I joined social media for the store in 2015 when I was about to do a refit. What I’ve learned is you have to be brave and shout about the things you’re doing. We all do things we should be proud of, and we should be marketing the fact.

I know there’s a fear of being trolled, but remember, you can edit and delete posts. And you can respond to any comments positively. What you’ll find is that you build a local online community. It’s important to post consistently and to make sure you put your personality into your posts. Once I did that, I started to gain momentum.

Give your team a role in marketing your store

All staff members are trained to speak to customers about following us on Facebook. We have a Smiirl counter in the store to direct people to our Facebook page, but all you need is a small QR code at the till. Don’t let them walk out without scanning the QR code, or they’ll forget to do it.

Outside of social media, we’re always doing something with the local community that benefits local causes and promotes the store at the same time. That includes raffles, litter picks, a Halloween walk and more.

The impact of our marketing has been massive. I’ve not got the biggest store, but people return. If you sit back and do nothing, you start to fall under the radar.

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