How to market your business successfully (and how funding can help)
Updated: 5 days ago
Amazon Founder, Jeff Bezos, once said: “Your brand is what other people say about you when you’re not in the room”. As problematic as the multibillionaire might be, he knows a thing or two about marketing a business.
Many small-to-medium enterprise (SME) owners start their businesses with a dream. An idea that they want to turn into something practical. They might have some experience in the industry they want to enter or an understanding of financial fundamentals. Yet, to build a successful business, an owner needs to have a wide range of skills — including an ability to successfully market their company to consumers.
That’s why it’s important to understand your brand. As Bezos said, it’s how people see your business and speak about it to others.
Marketing can be an easy misstep for a new business. For some owners, it’s an afterthought. They might see it as producing a few weekly social media posts and having a functioning website. Rarely do businesses succeed though without a robust marketing plan in place.
According to the Marketing Centre, 67% of SMEs do not have a formal marketing action plan in place, 54% do not have an all-round business plan, and more than 66% lack any way of detailing how marketing contributes towards their business goals.
A strong marketing strategy can involve social media and a website, but also:
Clear branding guidelines and logos
A thought-out strategy with goals, a timeline, and clear reporting metrics
SEO and GEO implementation
Videography, photography, and graphic design assets
Copywriting and marketing materials
Guides and articles
Email campaigns
Events and networking.
Whether you’re starting a new company or looking to give an existing one a boost, it’s important to understand how to effectively market your business and why funding could be the key to promoting it.
Read on to learn more about the options available to your SME and steps you can take.
Make sure to build a recognisable brand with a clear identity
Before you start promoting your business, it's vital to establish what your brand represents and how you want customers to perceive it.
Your brand is much more than a name and a logo. It's the personality of your business, the values you communicate, and the impression you leave with customers. A recognisable and consistent identity helps people understand who you are, what you offer, and why they should choose you over a competitor.
Start by defining your brand's core values, target audience, and unique selling points (USPs). What makes your business different? What problems do you solve for customers? What do you want people to associate with your name?
These decisions should inform your visual identity, including your logo, colour palette, typography, and imagery. It's worth developing a set of brand guidelines that explain how these elements should be used across your marketing materials. This helps ensure that your website, social media profiles, printed materials, and advertisements all feel like they belong to the same business.
Your brand voice is equally important. Think about how you want to communicate with your audience. Should your tone be friendly and conversational, authoritative, and professional, or informal and humorous?
Establishing a consistent voice makes your communications more recognisable and helps build familiarity with customers.
Avoid the temptation to rush your branding. A poorly considered logo, inconsistent visual identity or unclear messaging can make a business appear less professional and undermine customer confidence. Trying to save money by using unsuitable templates or creating everything yourself can also result in a brand that struggles to stand out.
If branding isn't your area of expertise, consider investing in a professional designer or branding specialist. Getting the foundations right early can save considerable time and money further down the line.
Take the time to develop a marketing strategy with straightforward goals
Once you have established your brand, the next step is deciding how you're going to get it in front of the right people.
Successful marketing rarely happens by accident. Without a clear strategy, businesses can find themselves posting sporadically on social media, experimenting with different advertising channels, and producing content without knowing whether any of it is making a difference.
A marketing strategy gives your activity direction. It should begin with a clear understanding of your business objectives and how marketing can help you achieve them.
For example, are you looking to:
Increase brand awareness within a particular location or industry?
Generate more enquiries and convert them into customers?
Launch a new product or service?
Reach a different demographic or customer group?
Increase repeat purchases and customer loyalty?
Expand into new markets?
Laurian Wright had developed a successful pet-focused retail business in Fauna. They had a high-quality range of products and strong branding, but they were ready to take their business to the next level. Marketing would play a big part in that.
Laurian knew her products had consumers out there, she just needed to get them in front of a larger audience. A £50,000 Business Loan through First Enterprise enabled Fauna to strengthen its marketing efforts with improvements to its website, better product photography, and an increased social media presence.
Your own goals should be specific and measurable wherever possible. Rather than simply aiming to increase website traffic, you might set a target of increasing organic website visits by 20% over six months. Similarly, instead of wanting more social media engagement, you could aim to generate 30 qualified enquiries through your social channels within a quarter. From there, develop a marketing plan that outlines the activities you'll undertake, the channels you'll use, the resources required, and a realistic timeline.
For example, if you’re a seasonal business, you’ll likely want to invest the majority of your marketing budget in the lead-up to your peak trading period to maximise exposure and boost sales.
It's also important to establish reporting metrics, commonly known as key performance indicators (KPIs). These allow you to assess whether your marketing is delivering the results you need.
A study commissioned by Instantprint found that nearly half of SME owners simply don’t know whether their marketing efforts are making a difference or not.
Knowledge is a big part of the battle. You’ll want to have the right information at your fingertips to influence your future marketing choices. Depending on your objectives, useful metrics might include website traffic, search engine rankings, email open rates, social media engagement, lead generation, conversion rates, and customer acquisition costs.
Review your performance regularly and be prepared to adapt. If a particular campaign isn't generating results, investigate why. Perhaps the messaging needs refining, the audience targeting is too broad or you're investing time in a channel your customers rarely use.
A strategy shouldn't be something you create once and forget about. It should evolve alongside your business, customers, and market conditions.
Don’t forget to invest in your website, SEO, and GEO
Your website is often the first meaningful interaction someone has with your business. It acts as your digital shopfront, providing potential customers with an opportunity to learn about your products or services, understand what makes you different, and decide whether they want to work with you.
A professional, well-designed website should be easy to navigate, mobile-friendly, accessible, and quick to load. It should clearly explain what you offer, who you serve, and how customers can get in touch or make a purchase. However, simply having a website isn't enough. People need to be able to find it.
This is where search engine optimisation (SEO) comes in. SEO involves improving your website and its content to increase its visibility in search engine results, particularly Google and Bing.
Start by researching the terms and questions your potential customers are searching for. These keywords should inform your website structure, page titles, headings, product and service descriptions, and the content you publish.
Other important SEO considerations include:
Technical SEO: Ensuring your website is easy for search engines to crawl and understand, with a logical structure, secure connection, and good loading speeds.
On-page SEO: Optimising page titles, headings, descriptions, images, and content around relevant search terms.
Local SEO: Improving your visibility in location-based searches through accurate business information, Google Business Profile, and local directory listings.
Content marketing: Publishing useful, relevant content that answers customer questions and demonstrates your knowledge.
Link building: Building links from reputable external websites to strengthen your website's authority and credibility.
It's also worth considering generative engine optimisation (GEO). As more people use AI-powered tools such as ChatGPT, Google's AI Overviews, and other generative search platforms to research products and services, businesses need to think about how they appear in these environments.
GEO involves making your business and its content easier for AI-powered search tools to understand, reference, and recommend. This includes publishing clear, accurate, and genuinely useful information, demonstrating expertise, maintaining consistent business information online, and building a credible presence across relevant websites.
SEO and GEO are long-term investments. You shouldn't expect overnight results, and trying to manipulate rankings through keyword stuffing, low-quality content or questionable link-building practices can do more harm than good.
If you don't have the technical knowledge in-house, working with a reputable web developer or SEO specialist can help you build a stronger foundation. A poorly optimised website can mean losing potential customers before they've even had the opportunity to discover what you offer.
AI can be your friend but also your downfall — know how to use it to your advantage and when to hold back on it
Large language models (LLM)s and other forms of AI have become increasingly integrated with our everyday lives, at home and at work. A controversial topic with their impact on the environment and the long-term effect on the job market causing concern.
Yet, for many small business owners, using AI has become a necessity. There’s simply too much to do and not enough time. AI enables owners to find quick solutions to tedious admin tasks and outsource duties they’re not capable of undertaking.
According to data from the Department of Business, Innovation, Science, and Trade and the Office for National Statistics, more than 71% of UK marketing teams use AI tools in their day-to-day operations. In some sectors, the figure goes as high as 84%. It is primarily used to assist with content creation and copywriting, which can be time-consuming and skilled tasks.
Yet, while many businesses are quick to jump into the arms of AI for their marketing needs, consumers typically have a negative reaction to its use.
Studies by Marketing Brew and Rival Tech found that while 82% of senior executives believe Gen Z and Millennial consumers are generally positive about AI use in advertising, only 45% of those demographics actually are.
In fact, 74% of Gen Z respondents displayed negative reactions to a brand when they realised its marketing was made with AI (with only 8% having a positive reaction).
There is a genuine disconnect between brands that heavily rely on AI and consumers. Marketing Brew’s stats showing that 78% believe AI makes advertising feel less authentic and 63% saying they are less likely to purchase from a brand that relies on AI-generated adverts.
The case for and against AI is clear. When developing your marketing strategy, outline where you feel AI can help speed up key processes, where the task should fall to your individual skillsets, and where it would be beneficial to hire a professional to handle creating content. Having a strong plan in place will make it easier for you to determine exactly what level of funding will be needed to support your marketing goals.
High-quality photography, videography, and graphic design can bring your brand to life
People respond to what they see. Strong visual content can help communicate your brand personality, demonstrate your products and services, and create a more memorable impression than text alone. The old adage goes: “a picture is worth a thousand words”, the modern one goes onto say “video is worth a million”.
Photography, videography, and graphic design should be cornerstones of your marketing efforts, especially content featuring people. Graphs, data, and product photography can be convincing, but ultimately people respond to people.
Professional photography can showcase your premises, products, team, and customers in a way that feels authentic and appealing. If you're running a restaurant or retail business, for example, high-quality food or product photography can help attract diners or shoppers. If you provide professional services, photographs of your team and working environment can make your business feel more approachable and trustworthy.
Video is another particularly valuable format. It gives you an opportunity to demonstrate products, explain services, introduce team members, share customer testimonials, and tell the stories behind your business.
Short-form videos can be especially useful across platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and LinkedIn, while longer videos can provide more detailed information through your website or YouTube channel.
Graphic design brings these elements together. Branded graphics, infographics, illustrations, promotional materials, and social media templates help communicate information clearly while reinforcing your visual identity.
Nick Munn, Founder of Black Pear Bespoke, had a unique furniture design workshop in Worcester. Nick is a talented craftsman and had a collection of carefully curated bespoke pieces to sell. However, Nick was struggling to get his products in front of the right audience.
A Start Up Loan through First Enterprise allowed Nick to invest in his marketing plans by hiring creative professionals to help him create a new brand logo, develop his website, and produce engaging graphic design imagery. Nick’s furniture is now finding its way into the hands of the right customers.
Working with talented professionals could enable you to develop a high-quality library of reusable marketing assets.
Having a collection of professional photographs, video footage, graphics, and branded templates makes it much easier to produce consistent content throughout the year.
While smartphones and accessible design software have made it easier than ever to create your own marketing materials, there's still a difference between something that looks acceptable and something that genuinely represents your business well.
Poor lighting, inconsistent graphics, low-resolution images, and amateur-looking videos can undermine an otherwise strong brand. For specialist projects, product photography, promotional campaigns or important brand materials, outsourcing to experienced professionals can make a significant difference.
You don't necessarily need a full-time photographer, videographer or designer. Commissioning specific projects or working with freelancers can give you access to professional expertise without the ongoing costs of employing an entire creative team.
“Content is king” — engaging content and effective marketing materials make all the difference
Good marketing isn't simply about telling people how brilliant your business is. It's about giving them a reason to pay attention. Make them care.
Content marketing allows you to demonstrate your expertise, answer questions, address customer concerns, and build relationships with potential customers before they make a purchasing decision.
There are many ways to approach this, depending on your industry and audience.
Articles and guides are particularly useful for sharing knowledge and improving your website's search engine presence. For example, an accountant might publish guidance on preparing annual accounts, while a manufacturer could create an article explaining how to choose the right materials for a particular application.
Other useful marketing materials include:
E-books, reports, and industry insights
Product brochures and service information
Case studies and customer success stories
Frequently asked questions and explainer documents
Infographics and visual educational content
Printed promotional materials and business literature.
The most effective content is created with a particular audience and purpose in mind. Consider the questions your customers regularly ask, the problems they encounter, and the information they need before deciding to buy.
For instance, if your business sells specialist equipment, you could create a buying guide explaining the differences between various products. This provides genuine value to potential customers while positioning the business as a knowledgeable and trustworthy source of information.
Consistency matters, too. Publishing one article and then leaving your website untouched for six months is unlikely to deliver the same benefits as maintaining a regular, considered content schedule. However, quality should always take priority over quantity. Rushed articles, generic copy, and poorly researched information can damage credibility rather than strengthen it.
Copywriting is a skill in its own right, and effective marketing content requires an understanding of your audience, brand voice, messaging, and the action you want readers to take.
If writing isn't a strength within your business, consider working with a professional copywriter or content specialist. They can help you communicate more clearly, develop a consistent voice, and create materials that support your wider marketing objectives.
Email marketing enables you to stay in touch with your customers, share resources, and build lasting relationships
Social media and search engines can help you reach new audiences, but email marketing gives you a more direct way to communicate with people who have already expressed an interest in your business.
A well-managed mailing list allows you to share updates, promote products and services, announce events, distribute useful content, and encourage repeat business.
Start by building a database of customers and prospective customers who have given appropriate permission to receive marketing communications. You can encourage sign-ups through your website, at events, during customer interactions or by offering useful downloadable resources.
Rather than sending the same message to everyone, consider segmenting your audience. Existing customers might benefit from product updates, exclusive offers or helpful aftercare information, while prospective customers may need introductory information, case studies or guidance on choosing the right service.
You can also introduce automated email campaigns to support different stages of the customer journey. For example, a welcome sequence could introduce new subscribers to your business, while a follow-up campaign might encourage someone who has downloaded a guide to enquire about your services.
A successful email campaign needs more than an attractive template. Think carefully about your subject lines, messaging, timing, and calls to action. Your emails should give people something useful or interesting to engage with, rather than simply filling their inbox.
It's also important to monitor performance. Open rates, click-through rates, unsubscribes, enquiries, and conversions can all help you understand what's working.
Make sure your campaigns comply with relevant data protection and electronic marketing requirements, including UK GDPR and PECR. Collect information responsibly, obtain the necessary consent where required, and always provide a straightforward way for recipients to unsubscribe.
Email marketing can be a relatively cost-effective channel, particularly for smaller businesses. However, developing effective campaigns still requires time, planning, and good-quality content.
Investing in suitable email marketing software or professional support can help you manage your communications more effectively as your customer base grows.
Don’t forget to make the most of events and networking opportunities
Not all marketing takes place online. Building relationships face-to-face remains an important way to introduce people to your business, develop partnerships, and create opportunities that might not emerge through digital channels alone.
Events, exhibitions, trade shows, conferences, and networking groups can all help you connect with potential customers, suppliers, industry contacts, and other business owners.
ProVis Events in Northampton understand the value of events. Not only does the business produce exhibition stands for the event industry, but they also assist with event management. Yet, even businesses with high levels of face-to-face client interaction and networking opportunities understand the importance of a strong marketing strategy.
ProVis had reached an impasse, where the business had grown so rapidly that their existing systems could no longer keep up with demand. They accessed funding through a Business Loan to enable them to improve their processes, buy the materials needed to meet demand, recruit more staff, and boost their marketing efforts.
Why the marketing investment though if demand was already coming in thick and fast? Because strong businesses rarely stand still.
Founders Sharese and Kevin Gascoyne knew that their investment would allow them to meet current orders and expectations, but a larger business would need an even larger customer base to keep that demand going and growing. An investment in marketing enabled them to do that.
If you want to use events as a marketing tool, it’s important to approach them with a clear purpose.
Before attending one, consider who you want to meet, what you want to communicate, and what you hope to achieve. Having a concise introduction to your business, professional marketing materials, and a clear understanding of your offering can help you make a stronger impression.
If you're exhibiting, think carefully about your stand design, promotional materials, and how you're going to engage visitors. A cluttered display, inconsistent branding or poorly prepared team can make it harder to attract attention and communicate what you do. How are you going to pull attendees to your stand? How are you going to ensure you come away with solid leads?
You should also consider hosting your own events. Workshops, product demonstrations, open days, seminars, and customer appreciation events can help establish your business as an active and knowledgeable presence within your industry or local community.
Importantly, the work doesn't stop when the event finishes. Follow up with the people you've met, connect with relevant contacts on LinkedIn, send requested information, and look for opportunities to continue the conversation.
It's also worth measuring the return on your investment. Consider the cost of attending or exhibiting, the number of meaningful contacts made, enquiries generated, and any subsequent business opportunities.
For businesses looking to expand their reach, events can be a valuable part of a wider marketing strategy. However, exhibition fees, travel, accommodation, promotional materials, and stand design can quickly add up. Planning these expenses in advance helps ensure you're investing in opportunities that support your business objectives.
How business funding can support your marketing and unlock growth
Developing a successful marketing strategy takes time, expertise, and investment. From establishing your brand and building a professional website to producing content, attending events, and running campaigns, the costs can quickly become significant.
For many small businesses, particularly those in the early stages of trading, finding the money to invest in marketing while managing everyday operating costs can be challenging. However, treating marketing as an optional expense can restrict your ability to grow.
Without sufficient investment in reaching customers, developing your brand, and communicating your offering, even a strong product or service can struggle to gain traction.
This is where business finance can make a difference.
Rather than relying solely on available cash flow, external funding can give you the opportunity to invest in marketing activity that might otherwise be delayed or out of reach.
Depending on your business needs, funding could help you:
Develop your brand: Commission professional branding, logo design, and brand guidelines to establish a consistent and recognisable identity.
Build or improve your website: Invest in professional web development, SEO, GEO, e-commerce functionality, and technical improvements.
Produce marketing content: Commission professional photography, videography, graphic design, copywriting, and promotional materials.
Expand your reach: Fund advertising campaigns, marketing software, email platforms, and customer acquisition activity.
Attend industry events: Cover exhibition fees, stand design, promotional materials, and associated travel costs.
Bring in specialist expertise: Work with marketing consultants, designers, developers, photographers, and other external professionals to strengthen your capabilities.
For newer businesses, a Start Up Loan could provide the initial capital needed to establish a professional marketing presence. For more established businesses looking to expand, a Business Loan could provide additional investment to support a larger marketing programme.
Get in touch to discuss ways to boost your business' marketing plans
Funding could be the difference between a quickly cobbled together marketing strategy and one with a truly professional feel.
Of course, borrowing should always be approached responsibly. Before applying for finance, consider exactly what you want to achieve, how much investment is required, and how the expenditure will contribute to your business's future performance. It's also important to understand the repayments involved and ensure they are affordable.
A marketing budget should be viewed as an investment with clear objectives, rather than money spent simply to make a business look more professional. Set realistic expectations, establish measurable targets, and regularly review the results to understand the value your investment is delivering.
To find out more about how our funding products could help you start, grow or market your business, reach out to our team of advisors by completing the form below or by calling 0345 602 7355.
If you’d like advice about your marketing strategy while you’re on your funding journey with us, our marketing team is happy to sit down with you and offer insights.
Don’t wait to get your story out there. Make sure you have the finances in place to reach as many people as possible.
Please note:
This article is for general information only and does not constitute advice. All information is correct at the time of writing and is subject to change in the future.
Please do not act based on anything you might read in this article.
We always recommend that you seek direct financial advice from a relevant expert or professional before making any financial decisions.
First Enterprise is a not-for-profit, FCA-regulated finance provider offering loans from £500 to £250,000 for startups and growing businesses across the UK.
We support businesses that struggle to access mainstream finance, with a focus on underrepresented groups. Funding is delivered through government-backed national and regional programmes.
We offer human-made lending decisions, a dedicated advisor for every applicant, and no penalties for early repayment.
