How can small businesses thrive during COVID-19? Why are PR and digital marketing indispensable even when your business is small? In this episode, Andrew Seeley, the Small Business Champion, shares his insights on developing small businesses through strategic marketing any small business can master. Listen for tips that will help you grow your business in no time.
In this episode of the Social PR Secrets Podcast, host Lisa Buyer talks with Andrew Seeley, the Creatively Disruptive CEO. He and his team, who sometimes goes by as The Small Business Champions, help transform small businesses into money-making machines through social media and online advertising and marketing. When small businesses are struggling more than ever, listen to this episode to understand how small businesses can thrive, even amid a global pandemic.
Small Businesses Under COVID-19
According to Andrew, small businesses are “where hopes and dreams are made.” To him, when small businesses do well, the country and the world seem right. But when small businesses are struggling, the country and the world seem wrong. And right now, there is a lot of hurt in the small business community. Andrew knows this better than anyone else because he works with eighty small business owners.
However, not all are having a hard time. Andrew says that the ones surviving, and sometimes even thriving, are the ones being flexible and thoughtful. When owners are willing to do things uncomfortable for them, that’s where the business can grow. One way to do that is focusing on online marketing, either with your strategy or by hiring experts like Andrew and his team.
Small Business Success Stories
Don’t get us wrong; being a small business owner right now is hard. But some are doing well. One example Andrew gives is his e-commerce clientele. Of course, now that the world has moved online, they get more customers than ever before. And with an effective marketing strategy, they will be sure to succeed. Another less obvious example is a gymnastics gym Andrew is working with. With the initial shutdown, they were forced to close down. But instead of giving up and cutting all costs, they doubled down on marketing. They hired Creatively Disruptive as well as a full-time salesperson. That way, the moment they were able to reopen, they bounced back. Andrew says the results are incredible. While the gym had lost 80% of its client base, they gained much more than that in new clients through marketing and sales.
If you own a retail business, Andrew says there is an easy way for you to become the next success story. Get on it right now, and don’t miss the fantastic opportunity coming up: Christmas. He explains there will be a magnitude more of people online looking for presents than there ever was. It’s simple: “Christmas will be online.” His main tip when it comes to online advertising for Christmas? Stay local. Doing business online comes with a big perk: you can reach the entire country. But the main drawback is that every other company can also reach the whole country, so the competition is fierce. Consequently, Andrew recommends online ads targeting local markets.
Investing in Marketing Experts
Another one of Andrew’s tips is to focus on generating quality content. His job is handling the process of making an audience go from “I don’t know what this business is” to “I love what you guys do. I want to buy your products.” Unfortunately, most small businesses are trying to attract new customers without conveying why people should care. But when it comes to the formula for online marketing for small businesses, Andrew Seeley has cracked it.
When you hire experts, you get a guarantee that the team knows how it’s done and has many failures under their belt, so you don’t have to go through trial and error. That way, even though you’re spending money on an expert, their services will end up saving you money. Andrew understands that not all business owners can afford his services, though. That’s why, as a true Small Business Champion, Andrew launched the Online Small Business Marketing Academy. There, business owners can find all the resources they need to lead their online marketing strategy.
How can restaurants and gyms survive a global pandemic? Why are Facebook ads so misunderstood? How should small businesses market themselves online? Listen to this episode to learn all there is to know about small business online marketing.
“When small businesses do well the country and the world seem right.” – Andrew Seeley
Some topics discussed in this episode include:
- Small business
- Facebook ads
- Online marketing
- E-commerce
- Marketing experts
Contact Andrew Seeley:
- LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/andyseeley/
- Twitter https://twitter.com/AndyDisruption
- Website https://creativelydisruptive.com/
References and Links Mentioned
- Small Business Marketing Academy https://creativelydisruptive.com/the-small-business-marketing-academy/
