Scaling a business to the next level isn’t a one-size-fits-all process. The next stage in business growth can look very different for each business owner – whether that means taking on more employees or redirecting your focus online. At Flow Business Support, we recognise the importance of flexibility and bespoke approaches to suit different clients with different goals. The right support and access to knowledge can make a significant difference – even in businesses that are already succeeding in many other areas.

When LG Decorating approached us, they had already established a solid reputation in the local area and throughout London for their professional painting and decorating services. Director, Luke Godden, had built a team of highly skilled and dedicated tradesmen and acquired contracts with many large-scale commercial projects. The business was, in all shapes and purposes, running successfully and the demand had continued to increase since lockdown restrictions were lifted. It was a push from Luke’s wife that urged him to contact us. LG Decorating has recently been recognised as one of the top 25 Dulux users in the country and exposure to others in this sphere had highlighted the outdated nature of the company’s digital presence.

During our initial meeting, Luke expressed his concern about branching into this area of marketing. With little prior knowledge of social media for business, he was concerned that platforms such as Instagram were more acutely focused on ‘bragging’ from one-man-band decorators or domestic decorators. He was unsure whether there was a demand for content and presence as a commercial-focused business. We discussed the target audiences on different platforms, the potential outcomes and the ways that these platforms can be utilised for business benefits. Even with these concerns, Luke was very passionate about finding a way to reach out to young people. With the current labour shortage and ageing working population, he noticed a need to excite youngsters about the prospect of painting and decorating as a career and believed that socialising the business would give him a better opportunity to reach potential apprentices.

“The hardest thing for you would have been to meet me and get across the table with me. Once you got there, you basically sold yourselves because of how knowledgeable you all were. You told me things I didn’t know. I was worried about whether you would get how I come across. I’m a tradesman at the end of the day, as well as being a self-taught businessman. I wanted to make sure that the language we used and the end product appealed to a corporate client but also sounded like me – sounded authentic. Kelly was amazing with this time and time again. Mya and Michelle as well. They were persuasive without making me feel uncomfortable and explained things so I could understand clearly.”

Luke Godden, Director of LG Decorating

The entire confirmed project consisted of brand guidelines, a new website (designed and created by one of our trusted partners) and our Social Media Launch & Strategy Package. The new website would be a visual display of previous projects, a deep-dive into the services offered and a career-focused exploration of the industry. It would follow a strict branding guideline to ensure visual consistency and would have a modern, simplistic and professional feel. Alongside this, our Social Media Specialist would work on an in-depth strategy. This 20+ page document would include an analysis of the industry to identify market trends, challenges and potential gaps. It would delve into LG’s competition and aspirational competitors to understand what types of activity were working well with a similar target audience. It would audit any existing social media activity to understand the current audience and any particularly successful posts. Finally, it would bring together a three-month plan for social media, identifying the best platforms, content types and posting times along with goal-driven KPIs and relevant tracking metrics. Two months of social media content would be created by the Flow team off the back of this, approved through Luke and scheduled to test the strategy.

A project of this scale required top-level management which came in the form of Kelly, our in-house OBM and Project Manager. She oversaw the entire project, acting as the point of contact for all external parties and collating the information together for Luke to approve. The team set a realistic deadline that allowed for changes. Kelly maintained a strict timeline and schedule, ensuring each component of the entire project ran smoothly and without an issue.

The social media activity was the first to go live and instantly saw results. LinkedIn, in particular, saw a significant rise in engagement and most specifically in opinion-based conversations over project ones. A post discussing the unattractive nature of painting and decorating as a career generated 282 reactions, 54 comments and 11 reposts with excellent discussions arising and 28,925 impressions. During the first month, we saw a 251% increase in connections, specifically those in decision-making roles such as Managing Director and Project Manager. From this activity, LG Decorating acquired 4 new clients, 7 new contracts and an impressive +£190K in project value from clients found on this platform.

Instagram also saw a significant increase in engagement and followers, showcasing many of the past projects completed by LG to a wider audience and working to create a sense of excitement about each one. During the first month, engagement rose by +326% and reach rose by +3137% with a good spread of Reel and fixed image content responsible for this.

The way that Flow posted on LinkedIn and got interaction from other people was brilliant. It wasn’t just ‘Look at this project. Look how amazing we are’. It was discussions about what was going on in the current climate and, with people commenting back. Having people out there and connecting with people on LinkedIn and seeing the reaction of people having the same issues as me has had the biggest impact. It’s been comforting and reassuring at the same time.

Luke Godden, Director of LG Decorating

After much copywriting, image collation and fine-tuning, the website went live at the beginning of May and instantly modernised the company’s digital image. It focused on a simple colour pallet – blue, white and black – with high-quality imagery and simple navigation. The Projects page was created to showcase recent projects, with the goal to increase content here over the coming months and years. Plus, a Career-focused page delves into Luke’s passion for apprenticeships and supporting young people throughout their careers. It will be used over the coming months and years to continue supporting these goals, being shared through social media and available to any interested partners.

The results, both visual and numerical, outline this project as a roaring success for both LG Decorating and Flow Business Support. We set out to create a modern, professional and functional digital image for a business that had already proved its own success. The goal was to translate Luke’s personal voice into conversations that expanded his contact list and exposed the company to as many potential clients as possible. And the end results have certainly achieved this and more.

Running a business on your own is quite difficult. You’re responsible for so many people. Not just responsible for them but responsible for their families. In my industry, we’re just hairy-arse builders that need a little bit of help from people who get us, which I feel like Flow do. It’s not all corporate.

Luke Godden, Director of LG Decorating

If you’re looking to refresh or launch your business’s digital presence and want to discuss delegation, email me at michelle@flowbusinessupport.co.uk and let’s chat.