding to see the work that you do have an effect on people’s lives; opposed to the impact that it has to spreadsheets and presentations in boardrooms.

There was an interesting case of a company that I provided PPC services to. In certain sectors the cost-per-click has dropped off a cliff as competition for most keywords is so heavily reduced. They are a land surveyor, so are often able to work on their own with minimal contact with the client.

Yet despite this competitors of theirs are really struggling. Demand for services is down, yes, but competition is also down. With the same ad spend we have achieved over 50% extra traffic to the site and enquiries are coming in both for work now, during lockdown, and for the future too.


Small businesses have an advantage over large corporations

In their segment larger companies are laying off staff and can no longer afford to operate. But there is still work out there. As a small business you could be in the perfect position to take advantage of it.

For once my inbox is not being overrun with the same number of B2B sales emails. This presents an opportunity to have your message heard. Everyone is spending more time in front of screens and many of your competitors will have ducked out of the market. With the right targeting of your messages there could be an opening for you.


Be positive your business can get you through this!

I know some businesses will fail due to this lockdown and that is really sad. But it does present opportunities. As I said I have struggled with this time in lockdown, but there are positives. We aren’t wasting hours commuting into work, we are finding new ways to stay in touch and businesses will survive this so we need to look to the future.

So the cons may outweigh the pros but there are still reasons to feel hopeful, you may just need to look a little harder for the opportunities right now! I hope that you can stay safe, stay positive and stay looking out for the opportunities that arise from the situation.

If you need any help with seeing the digital marketing opportunities for your business feel free to drop us a line

John is a data driven marketing specialist and website manager who lives in South East London. When he isn't blogging for us he manages Revenue and Marketing Operations for corporate clients.

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