I think one of the best ways to get new ideas for your small business marketing is by checking out what others are doing. So here are 3 examples of great marketing campaigns from local, Scottish businesses.
Find out what’s so good about them, and how you can learn from them to market your own small business!
Irn Bru
What they do
What they doAs you probably know, Irn Bru is a Scottish soft drinks company, owned by AG Barr. This independent company has been around since 1875, based in the heart of Scotland.
The Irn Bru drink launched in 1901, and it has been one of the most popular soft drinks in Scotland ever since. In fact, Scotland is currently one of the few countries in the world where Coca Cola is not the top-selling drink, thanks to Irn Bru!
Why their marketing is good
Irn Bru’s in my list of examples of great marketing campaigns because it taps into the unique Scottish sense of humour. They don’t take themselves too seriously and often poke fun at themselves (and the Scottish people) through their marketing and advertising material.
You’ll no doubt have noticed light-hearted jokes about the Scottish accent or ginger people in their adverts before! This works well because the majority of their audience are people in Scotland who understand and love this type of humour.
Irn Bru also take advantage of their “small but mighty” reputation when it comes to their marketing. They recently posted a Tweet which went viral about Irn Bru outselling Coca Cola in Scotland.
Another reason why Irn Bru is one of my examples of great marketing campaigns is their branding. Having a good, recognisable brand is a key part of marketing your business. The bright orange and blue Irn Bru logo is hard to forget!
These colours and bold images are used throughout their website, social media and advertising to create a memorable brand which relates to the products.
Read more about how to define your small business’s brand.
How to learn from them
As Irn Bru show, you don’t need to be super serious to succeed in business. Having a good sense of humour is a great way to give your brand some personality and connect with your customers.
Think about who your ideal clients are and what they enjoy. If they like light-hearted, informal marketing, then don’t be afraid to unleash your funny side! Couple this with great, memorable branding and you’ll have the beginnings of a strong marketing strategy.
Lovecrumbs
What they do
There are many examples of great marketing campaigns from Scottish businesses but this small business definitely stands out: Lovecrumbs is a cafe and bakery, based in the Grassmarket area of Edinburgh.
Founded in 2011, the café’s signature cakes have been popular with locals and visitors alike. The café has a mismatched vibe with vintage furniture, neon signs and even an antique wardrobe to serve the cakes from.
Why their marketing is good
Lovecrumbs are an excellent example of using social media to market your business. Almost all their marketing has been done through social media and word of mouth, proving that you don’t need an expensive multi-platform marketing strategy for a successful business.
One of the reasons Lovecrumbs’ social media has been so successful is because they’ve perfected their own image style and tone of voice.
This really makes them stand out from other cafés in Edinburgh. If you’re scrolling through Instagram, you’ll instantly recognise a photo from the @hellolovecrumbs account.
The cakes are often shot from above to show off the signature icing swirl, and are accompanied by a funny, sarcastic or quirky caption. Both the image style and writing style are cool and laid-back, which appeals to Lovecrumbs’ target audience.
How to learn from them
Finding your own tone of voice is really important, especially when it comes to marketing your small business on social media. This is a great way to grab the attention of potential customers, and ensure that your brand is memorable and engaging.
Casual and quirky works well for Lovecrumbs. But do some research and work out what type of tone of voice would work best for your audience.
If you do well with your social media marketing, you might not even need to explore other marketing methods – it’s a really powerful tool these days.
Find out more about how to find the right content for your small business marketing.
FreeAgent
What they do
As examples of great marketing campaigns go, FreeAgent has to be on this list, without question. Freeagent is an accounting software provider, targeted towards freelancers and small businesses.
They aim to simplify accounting and invoicing, leaving small business owners more time to actually run their business. Launched in 2007, FreeAgent is based in Edinburgh’s Fountainbridge area.
Why their marketing is good
FreeAgent are fantastic at content marketing. Through creating useful blog posts, resources and social media content, they are able to position themselves as an authority on their subject.
As well as their blog, FreeAgent also have a ‘Knowledge Base’ on their website with lots of helpful tips and information about small business accounting. Not only is this great for SEO, but it also helps to draw people to the website without selling to them directly.
This is a great marketing technique as FreeAgent can connect with their customers and become a trusted source of information.
People who use and enjoy these resources are more likely to go on to become customers as they know the company is an expert in small business accounting.
Among their many examples of great marketing campaigns, FreeAgent also share links to useful blog posts and articles from other sources on social media. So they’re not just posting their own content.
This also helps to make them seem like trusted experts who aren’t just trying to sell you their latest package.
How to learn from them
Content marketing is really important, particularly if you’re selling services. You want people to trust you, and you want them to know you’re an expert on your subject.
The best way to do this is to share your knowledge – whether through blog posts, your website or your social media channels. You don’t need to give away everything you know (and hence undermine your own business), but make sure to prove your expertise.
Another benefit of content marketing is that it can help to boost your SEO. The more you post about a subject, the more likely you are to rank highly for it in Google.
Writing blog posts that are related to your business can help to improve your SEO. So potential customers are more likely to come across you through search engines. Just focus on what your target audience is interested in and needs help with.
Read more about how to get started with your small business SEO.
KEEP READING
To read more about this topic, have a look at these:
Learn From the Best II: 5 Scottish Businesses with Great Marketing
8 Great USP Examples for Your Small Business
Content Marketing Ideas – A Brainstorming Tool for Small Businesses
How to Create a Successful Marketing Campaign for Your Small Business
