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Just like thousands of beauty business owners across the country, Lauren Arthur was devastated when she had to close the door on her salon due to the pandemic.
Having only started Beautique by Lauren in Beckenham, Bromley, in September 2018, the 32-year-old was worried about the impact multiple lockdowns would have on her client base.
Lauren, who offers facials, manicures, waxing, tanning and massages, had spent years working as a beauty therapist, building up a loyal clientele before opening her own salon.
Small business owner Lauren Arthur wondered whether her business would survive lockdown
Then, when the coronavirus first hit in March 2020, Lauren, and every other entrepreneur, was left wondering whether her business would survive.
‘When the first lockdown hit, we were all very scared. So like thousands of others, I locked my doors probably before I needed to, because there were so many people at risk,’ she said.
‘Thankfully I was able to open up again in the summer, and I’m so lucky everyone who felt comfortable enough did come back. Business was OK, but not great.
‘Then when we had to close for what would have been the Christmas rush, it was so difficult. I didn’t reopen until April 12, and that lockdown was super tough.
‘After that, there was an initial rush of customers, but then it was quieter, people had been used to leaving things for longer, and weren’t going out as much.
‘There’s no reason why it can’t get back to how it was, but it’s going to take time.’
With small companies like Lauren’s in mind, MailOnline has launched a new advertising platform called Ad Manager, to help SMEs come back thriving.
The innovative service puts the control firmly with the business owner, and means people can advertise their brand to MailOnline’s huge audience of 25 million, without a hefty price tag.
Lauren used MailOnline’s Ad Manager to boost awareness of her business and drive trade
As well as being able to target more people in your area than local titles, you can also target customers by postcode, interests and life stage.
What’s more the campaign is very easy to set up, and can be live within just 24 hours.
Lauren was one of the first businesses to try the new Ad Manager platform, increasing brand awareness, as well as visits to her Beautique By Lauren Facebook page.
She is thrilled with the results.
‘I would have never thought I could advertise on such a huge platform as MailOnline, and I don’t usually push myself out of my comfort zone,’ she said.
‘But everything about Ad Manager – from the platform to the team I was working with – has been incredible. I’m not that techy, and when I needed help, it was there every step of the way.
‘For me, it was about brand awareness, to get more people to know about me. It’s been a very exciting thing for me to do for my business.
‘I couldn’t be more grateful to everyone involved. Not only has the campaign helped my business, but it’s given me a confidence boost, too. I was really nervous about it at the very start, but I needn’t have been, the team were so lovely.
‘It’s been a dream. It’s taken the stress out of marketing and it was very easy to do. After such a rotten time, it’s given me a fresh start and something to get excited about – I’ve now got a spring in my step!’
HOW AD MANAGER WORKS
MailOnline’s new Ad Manager advertising platform is ideal for SMEs who want to reach a large, but targeted audience of thousands of potential customers.
The system is easy to use, taking just minutes to set up – and it could be live the following day.
Ad Manager enables small businesses to reach more adults across all UK regions than ever before, with hyper-local advertising for relevant, affluent customers.
Not only can you advertise to more people in your area than your local titles can reach, you can also target customers by postcode, interests and life stage, ensuring you reach as many of our 25 million consumers as you choose.
There are no hidden fees and you can control everything, from budget to target and audience to creative design.
Here’s how:
