BT takes on agencies with digital ad platform for SMEs

BT is launching a digital advertising platform designed to make it easier for small businesses to run their own digital marketing campaigns, helping them to better promote their goods and services online.

Dubbed the Digital Marketing Hub, it is claimed the platform gives businesses the tools and support to create, publish and track their digital advertising across Google, Facebook, and Instagram – all from a single zone.

With the majority of businesses moving online during the pandemic, a recent survey by Small Business Britain, in partnership with BT, found that three-quarters (74%) of small firms have increased their use of social media to promote their business online; more than two-fifths (43%) said they were using ecommerce more, while a third (30%) had increased their use of paid social media advertising.

But while small businesses recognise the importance of using social media to reach more customers online, two in five (40%) of the 5.9 million SMEs in the UK – equivalent to 2.4 million business – are not using paid digital media advertising. This lack of adoption risks holding a significant proportion of the UK’s small firms back from growth as the economy looks to recover from Covid, BT reckons.

Developed with feedback from more than 1,500 businesses, the Digital Marketing Hub has been designed to help those that often lack the time, resource, confidence, or skills to start or boost their own digital advertising campaigns.

From sole traders and small businesses looking to take their first steps into digital advertising, to larger companies looking to optimise big-budget display, social or search campaigns, it is claimed the Digital Marketing Hub provides an all-in-one solution.

Businesses can create ads and run multi-channel marketing campaigns while all the results feed into a single analytics dashboard. With artificial intelligence working in the background, businesses can get automatic recommendations around the best keywords, ad copy and media spends to include in their campaigns, helping secure maximum return on investment.

To support small businesses without their own website, the Digital Marketing Hub also provides the option to create a bespoke webpage to direct potential customers to.

More than half (55%) of small businesses say digital marketing is the area they need most support with, so BT has also built a new team of digital advertising experts to provide an optional managed service.

This is available as part of a fully managed pay-as-you go service with ‘Essential’ or ‘Premium’ options on offer. The managed service options range from setup support from an expert to the total outsourcing of a digital strategy, businesses can flex their level of support up and down as they want.

The platform is charged to businesses through a service fee, which is applied to each campaign on a pay as you go basis and varies depending on the service level the customer chooses. This gives businesses access to all the tools in the platform, with no minimum contract length.

Chris Sims, BT’s MD for its single/small office, home office (SoHo) unit, said: “This is a pivotal time for small businesses across the country, after a really tough couple of years. Small firms are the backbone of the UK economy, so it’s vital that they’re equipped with the digital tools and support they need to help their business reach new heights.

“They can reach a much bigger audience by using the power of digital advertising, but many lack the time, money, and confidence to do this effectively. Our new Digital Marketing Hub has been designed to give small businesses peace of mind that their online advertising campaigns are reaching the right customers, in the right place, at the right time.”

One of the first to trial the platform was Stage-ed, which partners with schools to introduce drama as part of the learning process.

Director and co-founder Mike Southern said: “We’ve traditionally worked with schools across London, but thanks to the Digital Marketing Hub we’re reaching totally new audiences across the UK. The BT service has been a gamechanger – it’s easy to use, it’s flexible and it’s opened my eyes to new areas we can advertise in.

“We’ve been involved in the process right from the start – the BT team are experts in how to optimise activity and it’s been a real learning curve. Our campaign has turned enquiries into conversions and that, for us, is gold dust.”

Natural Grace, a sustainable sportswear brand for women founded by ex investment banker Grace Osborne (pictured) has also been an early adopter. Osborne said: “As a track athlete with a passion for sustainability, founding Natural Grace enabled me to create high performance sportswear whilst tackling the pressing issue of ocean plastic.

“The BT Digital Marketing Hub really helps to streamline an essential part of the business. I can monitor and make changes to my online ads without having to move from one platform to another. It’s really simple to use and has given us invaluable insights.”

BT is taking a phased approach to the platform development, with features including additional AI optimisation capabilities and ecommerce functionality planned for release in the coming months, and more to come across the rest of the year.