AI, Human Thinking and the Future of SME Marketing

AI is changing content. For small businesses, that can be incredibly helpful indeed.

It can help draft posts, write emails, summarise calls, generate ideas, repurpose existing content and get past the blank page we all struggle with from time to time.

But easier content creation doesn’t automatically mean clearer marketing.

It doesn’t automatically make a business easier to understand, easier to trust or easier to buy from. And it doesn’t automatically give you an advantage.

That’s where the future of SME marketing gets interesting.

Small businesses are already under pressure to show up in more places, more often, with more consistency. LinkedIn, email, newsletters, blogs, video, podcasts, webinars, website content, sales content, internal updates, client stories, thought leadership; the list keeps growing.

AI may make some of that easier to produce. But it doesn’t remove the bigger question: What are you actually trying to say?

AI adoption is growing, but the picture is not simple

The evidence is clear that AI use among UK businesses is rising. Research from the British Chambers of Commerce reported that 54% of UK firms are now actively using AI, up from 35% in 2025, 25% in 2024 and 23% in 2023. That’s a significant shift in a short space of time. (britishchambers.org.uk)

At the same time, wider UK Government research has painted a more cautious picture, finding that around one in six UK businesses are currently using at least one AI technology, with adoption varying by business size and sector. (gov.uk)

That difference tells us something important. AI adoption is not happening evenly. Some businesses are already experimenting heavily. Others are still unsure where to start, what to trust or how to use it in a way that genuinely helps.

And even where businesses are using AI, adoption doesn’t always equal confidence.

YouGov’s Business Sentiment Tracker found that businesses still cite concerns around accuracy and reliability, data privacy and security, ethical concerns and lack of internal skills as barriers to AI adoption. (YouGov.com)

So, while AI is clearly becoming a big, big part of the small business landscape, many businesses are still working out what good use actually looks like.

That’s especially true in marketing.

The danger is not AI. It’s generic content at scale.

AI can be very good at producing something quickly. A caption. A blog outline. A set of email subject lines. A rough LinkedIn post. A summary of a webinar. A few campaign ideas.

That can be genuinely very helpful, particularly for small teams with too much to do and not enough time to do it.

But the risk is that businesses start mistaking speed for strategy. If everyone can produce acceptable content faster, acceptable content becomes less valuable.

The market doesn’t suddenly become clearer. It becomes noisier. More posts. More newsletters. More articles. More recycled opinions. More content that sounds polished enough, but not specific enough to make anyone remember it.

That’s where the real challenge begins.

AI can help you say something. It cannot, on its own, decide what your business should be known for.

It cannot understand the nuance of your relationships with clients. Or know which experience has shaped your point of view. It cannot feel the difference between something that sounds impressive and something that sounds true.

It cannot always judge whether a piece of content will support a real conversation with a prospect, partner, client or stakeholder.

And it cannot replace the thinking that sits behind every business.

The future of small business marketing will not simply belong to the businesses that can publish the most. It will belong to the businesses that are easiest to understand, easiest to trust and easiest to remember.

Small businesses need direction, not just output

For many small businesses, the problem has never really been a complete lack of content. The problem is often a lack of direction.

Ideas are sitting in client conversations, team meetings, founder stories, sales calls, webinars, reports, presentations, podcasts, case studies, emails and everyday experience. There is value everywhere. But it’s rarely captured properly, shaped clearly or used consistently.

That’s why so much content feels scattered.

A business posts because it feels it should. A blog is written and then forgotten. A webinar happens and is never repurposed. A founder has a brilliant conversation with a client, but the thinking never becomes visible. A team creates content from scratch every month while older ideas sit unused.

AI may speed up production, but it doesn’t fix that underlying issue. In some cases, it can make it worse.

If the direction is unclear, AI can help you produce unclear content faster. If the message is generic, AI can help you make it more polished but still generic. If the business doesn’t know what it wants to be known for, AI cannot solve that by generating another batch of posts.

That’s why human thinking becomes more important, not less.

The future of SME marketing is likely to be more human, not less

This may sound counterintuitive at a time when AI tools are becoming more capable, but we truly believe the direction of travel points towards a greater need for human voice and human judgement and expertise.

As content becomes easier to create, audiences become better at spotting content that doesn’t really say anything.

People are not short of information. They are short of relevance, trust and useful perspective.

For small businesses, that means the content that cuts through will increasingly be the content rooted in real experience. The kind that shows how a business thinks. What it notices. What it believes. What it has learned. How it works. Why it cares. Where it has a point of view.

This is particularly important for expertise-led businesses.

If you sell knowledge, judgement, service, relationships or advice, your marketing cannot rely on surface-level content. People need to understand your thinking before they trust your offer. They need to see the people behind the business. They need to feel that there is substance, not just activity.

That’s why founder, CEO and senior leader visibility is becoming more commercially relevant.

Not because every leader needs to become an influencer, or because every founder needs to post every day. But because trust is often built before someone ever books a call, sends an enquiry or asks for a proposal.

It’s built through repeated signals: useful ideas, clear opinions, consistent presence, practical insight and a voice that feels credible.

People-led content is becoming harder to ignore

LinkedIn’s recent moves also point to a more people-led B2B content environment. Reuters reported that LinkedIn is investing further in business advertising, creator partnerships and video, with CEO-generated video posts on the platform up 68% over two years. (reuters.com)

That doesn’t mean every business leader needs to rush into video, or that every founder needs a podcast, a daily posting habit or a carefully polished personal brand.

But it does suggest something important about where attention and trust are moving.

People want to hear from people.

In B2B especially, the people behind the business often carry the insight, experience and perspective that make the company feel credible. For small businesses, this creates both an opportunity and a problem.

The opportunity is that smaller businesses often have direct access to the most interesting thinking in the organisation. The founder, owner, CEO or senior expert usually holds the stories, experience and point of view that make the business distinctive.

The problem is that those people are usually busy.

They don’t have the time or headspace to keep creating content from scratch. They may not know what to say. They may dislike the idea of “personal branding”. They may worry about sounding forced, scripted or too self-promotional.

So, the value is there, but it needs drawing out.

The most valuable content is often already inside the business

This is where the conversation around AI and marketing becomes much more interesting, because the future isn’t really about choosing between AI and human content.

It’s about understanding what each is for.

AI can support the process. It can help organise ideas, speed up drafts, repurpose material and reduce some of the admin around content creation.

But the value still starts with human thinking.

The best content often comes from the conversations businesses are already having. The questions clients ask. The challenges leaders are seeing. The patterns emerging in the market. The mistakes people keep making. The things a founder wishes more people understood. The values that shape how a business works when nobody is watching.

That’s not generic content. That’s valuable content.

And for small businesses, it’s commercially valuable because it helps people understand why they should trust you, remember you and speak to you.

Where Leader Brand fits

At Colour Me Social, we built Leader Brand around a simple idea: One hour. One conversation. A month of content.

Not because leaders need another job. Not because every founder, CEO or senior expert needs to become a content creator. And not because the world needs more posts for the sake of it.

Because the most valuable content often already exists inside the business. It’s in the judgement, experience, stories and point of view of the people leading it.

A guided conversation gives that thinking somewhere to go.

From there, it can become LinkedIn posts, articles, video prompts, newsletter content, podcast ideas, webinar themes, speaking points and wider thought leadership support.

The leader stays close to the thinking. The content still sounds like them. But the pressure of creating from scratch is removed.

That matters because visibility without substance is just noise. But substance without visibility is easily missed.

The strongest small business marketing will increasingly sit somewhere between the two: clear thinking, shaped properly, shared consistently and used across the channels that matter.

In a market where AI can help almost anyone produce content, the real advantage is not just output. It’s original thinking, shaped clearly and shared consistently.

AI can help. But it cannot be the whole answer.

AI will continue to change how businesses create content. It would be strange to pretend otherwise. It will make some tasks faster. It will help small teams do more. It will reduce friction. It will become part of everyday marketing workflows.

But it will not remove the need for judgement, clarity, voice, trust or commercial direction.

In fact, it may make those things more important.

When AI makes content easier, the advantage shifts. It no longer sits with the businesses that can simply publish. It sits with the businesses that have something worth saying, know who they are saying it to, and can communicate it in a way that feels clear, useful and human.

That’s the future of SME marketing.

AI may make content faster.

Human thinking is what makes it worth reading, trusting and acting on.

Why Proudly Inclusive Should Never Be a Marketing Moment

A reflection on Pride Month, visibility, trust and how to show up as a business.

Every June, visibility becomes part of the business conversation.

Rainbows take over logos. Supporting statements are shared. Social feeds fill up with words like inclusion, belonging, allyship and pride. Some of it feels genuine. Some of it feels well-meaning. But if we are honest, some of it feels like someone in marketing remembered the calendar and thought, “We should probably say something.”

And I get it.

Businesses want to show support. And many mean it. But Pride Month always makes me think about the difference between being visible for a short moment and being visible because it really means something.

Because visibility isn’t, and never should be, a marketing exercise. For some of us, visibility is deeply personal.

As an LGBTQIA+ business owner, I’ve thought a lot about what it means to be “seen”. Not in a polished, strategic, businessey way, but the more human version. The version that can feel empowering, exposing, liberating and occasionally exhausting, all at the same time.

Being visible can open doors. It can build connection. It can help other people feel less alone. It can also bring assumptions, judgement and the strange pressure to explain parts of yourself that other people are rarely asked to explain.

That’s why Pride Month is not a brand moment for me. It’s a reminder that visibility is wanted and very much needed.

And that has shaped how I think about the work we do at Colour Me Social.

Because so much of good communication isn’t about being noisy and ‘out there’, it’s about helping people be understood.

That’s true for businesses. It’s true for leaders. It’s especially true for people who have ever felt the gap between being seen and being recognised for who they really are.

But being seen is not the same as being understood

In business, we talk about visibility a lot.

Leaders need to be more visible.
Founders need to show up.
Brands need a stronger presence.
Businesses need to be more active online.

All of that is true. But visibility on its own is not the goal.

Being visible without being understood can feel hollow. Sometimes it can even feel risky. You can be seen and still be misread. You can be present and still feel reduced to one part of who you are. You can say the right thing and still not feel believed.

That matters far beyond Pride Month.

For many diverse leaders, founders and business owners, visibility carries a different kind of consideration. There may be questions that sit in the back and probably the front of their minds. How much is too much? How much of myself do I share? Will people take me seriously? Will I be judged? Will this become the only thing people remember about me? Will anyone care?

I’ve been there. And I probably still am.

And that’s why I think businesses need a more thoughtful conversation about visibility.

Not visibility for the sake of attention.
Not visibility that turns people into content.
Not visibility that asks individuals to perform so a business can look more human.

But visibility that builds trust. Visibility that helps people understand what you stand for, how you work, what you value and why they can believe you.

That’s where visibility has purpose.

Proudly inclusive is not a badge

We describe Colour Me Social as proudly inclusive.

That matters to me. But I’m also very aware of how easily words like that can look decorative if they’re not backed up by belief and action.

Proudly inclusive doesn’t mean making everything about identity. It doesn’t mean turning every conversation into a mission statement. It doesn’t mean asking to be chosen because of one part of who I am.

It means recognising that identity, lived experience and difference shape how people move through the world. They shape how people experience trust, safety, confidence, belonging and communication.

And yes, they shape how people experience businesses too.

People rarely experience your values through a fabulously well-written paragraph on your website.

They experience them through the way you speak, the assumptions you make, the stories you choose to tell, the people you encourage, the tone you use, the communities you celebrate and the way you behave when nobody has asked you to make a public statement.

That’s where inclusion becomes meaningful. Not in the badge, slogan, or seasonal post.

In the behaviour.

Inclusion is wider than Pride Month

Pride Month gives us a reason to talk about LGBTQIA+ visibility and that’s a really positive thing.

But inclusion cannot begin and end there.

It’s bigger than one month, one community or one campaign. It touches gender, race, disability, neurodivergence, class, age, faith, identity, sexuality, culture, lived experience and all of the differences people carry into rooms where they may or may not feel welcome.

And it’s where businesses sometimes get nervous. They worry about saying the wrong thing, doing too little, doing too much or being accused of being performative. So, they either over-polish the message until it says almost nothing, or they say nothing at all.

But I don’t think inclusion has to start with a grand statement.

Sometimes it starts with better awareness.

Who are we speaking to?
Who might feel missing from this story?
Does our content sound like it was written by and for real people?
Are our values visible when we are not actively talking about values?
Do people feel welcome before they ever become a client, partner, employee or collaborator?

Those questions aren’t just moral. They are business questions.

Because how you communicate tells people what kind of business you are.

Trust is built when the message and the behaviour match

One of the reasons Pride Month can feel uncomfortable in business is because people are very good at spotting the gap between what is said and what is lived.

A rainbow logo is not the problem.
A supportive post is not the problem.

The problem is when that’s the only visible evidence of inclusion.

People are not daft. They can feel when a message has been written to tick a box. They can also feel when something comes from a place of honesty, care, compassion and consistency.

That’s the bit I believe businesses sometimes underestimate.

Trust isn’t built by one beautiful campaign. Credibility isn’t built by one carefully worded statement. Human connection isn’t built by appearing once a year with the right language and then disappearing again.

Trust is built when people can see a clear line between what a business says, how it behaves and who is visible within it.

That’s why good communication matters so much.

The words you choose aren’t just words. They tell people who you understand, who you value and whether there are likeable people behind the business.

Choose wrongly, and they can alienate the very people you want to attract. Your stakeholders. All of them, from current employees to future employees, from customers to investors.

As a small business, you may not have huge campaigns, internal comms teams or glossy inclusion strategies. But you do have a voice. You do have a way of being yourself. You do have choices about the stories you tell and the words you use.

And those choices say a lot about you.

The business message behind the personal one

Of course, this is personal to me. But it’s not only personal.

I hope the message for businesses is coming through clearly.

The businesses people trust are rarely the ones that simply say the right thing at the right time. They are the ones who feel consistent. The ones where the public message and the private behaviour are clearly connected. The ones where the people behind the business are visible in a way that feels human, not manufactured.

Whether you are talking about Pride, leadership, brand, marketing, culture or client relationships, it matters.

People want to understand who they are buying from, working with, recommending, partnering with and trusting. They want to know what sits behind the polished words. They want to feel that there are real people, real values and real care behind the business.

That doesn’t mean every business needs to share everything. Or that every founder has to turn their life into content.

And it doesn’t mean personal stories should be pulled apart and repackaged as marketing material.

In fact, quite the opposite.

Human stories matter most when they feel genuinely delivered with care and understanding.

For me, this is where lived experience and business communication meet. Being seen is powerful. Being understood is better. And helping people communicate in a way that feels clear, credible and true is not just a marketing task. It is part of how trust is built.

So, what does proudly inclusive mean to us?

It means we care about people.
It means we notice language.
It means we think about who feels included and who might feel overlooked.
It means we believe visibility should help people be understood, not turned into a performance.
It means we know that trust is built through consistency, not one-off gestures.

And it means Pride Month is not a moment for us to suddenly become inclusive. It’s a moment to say something that should already be visible in how we work.

Proudly inclusive, for me, is not about making identity the whole story.

It’s about recognising that identity, visibility, trust and belonging all shape how people experience business.

Pride Month gives us a reason to say that out loud and proud.

But the rest of the year is where we show whether we mean it.

Marketing in 2025: A Guide for SMEs to Stay Ahead

As technology evolves and consumer expectations shift, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) will encounter fresh opportunities and challenges. Marketing success in 2025 will hinge on more than just keeping pace with trends; it will require strategic alignment with what truly matters—authenticity, meaningful connections, and leveraging the right tools for maximum impact.

This guide explores the critical areas SMEs should focus on, from harnessing AI to creating impactful content and building strategies that resonate.

The marketing landscape: What’s changing?

Before developing strategies, it’s essential to understand the forces shaping the marketing environment. Consumers will be more informed and discerning than ever. They demand transparency, value, and memorable experiences from the brands they support. At the same time, the explosion of content across platforms makes it harder for businesses to stand out.

Key changes SMEs should be aware of include:

  • Hyper-personalisation: Customers expect personalised experiences tailored to their specific needs. Generic marketing is no longer sufficient.
  • AI-driven insights: Artificial intelligence continues to transform how businesses analyse data, target audiences, and optimise campaigns.
  • Content saturation: With more businesses creating content, competition for consumer attention has intensified.
  • Sustainability and social responsibility: Consumers increasingly prioritise brands that align with their values, especially those addressing environmental and social issues.
  • Emerging platforms and formats: Content consumption methods are diversifying, from short-form video to immersive technologies like augmented and virtual reality.

Harnessing AI to transform marketing

Artificial intelligence is no longer a future concept; it is the here and now and a necessity for SMEs striving to compete effectively. AI extends beyond automation—it enables smarter decision-making, enhanced customer experiences, and significant savings in time and resources.

How SMEs can leverage AI:

  1. Predictive analytics: AI tools analyse consumer behaviour to anticipate trends and personalise campaigns. For instance, AI-driven CRM platforms can suggest products based on past purchases.
  2. Chatbots and virtual assistants: Automated customer service tools ensure prompt responses and effective issue resolution, even outside business hours. Advanced chatbots are increasingly conversational, boosting customer satisfaction.
  3. Content creation: AI can generate blog outlines, social media posts, and even video scripts. While it doesn’t replace human creativity, it streamlines content production.
  4. Ad optimisation: Platforms like Google Ads and Facebook Ads rely on AI to identify the most effective audience segments, keywords, and ad formats.
  5. Sentiment analysis: Understanding customer sentiment is crucial. AI tools analyse social media comments, reviews, and surveys to provide actionable insights.

Pro tip: Use AI for repetitive tasks and data analysis, but infuse your campaigns with human creativity and empathy. This ensures your marketing feels personal, not robotic.

The content that will cut through the noise

It’s noisy out there, right? In an era of content overload, standing out requires more than producing more content—it means creating the right kind of content. SMEs need to focus on delivering value, resonating emotionally, and ensuring authenticity.

Storytelling at the core

Stories remain a powerful way to connect with audiences. Whether it’s your brand’s origin story, customer success stories, or content highlighting your mission and values, storytelling fosters emotional resonance. Narratives that make your audience feel seen and understood can leave a lasting impact.

Example: A local bookstore could share a series of videos featuring customers’ favourite books and the reasons they matter. This approach not only promotes products but also fosters a sense of community.

Short-form video content

Short-form video continues to dominate platforms like TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts. These formats are ideal for engaging younger audiences and delivering concise, impactful messages.

Why it works: Short videos combine visuals and sound to create memorable, shareable content.

Tips for SMEs:

  • Create how-to videos featuring your product.
  • Share behind-the-scenes glimpses of your business.
  • Participate in trends authentically, ensuring alignment with your brand.

Educational and value-driven content

Consumers seek information and empowerment, not just sales pitches. Content that educates your audience fosters trust and establishes your authority within your industry.

Ideas for SMEs:

  • Publish guides or tutorials related to your product or service.
  • Host webinars or live Q&A sessions for direct audience engagement.
  • Offer free resources such as templates, checklists, or e-books.

Example: A graphic design studio might create a free e-book on branding basics tailored for small businesses.

Interactive and community-centric content

Interactive content deepens customer engagement and fosters stronger relationships. Examples include polls, quizzes, or user-generated content (UGC) campaigns.

Why it works: Interactive content involves customers in meaningful ways, while UGC builds trust by showcasing real people interacting with your brand.

Example: A clothing boutique could launch a “Share Your Style” campaign, encouraging customers to post outfit photos featuring the brand’s items with a branded hashtag.

Staying agile in emerging platforms

While platforms like TikTok and Instagram remain vital, 2025 will likely see the rise of new or evolving spaces. SMEs should stay attuned to trends and be open to experimentation.

The rise of immersive experiences

Augmented and virtual reality technologies are becoming more accessible, enabling SMEs to create immersive brand experiences. These tools can elevate customer engagement through features like virtual store tours or AR-based product try-ons.

Example: A home décor business could offer an AR tool allowing customers to visualise furniture in their spaces.

The power of niche communities

Platforms catering to specific interests or professions, such as Reddit or Discord, are gaining popularity. SMEs can benefit from participating in or creating niche communities to build deeper connections with engaged audiences.

Authenticity and values: The real differentiator

In 2025, marketing is about more than selling products—it’s about creating meaningful relationships and standing for something bigger than your bottom line.

Show your values

Consumers expect brands to be socially and environmentally responsible. SMEs can stand out by aligning their actions with their values.

How to do it:

  • Be transparent about your supply chain and sustainability efforts.
  • Support local causes or charities that align with your mission.
  • Share progress on social responsibility initiatives.

Example: An eco-friendly brand might document its journey toward achieving 100% sustainable packaging by 2030.

Focus on community impact

SMEs are inherently tied to their communities. Highlighting contributions—whether through sponsorships, support for local artisans, or volunteer initiatives—builds goodwill and loyalty.

Key takeaways for SMEs in 2025

  • AI is your ally: Use it for data analysis, task automation, and creating personalised experiences.
  • Content must resonate: Focus on storytelling, short-form video, and educational materials that provide value.
  • Authenticity is essential: Be transparent, socially conscious, and community-focused.
  • Stay agile: Experiment with new platforms and formats, but remain true to your brand’s voice and values.

Success for SMEs won’t stem from attempting to do everything but from consistently doing the right things authentically. By building genuine connections and leveraging available tools, SMEs can not only survive but thrive in an incredibly competitive environment.

The Colour Of Marketing, With Roger Jackson, SenseCheck

As part of our monthly content series, The Colour Of Marketing, we spend quality time listening to the thoughts and insights of the people who know what’s what when it comes to the world of SME marketing. In this edition, we talk with Roger Jackson from SenseCheck about the power of getting marketing feedback from outside your bubble.

Hi Roger, thanks for taking time to speak with us. Firstly, how did you get involved in the world of small business/SME marketing

I always had a vague career plan to start a business one day, but that was rather accelerated when I was “fired” from my corporate job. Well, it was called  “by mutual agreement,” but it gave me a buffer of cash to start my first consulting firm. From there, I launched various businesses, notably moving to Australia, before hitting on the Shopper Intelligence idea. I have been working on that system for the last 20 years, selling data to CPG companies and supermarket chains around the world.

What are the unique challenges SMEs face in marketing compared to larger companies?

Big brands have many inherent advantages. Being “well known” is a massive plank of how marketing actually works. Consumers buy the things they already know about to save mental time and effort. B2B buyers buy what others buy to feel safe. The brain itself conspires to stop us from noticing new things. In addition to that, the inevitable lack of resources, small budgets, few experienced people, difficulties in doing good market research, the inability to afford top agencies, and the challenges mount up. The final problem is that most SMEs are a hothouse where a small number of people live in a bubble of passion and belief, so they can be poorly placed to see things as the outside world does – and that harms marketing efforts.

What are some common mistakes SMEs make in their marketing efforts?

Allied to the point about being in your bubble, the main issue is talking too much about themselves and not enough about the customer. Given all the barriers to anyone accepting a new idea, your message has to work incredibly hard to punch in, and the only way in is to connect to your prospect’s world quickly and compellingly. The temptation is to imagine that your customers will automatically read your material and get interested in the marvellous things you are doing. They won’t. They don’t yet have any reason to. In B2B, SMEs are often also fearful of getting it wrong and being seen as flaky. Thus, their marketing ends up being horribly dull, which doubles down on a prospect’s lack of interest in reading about you!

How can limited budgets impact the marketing decisions of SMEs, and what strategies can help maximise results?

Low budgets mean SMEs can’t do marketing as the big guys do, ie long-term brand building using multiple media tools. Instead, an SME has to be like a sniper compared to a shotgun. A few things done well, precisely targeted to exactly the right people (at the right time). Good salespeople always knew to do that, to put effort where the best results were likely, and this applies to all other elements of marketing. Indeed, many in B2B are better off with a good salesperson and no marketing in the short term (it’s how we started). This is about defining a very tight target market and knowing as much as you can about them so you can get to them with efficiency and spot-on messaging.

In today’s online world, I think the secret sauce for small businesses is around content – producing genuinely helpful material that prospects love (and the Google algorithm appreciates). Answer their questions and share your expertise to help them (before you sell to them!) Second the ability to take creative risks and so brave things that stand out, buying more bang for your buck. The huge risk is that none of your marketing is noticed, so your money is wasted.

How can an external perspective help identify blind spots in an SME’s marketing approach?

The crucial thing is to be aware that you are in a bad position to judge any marketing work. If you are interested in creating the material, then you already know what you are actually saying. And guess what, you see that in it. You can’t help it. The only way to assess if your marketing is saying what you hope is to ask a third party. I lose count of how many ads I see on LinkedIn that don’t even say what their product is. That’s blindingly obvious to the advertiser, so they don’t notice its absence. You need a feedback tool. Market research may be available, but that can be tricky. We assert that any length of arms and independent and objective eyes can help. And by the way, this isn’t the same as showing it around the office (they are in the same bubble) or asking your friends (your mum). Most will just want to be nice to you.

What are the benefits of having an external expert review an SME’s marketing idea or strategy?

An external perspective will spot gaps (things you missed) and tell you if your material “works” well. That helps you refine it to get it to work better. But the reviewers might also ask questions and point out things that really make you think about your strategy. Just one suggestion could really shift the dial.

What should SMEs look for when selecting an expert to provide a second opinion on their marketing strategy?

You must find someone who will be truly objective and honest. That’s not easy. Agencies and paid consultants will want to maintain the relationship and retain you as a client. You must be sure that they place the truth over self-interest. Once someone has been involved with you for a while, of course, they “go native” too and hop into the same bubble as you. You really need to find fresh eyes on a regular basis.

How does SenseCheck work?

We have a huge panel of time-served marketers who are willing to look at any piece of marketing and give their thoughts. It’s like a confidential “phone a friend” for small business marketers. They have been there and got the T-shirt, and they will take a quick look and give you their immediate gut feel response. In effect, it acts as a proxy for your prospects when they see the same material. You get five independent points of view compiled into a simple report. Then, it’s up to you what feedback to act on. They aren’t there to make life hard or to slate you – it’s always helpful and constructive. The goal is to make you a hero.

How do you see the landscape of SME marketing evolving in the next few years?

AI will help us all generate more stuff at a lower cost. Maybe even better stuff. But by definition, more stuff in the world will make the competitive challenge even harder.

What role will companies like SenseCheck play in helping SMEs navigate future marketing challenges?

We hope that getting validation will become habitual and a necessary step in any marketing process. This will save a lot of wasted money and unnecessary stress and worry.

Are there any emerging trends in SME marketing that highlight the need for fresh perspectives?

AI promises much for marketers, but AI is just aggregating learning from material already out there. It can’t predict the effectiveness of what it generates. Moreover, it’s only responding to the prompt you gave it – which itself might not be exactly right. That step of validation is still crucial.

Thanks for speaking with us, Roger.

Next month, we will be speaking with author and LinkedIn personal branding expert Damian Corbet about how business leaders can better use their personal brand on LinkedIn to humanise the face of their business.

Fifteen Facts About Us For Anyone Who’s Interested

We talk about the importance of humanising brands all the time, and as we like to practice what we preach, here’s a little bit about us, minus our services and what we do. This isn’t a sales pitch piece, we promise. It’s a little bit about our story for anyone who might be interested.

  • It all started one sunny(ish) day in March 2015. That’s when we launched—zero clients, no income, and armed with only a personal loan.
  • To get things moving, Pip worked multiple jobs. One involved getting up at 2:30 a.m. four days a week and then coming home to work on Colour Me Social—par for the course, as we are sure many startups have experienced!
  • By the end of April, we were working with nine fantastic startup companies.
  • Long-term relationships and partnerships are essential to us. One of the magnificent nine we still are proudly working with today
  • We are one of the original homeworking pioneers. We don’t have offices—we never have. We learned years ago how to operate effectively across multiple locations. Remember Skype? It’s how we used to roll.
  • Our team is based mostly in the UK, but we also have wonderful colleagues in Denmark, France, and North Macedonia.
  • Although primarily UK-based; we also have clients in Germany and the US currently.
  • Our first client was in the Hair and Beauty industry, and our most recent is a SaaS company. Diverse we are.
  • We work with clients in B2B and B2C industries, from Fortune 500 leadership development providers to retail.
  • We don’t call ourselves an agency. We see ourselves more as a marketing communications collective. That’s not as pretentious as it sounds. It allows us to bring in the best talent from every marketing sphere without the barrier of working only with permanent agency-based employees.
  • Diversity and inclusion is a big deal for us. From our founder, Pip, to our wider team, we are proud of our colleagues and the people we work with, regardless of their backgrounds.
  • In fact, one of our ambitions is to create an academy to support and develop talented people from diverse and underrepresented communities who want to break into the marketing industry.
  • We have ups and downs like any business. We have almost not made it on a few occasions, but we’ve learned the power of pivoting and of networks and communities.
  • When it comes to marketing, we believe 100% in the need to engage all your stakeholders, not just potential prospects, on social media.
  • Our mission is to help businesses share their purpose, values, and voice, communicate and engage effectively with all their stakeholders, and showcase the human side of their organisation through engaging stories and content.

As we said, no sales pitch. Just 15 facts about little ol’ us.

Thanks for reading.

Why An Employer Branding Strategy Is Important

What comes to mind when you think about your company’s brand? Maybe it’s the logo or the brand messaging, or perhaps you think about how the wider world sees your organisation.

Whilst these tend to be what springs to mind first, another element of a company’s branding is arguably as vital but often neglected. Employer branding is crucial to attracting and retaining talent for purpose-driven organisations. In our new world of work and ultra-competitive business world, it’s more important than ever.

In this post, we look at the benefits you can expect when you establish a strategy for employer branding and, crucially, how you achieve it.

Is Employer Branding For Me?

If you want to increase your job pool of qualified candidates, save money and improve how your company is perceived online, then yes!

For recruiting and talent acquisition, a positive employer brand is everything. In fact, you can actually save money on recruitment by having a strong employer brand strategy. 

Just think about a potential recruit logging onto your website to find genuine employees talking about how great it is to work at your company – it’s a smart way to entice those candidates without spending a penny on external advertising.

Creating Candidate Personas

You probably have buyer personas that help you create and target online content. Now, think about taking the same approach with candidates. Building candidate personas is a brilliant way of branding your company for potential recruits.

Consider demonstrating internal work culture with photos and videos generated by employees to genuinely showcase what it’s like to work at your company or compose blog posts on company events. Video testimonials are also a surefire way to give your employer brand a boost – current and former employees who’ve had a great experience working at your company can be your biggest advocates. 

These pieces of content can be seamlessly mixed in with your consumer-facing content through your social channels, and with a staggering 1 in 4 job seekers using social media as their primary tool for job searching and research, content like this can have a significant impact on the way future employees interpret your employer brand.

Don’t Neglect Career Sites

You have full control of your social channels and website, but your company is represented elsewhere on the internet too. Career sites like Glassdoor are go-to’s for potential recruits, so it’s important to pay attention to these websites.

As part of your employer branding strategy, you should dedicate time to address negative comments on these sites. Don’t deny issues from disgruntled former employees or get defensive – instead, address the issues and show how your company is working to improve and move on. You can never have total control over your employer brand, but you can help shape the narrative by being honest on sites like these.

CEO Branding

That’s right, it’s crucial that your CEO is factored into your branding strategy too. 

Think about some of the biggest companies in the world – Tesla, Microsoft, Meta – the CEOs of these firms are synonymous with their brands. Any news story about Tesla has Elon Musk’s face plastered all over it; ‘Meta’ and ‘Zuckerberg’ are connected in Perpetuum. 

The reputation of your CEO is closely tied to the reputation of the brand they lead. Research by Brand Finance found that particularly outspoken CEOs have the biggest influence on the way customers perceive their brands (and surprise, surprise – it’s not always in a positive way!)

CEO branding is not just for large corporations; in fact, it can be most effective in smaller start-ups and founder-run organisations. Demonstrating the founder’s expertise and putting them front and centre can help build trust among both consumers and investors.

Bringing out the best of the CEO without ensuing reputational liability is a very delicate balancing act and only works if the leader embodies and projects the core brand values. 

So, how do you harness this unique marketing tool? Here are 3 considerations when building your CEO brand:

  1. Define the CEO’s personal brand

Begin the process by defining the CEO’s executive personal brand. Work closely with the CEO for this piece of work. Consider their personality, strengths, vision, goals and just what sort of a CEO they are. 

  1. Look to the Future

Consumers want CEOs who are forward-thinking and able to anticipate their needs (sometimes before they even know what they want themselves.) Think about how Mark Zuckerberg articulates innovation at Meta – his ‘big picture’ thinking shows he welcomes change and growth and is undeterred by obstacles. He clearly expresses this long-term vision for the company (thinking in terms of decades, not quarters or years), stating the brands’ internal values in 2022 as – “move fast”, “build awesome things”, and “live in the future”. 

  1. Don’t be scared of failure

Once you incorporate your CEO into your employer branding strategy, you need to be prepared to embrace all that comes with that. Being seen is a huge part of CEO branding, so they need to be confident to get out there and show their face and be prepared that not everyone will like them all the time. 

When done well, CEOs are perhaps one of the most underrated marketing tools that you have at your disposal.

We hope you try out some of these employer branding tips. Not only will these techniques benefit employee retention and fuel talented applicants, but they can positively affect other aspects of your company as well.

5 Ways To Build A Truly Purpose-Driven Company Culture

Does your company have a purpose? Do you live and breathe that purpose? Do your employees?

A purpose-driven company is clear about its direction to leaders, stakeholders and customers, but it takes a little more for that purpose to be truly imbued into its culture. When done right, every single team member has a heartfelt sense of ownership for the purpose, employees feel respected, and everyone in the company is working in the same direction.

It’s no secret that companies are facing the toughest labour market in decades. Competition for top talent is fierce, and the ‘great resignation’ is still a pressing concern for many. Pair this with the fact that countless studies have shown Millennials and Gen Z are more likely to join a business if it demonstrates ethics that align with their own (in fact, nearly half of Gen Z will work for a purpose-driven company for a 20% lower salary) and it’s evidently never been more important to instil your company’s purpose into your culture.

To attract and retain the most socially-conscious generation, purpose must sit at the heart of your company culture. Read on for our top five tips on embedding your purpose and attracting top talent.

  1. Do the work, and talk about it 

Imbuing a sense of purpose into your culture is one thing – ensuring your employees know about it, and bringing them along for the journey is just as important. 

Drive your mission and values home with your internal communications – tell your team about your success and community endeavours to show your purpose in action. Establishing a positive culture that centres purpose and highlights the valuable output of your company’s work is key to employee retention. 

  1. Don’t neglect inclusivity and belonging 

Inclusion is a major driver of employee buy-in, particularly for younger workers. 

A strong and genuine DEI effort helps employees connect to your organisation and helps establish a purpose-driven culture. 

Working hard to offer your employees the resources they need to thrive is win-win for your business. Purpose and belonging go hand in hand, and providing a safe and welcoming context for your employees is a huge step towards establishing a culture that centres purpose.

  1. A purpose-driven workplace starts at the top

You can’t expect your employees to live your purpose if senior team members aren’t leading the way. 

Transparency is the key here – the leadership must share knowledge about their goals, mission, and progress with employees, so team members can see exactly how their work contributes to them.

Understanding the bigger picture is crucial when establishing a purpose-driven culture. It allows individual contributors to see how their work fits into the end goal; it also makes for a more confident and able workforce.
Knowing why things happen the way they do is an incredible motivator. Rather than blindly following leadership with no sense of the reasoning behind decisions, employees with a ‘whole-picture’ view have more agency to drive their work towards the main business objectives.

  1. Bring everyone together

Purpose-driven workplaces start with socialisation and collaboration. 

Creating a sense of belonging is crucial for motivating employees to embrace your company’s purpose. Make them feel safe, respected and supported. Leaders can achieve this through feedback and praise and by asking employees to offer their perspectives. This gives you a unique insight into their purpose and what drives them.

Collaboration has become a different beast throughout the past few years as the pandemic changed ways of working forever. The uptick in hybrid and remote working makes this even more important – try to assemble your employees together frequently and provide social contexts for them to come together and share their passions and purpose with their colleagues. 

  1. Adopt a whole-person approach

Seeing employees as a collective undistinguished mass of workers is the antithesis of a purpose-driven culture. Leaders must adopt a whole-person approach when it comes to their team. Your employees are dynamic, complex individuals, each with their own passions, strengths and needs – be sure to recognise this.

Motivate employees to follow what lights them up – getting them excited about your purpose will drive great productivity and improve employee happiness. 

The work to build a purpose-driven company culture begins today

We hope these tips help you foster a culture that will connect your employees to something above and beyond the fundamentals of their day-to-day roles and help them understand and embrace the higher purpose of your company.

How Developing A Purpose-Driven Employer Brand Helps Attract And Retain Top Talent

The last few years have seen a seismic shift in the behaviour and attitudes of the global workforce. Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you are likely all too familiar with the phrase ‘The Great Resignation’ (also known as the Big Quit and the Great Reshuffle.) The clickbait term has dominated the news the world over, but behind the headlines is a deeply concerning economic trend. The numbers are sobering:

  • 41% of employees are considering resigning from their jobs
  • UK job vacancies are at their highest since records began
  • One-third of workers report being unhappy at work

This major disruption was spurred on hugely by Covid-19 (during which record numbers of employees voluntarily quit their jobs) however, this crisis is not just short-term turbulence caused by the pandemic. The trend has been quietly bubbling away for the past decade, coming to a culmination as employees took stock of their priorities during the biggest health crisis in a century. On top of all this, and in spite of a looming recession, the trend shows no sign of slowing down.

The Times They Are A-changing

In the past, people could be tempted into roles by the promise of job security and decent pay. In today’s world, that just won’t cut it. Employees are seeking purpose. They want to feel invested in the work they do, and they want to know that their employer shares those values. 

Understanding the role of purpose and culture in today’s workplace is vital. As is recognising the needs of diverse employees and Gen Z recruits.

In order to find a remedy for the Great Resignation, it’s crucial that employers get to the root of why people are leaving and what needs to change to keep them. Now’s the time to go back to basics and build a strong employee offer that meets the needs of today’s workers. 

Putting the Employee First

With more open positions than there are workers to fill them, employees are truly in the driving seat, and they know their worth. In the most competitive talent marketplace in decades, a small salary bump is not going to cut it; employees want to:

  • Feel a sense of belonging
  • Have flexible working options
  • Feel valued
  • Have growth potential 

So, how do you go about putting these values at the heart of your employee offer and retaining the fantastic talent you have whilst attracting more great candidates to your company? 

It’s time for businesses to invest in developing purpose-driven employer brands. Here are five factors that can transform your current organisational culture into one that attracts new talent and motivates employees to stay.

  1. Purpose, purpose, purpose

Organisations with a well-defined purpose have a much better shot at attracting and retaining top talent. In fact, a recent Harvard Business Review study found that a staggering nine out of ten employees would take a pay cut for more meaningful work.

Employees are not only looking for purpose-driven companies, but they also want to know that their leaders live by those values too. Leaders who can embrace the company’s purpose and lead ethically are much more favoured by Millennials and Gen Z workers in particular. 

  1. Recognise greatness

McKinsey & Company’s research on the Great Resignation found that a majority (54%) of employees who quit their jobs felt that they were undervalued by their employers. 

Truly talented people aren’t highly motivated by money; feeling special is often more important to them. Treat your top talent like valued individuals, not like members of a group. 

Skilled workers know their worth. It’s key that employers do too.

  1. Flexibility remains critical

The pandemic made it clear that employees can be as productive (if not more so) in a work-from-home environment. 

Remote work has become normalised over the past two years and can be a real morale boost for workers. It’s a great option for businesses, too, as it significantly opens the talent pool, allowing employers to recruit from anywhere in the country or anywhere in the world!

Offering flexible hours is also an important perk for workers today. It’s a win for employees with families, who can plan around childcare and school pick-up times. It can also be a bonus for those commuting into cities from the ‘burbs –  avoiding a nasty commute during rush hour can be a huge contributor to workers’ wellbeing.

  1. Promote a culture of inclusion and belonging 

Adjusting hiring procedures with an eye toward diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) is a great first step toward greater workforce representation, however, it’s crucial that this work continues beyond the hiring stage.

Ensure DEI initiatives are embedded in your talent retention plans by promoting an employee experience that recognises the specific needs of all employees. For instance, some underrepresented groups (like working mothers) may be more inclined to stay working at an organisation if they offer flexible work arrangements. If you are not prioritising DEI, and the specific needs of underrepresented employees, then there will be an inevitable knock-on effect on staff retention.

  1. Practice what you preach

It’s all well and good taking a position on these retention and attraction efforts, but it’s crucial that your words and actions match the promises you make. Anything you say to attract new talent is meaningless if your internal environment and actions don’t support it.

We are experiencing a major shift in the workplace; it’s only right to consider your talent retention and attraction strategy with the same level of scale and ambition. Things are changing, and the businesses that don’t keep up will get left behind. 

13 Ways To Boost Your Personal Brand On LinkedIn

We’re all familiar with branding our business, but what about branding ourselves?

The past 18 months have been a turning point for many business leaders. No longer interacting at trade fairs and conferences, CEOs suddenly had a laser-sharp focus on their personal brand – and how that was represented online.

Working on your personal brand is an excellent idea if your offline reputation took a hit due to the pandemic. It helps sell and market you and offers a human element to your business. LinkedIn is by far the best platform for establishing your brand, but with so many people brand building, how do you get it right without getting lost in the sea of content?

A good strategy is essential, so here are our top 13 tips to start brand-building.

Getting the Basics Right

To start thinking about your personal brand, begin with the basics. Once you nail these elements, you can go on to think about content and outreach, but it all starts here.

  1. Remember – LinkedIn is your Living CV

Your LinkedIn profile is not something you fill out one day and then walk away from. Instead, it’s a living, breathing record of your achievements and career successes. So the first thing to remember when trying to ace your personal brand is to keep your profile updated – whenever you make a career move, speak at a conference or publish an article.

  1. Optimise Your Profile for Search

Did you know you can optimise your LinkedIn page for SEO?

Understanding your relevant keywords is a crucial aspect of understanding your personal brand. Determine the keywords you want to be found for when potential clients of employers search LinkedIn and use them in your headline, summary, and job descriptions. All the work you do to optimise your profile will be lost if you don’t choose the right keywords, as no one will discover your profile.

  1. Sell Yourself

Just as you would when talking about your business, it’s essential to sell yourself in your description. Again, be specific – include facts and figures to demonstrate your accomplishments, but keep it concise and to the point.

  1. Choose the Right Profile Photo

As with any branding, images are key. When people are skimming through your profile, the first thing they will spot is your profile photo, so it’s essential that the picture represents your brand.

Ensure your photo includes a clear view of your face and shoulders and is clear, crisp, and well-lit. You should be dressed professionally, and remember, a smile goes a long way!

  1. Don’t Forget Your Cover Photo

LinkedIn cover photos are another opportunity for you to shape your personal brand, so be sure to take advantage of this feature. Consider including your company’s logo or an image that reflects your profession. We’ve seen some great examples of company pages that include a CTA in the banner to engage visitors further.

  1. Make Your Headline Count

LinkedIn profile headlines are limited to 120 characters, so you need to get creative to make this prime real estate as effective as possible. Your headline needs to grab the reader’s attention and make them want to stick around. Once you’ve chosen your headline, test it on a mobile device too to make sure it works across devices.

Think Content

Now we’ve got the basics sorted, let’s take a look at how content can help shape your brand on LinkedIn.

  1. Write Articles

To have a chance of standing out in the crowded field of LinkedIn, you need to be creating your rich content. We know you’ve heard this over and over – that’s because it’s one of the best ways to demonstrate your knowledge and expertise and develop your brand on LinkedIn.

Most companies are sitting on a goldmine of information and data that would be interesting to your customers and/or peers; creating content is just about getting that information out there.

Even if you have a blog on your website, publishing on LinkedIn has specific advantages. All your connections get notified whenever you publish on the network, and you can choose to feature these articles on your LinkedIn profile.

  1. Create Brilliant and Diverse Content

The thing that will differentiate you from everyone else on LinkedIn is providing exceptional content that people simply cannot resist. Try to ensure this content is a diverse mix that represents all sides of your personal brand – videos, infographics, free ebooks, and live webinars are all great ideas.

  1. Reshare your top-performing posts

Keep a close eye on what posts perform best, and repurpose or reuse that content. They resonated with your audience, so take your own lead and let them inspire other content, and reshare those super-successful posts to get more traction.

Your Network
  1. Leverage Industry Influencers

Influencers are crucial to your personal brand – establishing relationships with influencers in your industry by mentioning them in posts can help boost your visibility on LinkedIn and affirm your personal brand for other users.

  1. Participate in Groups

LinkedIn groups are a powerful resource, especially as you develop your personal brand. Groups allow you to meet and mingle with other professionals in your industry and offer the potential of powerful connections and working relationships down the line.

There’s one crucial part to being part of these groups: participation. Comment, share content, offer advice and start conversation threads – this kind of engagement will mean you reap a lot more of the benefits of groups than if you sit on the sidelines.

  1. Keep an Eye on Connections

A huge part of LinkedIn is making and maintaining connections. Accept all requests that come in, even if you don’t know the person. The more connections you have, the higher LinkedIn will rank you, and the more others will see your profile.

  1. Engage

Crucially, you must continue to engage with LinkedIn for it to be an up-to-date authority on you and your personal brand. So regularly post, share, engage and keep your profile up to date. The more present you are, the more benefits you will get from the network.

LinkedIn is one of the most critical networks for personal branding; it’s a powerhouse tool to have at your fingertips, so we hope these strategies help you to make the most of personal branding on LinkedIn.

From Side-Gig to Success: Exploring the ‘Why’ Behind Starting Your Own Business

Starting your own business can be an enticing prospect for many individuals. The allure of independence, the freedom to pursue personal passions, and the ever-elusive work-life balance are just a few reasons people choose this path. 

Interestingly, some of the most successful businesses today, like Etsy, Facebook, Apple, Under Armour, and Yankee Candle, have humble beginnings as mere side gigs. Those small projects were initially meant to generate extra income while working regular nine-to-five jobs. However, fate had other plans, and these side ventures evolved into thriving enterprises that have left a significant impact on the world.

When it comes to starting a business, various motivations come into play, and these motivations can vary from one entrepreneur to another. Let’s delve into some of the driving forces that inspire individuals to take the leap into the entrepreneurial journey.

1. Passion and Purpose

One of the biggest motivators for starting a business is the burning passion for a particular idea, product, or service. When you’re genuinely passionate about something, it ceases to feel like “work” and becomes an exciting endeavour. Entrepreneurs who identify a purposeful mission behind their business are often driven by a desire to make a positive impact on society, leaving behind a meaningful legacy.

2. Independence and Autonomy

Breaking free from the confines of a traditional job and being the master of your destiny is liberating. Entrepreneurship offers a level of independence and autonomy that is rare in most corporate settings. Making decisions without seeking approval from higher-ups allows entrepreneurs to shape their businesses according to their vision and values.

3. Financial Freedom

The prospect of unlimited earning potential is undoubtedly an attractive aspect of starting a business. While financial success is not guaranteed, the possibility of building a profitable enterprise that generates substantial income can be a significant motivating factor. Entrepreneurship offers the potential for long-term wealth and financial security, which may be challenging to achieve through traditional employment.

4. Flexibility and Work-Life Balance

Entrepreneurs often seek a better work-life balance by starting their own businesses. Although running a startup can be demanding, entrepreneurs have the flexibility to set their own schedules and allocate time for family, hobbies, and personal pursuits. Achieving a healthy work-life balance is a crucial factor in reducing stress and ensuring overall well-being.

5. Innovating and Problem-Solving

Entrepreneurs are often driven by a desire to create something new, disrupt industries, or solve significant challenges facing society. The thrill of innovation and problem-solving can be a powerful motivator, especially for those who relish the opportunity to think outside the box and create solutions that positively impact people’s lives.

6. Personal Growth and Learning

Starting a business is an incredible journey of personal growth and continuous learning. Entrepreneurship presents numerous challenges and opportunities to develop new skills, enhance existing ones, and expand one’s horizons. The process of building and running a business can be transformative, shaping entrepreneurs into more resilient, adaptable, and self-aware individuals.

In conclusion, the decision to start a business is deeply personal, influenced by a myriad of motivations that resonate with each entrepreneur’s unique aspirations and goals. 

What motivated you to embark on the entrepreneurial journey?