Your guide to marketing a small business.

Think of this as your before you post on social media guide.

So, you’ve started a small business, or you want to. Maybe it started as a side hustle, a dream, or just a desperate attempt to escape your 9-to-5 prison. Trust me, I’ve been there. Now, you need to market it and build your brand. Believe it or not, your great business idea probably won’t magically go viral (despite what that one LinkedIn guru told you).

So, the work starts now.

This isn’t another generic guide filled with corporate jargon and buzzwords. This is a real, actionable road map from the foundations leading you to sales. Whether you’re selling handmade candles or high-tech SaaS, the fundamentals kinda remain the same.  

1. Pressure Test Your Idea

(Before You Fall in Love With It)

So, you’ve got an idea. Maybe it came to you in the shower, on a long walk, or during another soul-crushing Zoom call. It feels good. Maybe it solves a problem you’ve experienced, or maybe you’ve just seen 48 ads this week shouting about “PAIN POINTS” and now you’re convinced you’ve found the thing.

But before you get emotionally attached, let’s get practical.

This section is all about testing your idea before you waste time, money, and energy turning it into a business, because even a bad idea with great marketing is still a bad idea. Just louder and more expensive.

Step 1: Start With the Problem

Ask yourself:

• What real-world problem does this solve?
• Who experiences this problem?
• Are they aware of it?
• Would they pay to fix it?

Talk to people outside your personal hype squad. (No offence to your nan or that one mate who says “you should totally do that!” every time you speak.)

Step 2: Do the Maths and understand your market — TAM, SAM, SOM (Made Human)

Now, please don’t panic.
These metrics aren’t here to terrify you. As a small business owner, you’re not expected to come armed with a full data analytics department and market segmentation slides worthy of a Fortune 500 pitch deck.

Think of this as a reality check.
Big businesses throw tens of thousands at these reports to understand their market at a micro level. That’s not realistic for us little guys/gals, but it’s still important to play by the same rulebook.
You’re using these numbers as a rough proof of concept to answer one simple question:
Does this idea make economic sense?

TAM, SAM, SOM Breakdown:

TAM: Total Addressable Market

Formula:
TAM = (Potential Customers) × (Average Annual Spend)
This is the size of the entire market if every single ideal customer bought from you. Big picture stuff.

Example:
You sell fitness tracking rings.
There are 30 million fitness enthusiasts globally.
Average annual spend on wearables = £200.
TAM = 30M × £200 = £6 billion

SAM: Serviceable Available Market

Formula:
SAM = TAM × (% of market you can actually serve)
This factors in your country, your resources, and your actual reach.

Example:
You’re UK-based and only selling domestically for now.
UK = 5% of the global fitness market.
SAM = £6B × 5% = £300 million

SOM: Serviceable Obtainable Market

Formula:
SOM = SAM × (% of market you can realistically capture)
This is the honest number. Your slice. Based on your current budget, time, and audience-building capacity.

Example:
Let’s say you could capture 0.1% of the UK fitness ring market in Year 1.
SOM = £300M × 0.1% = £300,000

But Why Does It Matter?

If your SOM is £3,000 and your startup costs are £20,000, you’re probably not building a sustainable business. On the flip side, if your SOM is £300,000 and your break-even is £30,000, you’ve got something worth pushing.

Summary Checklist:

 Is the Problem worth solving?
 Will real people who’ll pay for it? (Market demand?)
 Do numbers make sense without going viral?

If yes → You’re ready for a business plan.
If not → Don’t panic. Refine the idea. Rework the approach. This is exactly why we check early.

2. Start with a Business Plan

(No, It’s Not Just a Boring PDF)

A business plan isn’t just some Word document you slap together for investors or a tick-in-the-box exercise. It’s your North Star. Think of it as a map; you wouldn’t drive across the country without GPS or at least a direction (unless you enjoy getting lost and arguing with your passenger).

Although Elon Musk hates business plans, chances are you’re not Elon and a mere mortal like me. So, map your journey to determine if the idea is even viable. Then plan your success.

Key Things A Business Plan Needs to Cover.

• Who You Are – What’s your mission? Your values? Your ‘why’?
• Who Your Customers Are – Not ‘everyone.’ Be specific. Build an Ideal customer persona.
• How You’ll Make Money – Because vibes don’t pay the bills. Use these basic tools to understand how you’ll make money.
  • SWOT Analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats)
  • PESTLE Analysis (Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Legal, Environmental)
  • Porter’s Five Forces (Industry Competition Analysis)
  • Business Model Canvas – A template on how to grow your business.
  • Financial Planning & Forecasting
  • Current SOM (serviceable obtainable market)
• Your Competition – Not to copy them, but to differentiate and understand your market’s fundamental landscape. You need to understand macro and micro factors to establish the foundations and your plan of attack. Sounds aggressive, right? I’m kidding. If you position yourself correctly, you shouldn’t be attacking anything in theory, as a correctly positioned business builds a strong community with existing local businesses. We’ll go over this later.                
• Marketing Strategy Overview – The real meat of this guide.
• Exit Strategy – A plan to leave? Huh?  But why?

Many small business owners create a business that ticks over nicely in the local community. It provides a nice income. BUT, here’s the but. When it’s time to retire, they can’t get out. Trust me, at some point you’ll want out. So you need to have a plan to pack up shop and leave.

2. Building a Marketing Strategy: Structure It, But Make It Flexible.

Most brand/marketing strategists will read that statement with rage. Look, I know a strategy isn’t meant to change. A good strategy won’t, but the chances are your tactics will.

Marketing is just like dating. People can smell the desperation if you try too hard to be something you’re not. And if you don’t try at all, well… you stay single, or you might get lucky? if you use the same logic for your business, you’d be broke, or you’d get lucky. But who wants to leave this to luck?

Your brand’s foundations should be strong, but here’s the thing: stay flexible. You can set the values, the voice and the general vibe. But ultimately, your brand is what your customers say (perceive) it is. So, stay agile, soldier.

P.S. This guide is for small businesses that don’t need to split every strategy up and pay a fancy consulting agency a heap of cash to tell you stuff you probably already know. We’re keeping it real here. If you’re the Nike CMO and want me to review anything, drop us a message, and I’m sure we can come to an arrangement. Promise I’ll add a few extra 0’s in my invoice for every piece of jargon I use to explain something simple.

The Core of Your Marketing Strategy.

• Set Core Brand Values – But what are brand values? Well, put simply. What do you stand for? If your answer is ‘great customer service,’ try again. This isn’t a value; this should be expected. Define how excellent customer service makes you feel. Then, focus on that feeling and how everything from customer service to comms can define it.
• Positioning – Where do you fit in the market? Budget-friendly? Premium? Disruptor?

The easiest way to understand positioning is if we think about supermarkets. Let’s take ASDA, TESCOS, Sainsbury’s, M&S and Waitrose. Fundamentally, they are all the same, right? They all sell food, electronics and a few extras. However, each of these supermarkets is positioned to a different audience.  There is nothing wrong with getting ASDA own food. But we perceive Waitrose’s own entirely differently, right? This is your market positioning.

• Target Audience – Define your ideal customer persona. ‘ Everyone’ isn’t a target.
• Messaging & Tone of Voice  – People buy from people. Write how you talk. Got it? But still, write on brand. Easy Right?    
• Agility > Rigidity – The market is water, not concrete. Flow with it; don’t build a dam.

3. Build Your Visual Identity: Because Looking Good Matters when marketing a small business.

Let’s be honest: people judge books by their covers. You can have the best product or service, but if your brand identity looks like it was made in Microsoft Paint, well, good luck.

P.s. Drop me a message if it does. I can sort that out for you.

What You Need:

• A Simple, Memorable Logo – Not a Picasso painting. Clean, scalable, and recognisable. Ideally, it should be something that can be broken up three times and still be recognised.
• Brand Colours & Fonts – Consistency breeds familiarity. Establish a brand colour palette and typography. (With typography, for small businesses. Consider the budget here. Fonts across multiple platforms can get expensive quickly!)
• Website & Social Media Graphics – Invest in professional visuals. Having strong brand elements can really help with future marketing efforts and building a brand.
• Brand Voice –Technically part of the brand identity. But to me, the visual identity isn’t just what you see but also how you sound.

Are you playful? Professional? Or maybe A rebellious marketer with a knack for sarcasm? Humans naturally presume the tone and voice when we see colours and fonts.

4. Brand Building: Your Brand is Your Soul . It Evolves, it grows.

Brand building is the most exciting and one of the most important things you can do as a small business. Especially when marketing a small business. Your brand is your soul. But just like us humans going through life, it changes.

As a small business, you have the ability to grow. Your values and visual identity set the course, but as you evolve, your customers define you. Naturally, you find a place in their mind from the direction you set. This is your POSITION.

Unlike large startups and established businesses, your biggest asset as a small local business is your ability to be fluid. Adapt, listen, and grow into the brand your audience connects with.

This can be one of the most challenging concepts to overcome as a small business owner. We have a set idea about what our business is. It’s your baby. Right? It’s also a concept many branders and professional marketers forget when building a brand and marketing a small business.

Chances are, you are NOT Disney or Coke. The strict brand guidelines help these enterprises thrive and reap the rewards of their brand equity (The value customers place on the brand).

But this can suffocate your small business. Your ability to be fluid is your best asset. But remember, fluid doesn’t mean diluted.

How to Build Your Brand the Right Way:

Look, building a brand is unique to each business. quite simply, there is no ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ way to build a brand. But there are simple ways to help build your brand.

• Start With Your Story – People connect with people and the why you started, not just what you sell. Although a good product is still important.
• Be Consistent but Open to Change – Your identity should be stable but adaptable. Remain consistent, but be open to change when you see certain messages or feedback that can generate better outcomes.
• Engage With Your Audience – Your customers shape your brand. Listen to them, talk to them, learn from them.
• Find Your Unique Space – If you blend in, you disappear. Stand out. Do your competitive research, find a space in the market and fill it. Understand your competitor’s brand and their values. This essentially is part of your brand positioning.
• Evolve With Purpose – Change is great, I think I have made this very clear.  Here’s the caveat. Don’t just pivot. Being fluid doesn’t mean changing direction every 2 minutes. It means flowing with the river and embracing the journey.

5. The Marketing Foundations: Website, Social Media & SEO

(aka The Boring but Essential Stuff)

Alright. You’ve pressure-tested your idea, written your business plan, built a brand that doesn’t make you cringe, and now you’re ready to get the word out.

This is where most small businesses either:

• Overthink it and build a complex system with zero traffic
• Or wing it and slap an Instagram link in their bio hoping for miracles

Look, in a previous life, I was a Royal Navy Clearance diver let me relate this to diving operations for a second.

Before you ever hit the water, you check your kit. You make sure your mask fits, your tank’s full, and you’re not going to end up at the bottom of the ocean with no backup.
Marketing is the same.
Your website, socials, and SEO? That’s your kit. It doesn’t have to be fancy. But it does have to WORK.

Website – Your Digital Home

Your website is your business in digital form. It’s not just a portfolio or a place to look pretty. It’s where people decide if they trust you, like you, and want to pay you.

Here’s how to not mess it up:

• Mobile-friendly. Fast. Clear.
  If it takes more than 3 seconds to load or navigate, you’ve lost them.
• Make your offer obvious.
  If someone lands on your homepage and can’t tell what you do within 3 seconds, that’s on you, not them.
• Do the SEO basics.
  No need to dive into an SEO black hole. Just sort your:
  • Meta titles & descriptions
  • Headings (H1, H2, etc.)
  • Internal linking
  • Alt text on images
    This alone puts you ahead of 90% of small businesses.

PS. We help with SEO so if you need a hand, give us a message.

Social Media – Your Megaphone

This is where people hear you—or don’t. It’s tempting to be on every platform, but unless you’ve got a full-time team (or insomnia), that’s a fast track to burnout and beige content.

• Pick the right platforms.
  Where are your people actually hanging out? If you’re a local bakery, TikTok might be fun, but Facebook and Instagram will pay the bills. If you’re B2B, LinkedIn is your mate.
• Engagement > Broadcasting
  Posting five times a week means nothing if no one cares. Start conversations. Ask questions. Show the behind-the-scenes stuff.
  You’re not a TV channel. Stop just shouting into the void.

Google Business Profile & Local Citations – SEO’s Secret Weapon

If you serve a specific area, this section is not optional. Think of it as your local marketing oxygen tank and can be key when marketing a small business.

• Complete your Google Business Profile.
  Every. Single. Section. This includes photos, service areas, opening hours, and your actual business description. It’s free visibility. Treat it like your shop window. – Sign up for a Google Business Profile here.
• Get reviews.
  These build trust faster than any website ever will. Ask happy customers, offer a cheeky incentive (ethically), and respond to every review—even the bad ones.
• Local citations matter.
  That’s your business info (Name, Address, Phone) listed across directories like Yelp, Yell, Bing, etc. Keep them consistent—same spelling, same details. It helps Google trust you more. (And no, I don’t fully understand why Bing still exists either.) Just kidding I love Bing. Make sure to sync your Google Business Profile to Bing Places for ultimate effect. Get your bing places account here.

7. Get Seen: PR, Networking & how to make the right noise when marketing a small business.

(aka How to Market Without Just Posting Reels Every Day)

Look, building a solid brand is great. Having a slick website and nice visuals? Essential. But at some point, you’ve got to get loud about what you do. Visibility matters. No one can buy from you if they don’t know you exist.

And no, that doesn’t mean becoming a full-time content creator or learning 83 trending TikTok dances.

Think of this as your surface signal. You’ve done the groundwork. Now it’s time to pop that flare and let the world know you’re here.

Local PR (Yes, It Still Works)

We live in a world obsessed with going viral. But for small businesses, local visibility still punches above its weight. Your local newspaper, radio station, or community Facebook group? They’re looking for stories—and you’ve got one.

• Pitch your story.
  Started a new business? Hit a milestone? Doing something different in the area? Reach out to local journalists, bloggers, and community pages.
• Make it human.
  People don’t care about your business yet. But they’ll care about you, your story, or what you’re doing for the community. Write like a person, not a press release.
• Example subject line:
  “Ex-Navy Diver Launches Marketing Agency for People Who Hate Marketers” – see? Intriguing, local, and a bit spicy.

Network Like a Human, Not a Sales Robot

Nothing is more painful than being cornered at a networking event by someone who can’t stop talking about themselves. Don’t be that person. Network like a normal human being. People work with people. I don’t want to burst your bubble unless you’re incredibly niche; there’s probably someone equally as skilled as you who can provide the same service and results. The key is how you connect and communicate to get them results.

• Attend events in your industry or community.
  Even if it feels awkward at first, show up. Whether it’s a trade event, local biz meet-up, or coworking space launch night, just go. Talk to people. Share what you do. Ask what they do. It’s that simple.
• Join online communities.
  Facebook Groups, Slack workspaces, Reddit threads, there are pockets of people talking about the exact things you’re working on. Jump in. Add value. Don’t sell immediately, connect first.
• Offer help before pitching.
  If someone asks a question and you know the answer, share it freely. That builds trust, and trust turns into opportunities.

Make Some Noise, Your Way

Not every small business needs to shout. But you do need to be heard.

Whether it’s:

• Speaking on a podcast
• Partnering with a local charity
• Hosting a small event
• Or just DMing someone on LinkedIn saying, “Hey, loved what you shared, would be cool to connect”

…it’s all noise. The right kind of noise.

Remember
You can have the best brand and product in the world, but if no one sees it, you don’t have a business, you’ve got a very expensive hobby.

Visibility isn’t about ego. It’s about momentum.
Make moves. Get seen. Keep showing up.

8. Leveraging AI & Automation for Marketing

(aka How to Save Time Without Losing Your Soul)

Right, let’s talk about the thing everyone is suddenly an expert in: AI. Unless you’ve been living under a rock—or stuck in a Facebook group arguing about fonts—you’ve probably heard how “AI is going to replace marketers.”

Spoiler alert: it’s not.
But if you use it smartly, it can absolutely help you market your small business faster, cheaper, and with less hair-pulling.

AI for Content Creation

You don’t need to stare at a blank screen at 11PM trying to write an Instagram caption ever again. Tools like ChatGPT can help you:

• Write social media posts
• Draft blog outlines
• Create ad copy
• Rewrite emails in a tone that doesn’t sound like a robot wrote it

But here’s the golden rule:
AI can write it. You still have to make it yours.
Your tone. Your message. Your opinions. Otherwise, you’ll sound like every other “marketing guru” pumping out bland, beige content on LinkedIn.

Tip: Ask AI to give you three short post ideas for a specific offer or niche topic—then rework the one that feels most like you.

Automation for Social Media

Posting in real time every day? Exhausting. And totally unnecessary.

Use tools like:

• Later
• Metricool
• Buffer
• Notion (with Zapier if you’re clever)

These help you plan and schedule content in advance so you can actually, y’know, run your business.

Bonus: Most tools now let you auto-respond to DMs or comments with simple rules. This isn’t just about efficiency, it helps you stay consistent, which is half the battle with content marketing.

Just don’t disappear completely. Automation should support your presence, not replace it.

Chatbots for Customer Service

For small service-based businesses, setting up a basic chatbot on your website or Facebook page when marketing a small business is a game changer.

• Answer FAQs instantly
• Point people to the right service or product
• Capture leads even when you’re off the clock

People don’t expect 24/7 personal responses, but they do expect not to be ignored. A well-placed chatbot can bridge that gap without you burning out.

Tools to check out:

• Tidio
• ManyChat
• Intercom (if you’re feeling fancy)

TL;DR: Use AI to lighten the load, not to lose your voice.

Marketing a small business is already hard enough. If you can get 60% of the work done faster with smart tools, you’ve just bought yourself time to focus on the stuff that actually moves the needle, serving your customers, refining your brand, or simply having a life outside your phone.

Work smarter. Automate where you can. And never let the robots sound more human than you do.

9. Community & Loyalty Marketing

(aka Keep the Customers You’ve Already Got)

Here’s the truth: you don’t need more leads.
At least, not always.

Chances are, you’re sitting on a goldmine of existing customers, past buyers, warm leads, and people who already like you, but you’ve been too busy chasing new followers to realise it.

When you’re marketing a small business, retention and loyalty are your secret weapons. Why? Because it’s cheaper, faster, and more effective to turn a happy customer into a repeat buyer than to win over a complete stranger.

Let’s break it down.

Referral Programs – Growth Without the Ad Budget

Word of mouth is still king, but you can give it a little nudge with a good referral system.

• Give existing customers an incentive to bring someone new in.
• Keep it simple: £5 off, a free add-on, a cheeky gift.
• Bonus points if you reward both the referrer and the newbie.

It doesn’t have to be automated or flashy, just clear and easy to act on. You can run this with a form, a coupon code, or even a handwritten note that says “send a mate, get a fiver off.”

Small business hack: People love being the one to “discover” something cool. Let them feel like they’re sharing a secret.

Build an Online Community – Even a Small One

You don’t need 10,000 followers to build community. In fact, you’ll probably build a better one with 50 people who actually give a damn.

Start where your people already hang out:

• Facebook Groups – Still gold for local and niche communities
• Discord – Perfect for high-engagement, behind-the-scenes stuff
• LinkedIn Groups – Great for B2B or service-led communities

Create a space where your audience can:

• Ask questions
• Share feedback
• Get sneak peeks
• Feel like part of something bigger than just a transaction

Because once someone feels like they’re part of your story? They’ll stick around, spend more, and bring others with them.

Quick Community Wins:

• Run a monthly Q&A or live session
• Share user-generated content (aka brag about your customers)
• Celebrate milestones with your followers
• Create a “first look” group for new products/services

Final Thought:

Building community isn’t about building hype; it’s about building trust.

And loyalty? That’s your compounding interest. If you treat your customers like valued insiders instead of faceless order numbers, you’ll not only keep them, you’ll turn them into your loudest advocates.

Loyalty is earned, not bought. Build it with purpose.

10. Video & Short-Form Content Marketing

(aka Stop Scrolling, Start Showing)

Let’s face it, video is king. It’s fast, it’s visual, and it’s how most people consume content now. That doesn’t mean you need to dance, lip-sync, or throw filters on everything you do (unless that’s your thing, no judgment).

But if you’re marketing a small business and not using video at all, you’re leaving reach, trust, and conversion power on the table.

The good news? You don’t need a production team or a Hollywood budget. You just need a phone, a message, and a bit of structure.

Best Platforms for Video

Let’s break it down by platform—because no, you don’t need to be on all of them.

• TikTok – If your brand is playful, educational, or visually driven, this platform can give you massive organic reach. Think tips, mini how-tos, or behind-the-scenes clips.
• Instagram Reels – Great for lifestyle, local businesses, and anything visual. Short and snappy wins here. Show up consistently, and your reach will start to build.
• YouTube – Perfect for repurposing longer videos or sharing quick insights. Especially useful if you’re already on YouTube or want to build discoverability over time.

Real talk: Pick one platform and do it well. Don’t burn out trying to keep up with trends on three different apps. Quality + consistency = growth. Also, don’t be scared to embed your videos on your website.

Repurpose Like a Pro

You don’t need to reinvent the wheel every time.

Wrote a blog post?
Turn the key points into a 30-second video.
Record yourself summarising it in plain English.
Turn a “how-to” guide into a step-by-step demo.
Share customer FAQs as face-to-camera content.

One piece of content can become 5+ videos with the right angles:

• Text overlay version
• Voiceover
• B-roll + captions
• Snippet quotes
• Slide or carousel style

Tip: You’re not just creating content, you’re documenting your journey. Talk about what you’re learning, what you’re doing, and what others can apply.

Don’t Overthink It

Here’s the biggest mindset shift:
Your face on camera builds trust faster than your logo ever will.
You don’t need to be polished. You need to be present.

Speak how you speak. Be real. The internet has had enough of generic, shiny content with zero soul.

Start small. Record something. Post it. Learn from the feedback. Improve.

Done > Perfect.

TL;DR:

• Use short-form video to show who you are and what you do.
• Pick one platform and stick to it.
• Repurpose content like a scrappy genius.
• Be real, not robotic.
• And remember—people buy from people, not faceless brands.

11. Selling on Marketplaces & E-commerce Strategies

(aka Don’t Just Build It—Sell It Where People Are)

So, you’ve got something to sell. Whether it’s handmade jewellery, digital downloads, protein powder, or your signature chilli oil, amazing.

Now the real question: Where should you sell it?

Spoiler alert: just having a website won’t magically bring sales. That’s like opening a shop in the middle of a forest and hoping someone stumbles across it. Getting this right is key when marketing a small business You need to choose the right platforms, optimise your listings, and actually get seen.

Amazon vs. Etsy vs Your Own Website

(The Pros, the Cons, and the Cold Truth)

Let’s be honest: marketplaces can be a blessing or a black hole. Here’s the breakdown.

Amazon
✅ Massive reach
✅ Built-in trust and delivery infrastructure
❌ Fees can be high
❌ You’re playing by their rules
❌ Easy to get undercut or buried by competitors

Use it if: You’re selling in-demand, competitive products and want instant credibility. But remember—you’re building Amazon’s brand, not yours.

Etsy
✅ Great for handmade, niche, or creative products
✅ Engaged community of buyers
✅ Lower barrier to entry
❌ Still crowded
❌ Not ideal for scaling outside of hobby-business level

Use it if: You’re a creator or side hustler starting out. Just don’t expect Etsy to scale your brand for you.

Your Own Website
✅ Full control
✅ You own the customer data
✅ Builds your brand, not someone else’s
❌ Slower start
❌ You have to drive the traffic
❌ More upfront work (but worth it)Use it if: You’re building a long-term brand and want full ownership over the journey. Pair it with marketplaces to diversify your revenue streams.

Pro Tip: Start with one marketplace + your website. Use the marketplace to fund your growth while building something sustainable under your own name.

SEO for E-commerce – Yes, You Still Need It Even on Etsy or Amazon, search is king. If people can’t find your product, they can’t buy it.

Here’s what you need to optimise:

• Product Titles: Be specific. Think like a customer, not a poet.
  → “Handmade Ceramic Mug – 12oz Coffee Cup with Handle – Dishwasher Safe”
• Descriptions: Use keywords naturally. Highlight benefits and unique features.
• Images: High-quality, clear, and show the product in context. (Use lifestyle shots when possible.)
• Alt Text: Yes, it matters. Use descriptive phrases that match what people might be searching for.

If you’re on your own site (e.g. Shopify or WooCommerce), make sure:

• You’ve got unique meta titles and descriptions
• Your site loads quickly
• You’ve added schema markup for product info
• Internal linking supports your collection/category pages

Bonus: Add reviews to your listings. Social proof does more for your SEO and conversions than another paragraph of sales copy, the exact type of thinking you need when marketing a small business.

TL;DR:

• Choose your selling platform based on your product and long-term goals
• Don’t rely solely on marketplaces—build your brand alongside them
• SEO isn’t optional if you want consistent sales
• Sell like a business, not a hobby

12. Crisis Marketing: What to Do When Things Go Wrong

(aka Keep Calm and Don’t Delete Your Instagram)

Let’s be real: things will go wrong.
A supplier lets you down. A product launch flops. Your website crashes on your busiest day. Someone leaves a savage one-star review that feels deeply personal. Maybe you mess something up—and now you’re sweating bullets wondering how to fix it.

This is the part no one puts on their shiny Instagram story. /But its an important consideration when marketing a small business and building a brand.
But every small business owner goes through it.
What matters isn’t if a crisis happens. It’s how you respond when it does.

Step 1: Have a Plan Before You Need One

You don’t need a 30-page crisis comms document. You just need to know:

• Who’s in charge of responding (if it’s just you, that’s fine—own it)
• What your worst-case scenarios could be (stock issues, tech failures, bad press, etc.)
• How you’ll communicate clearly if something hits the fan

Write down a few templated messages now. Future-you will thank you when things get chaotic.

Step 2: Stay Transparent (Without Oversharing)

Customers don’t expect perfection, they expect honesty.

If there’s a delay, issue, or something’s broken:

• Tell them
• Tell them early
• Tell them what you’re doing to fix it

Example:
“Hey folks, we’ve hit a snag with our order system and a few deliveries are delayed. We’re sorting it now and will keep you posted, thank you for bearing with us.”

That’s all it takes. Radio silence breeds frustration. Transparency builds trust.

Step 3: Turn Setbacks Into Comebacks

Handled well, a crisis can actually make your brand stronger.
People remember how you respond, not just what went wrong.

• A bad review? Reply with kindness and professionalism.
• A delay? Add a bonus or handwritten thank-you.
• A mistake? Own it, apologise, and show how you’re fixing it.

Your brand isn’t just built in the good times. It’s defined in the mess. If you can navigate that with integrity, you’ll win more loyalty than any ad campaign ever could.

Bonus: Laugh (If You Can)

Sometimes, things are so bad all you can do is laugh. If your tone of voice allows for it, use humour to defuse tension (without being dismissive). It shows you’re human—and people relate to that.

Example:
“Our site went down for 2 hours today. We’ve had a stern word with it, and it promises to behave now.”

TL;DR:

• Sh*t happens.
• Be human. Be honest.
• Fix it.
• Move forward.
• Learn from it.

Marketing a small business means marketing through the highs and the chaos. That’s part of the job. Show up, own the situation, and use every crisis as a chance to reinforce your brand’s values.