North East SME support programme helps almost 300 businesses get online

A North of Tyne funded SME programme has supported almost 300 businesses get their business online.

Thanks to the Northumberland Covid Business Response Programme (NCBRP) and digital marketing specialists, The Allies Group, millions of online users became potential customers for Northumberland based businesses.

NCBRP was a service launched for businesses that had been adversely affected by Covid. The Project was funded by the North of Tyne Combined Authority and delivered by Advance Northumberland on behalf of Northumberland County Council and the Northumberland Business Hub.

As part of the Digital Advantage element of the programme, businesses were able to work with industry experts to build an online ad campaign across either Google or Facebook.

The advertisement was a real lifeline to businesses during a time where businesses were forced to move online to continue to deliver their services as we all as keeping engaged and at the forefront of customers minds throughout closures.

Working collectively to support businesses across the County, Allies Group and the team behind NCBRP at Advance Northumberland, delivered and managed 150 digital marketing campaigns across Google and Facebook on behalf of Northumberland based SMEs. Of the paid ads, 90 were deployed on Facebook and 60 on Google.

Chris March, CEO of Allies Group says “ Allies Group were extremely proud to play our part in supporting 150 businesses across Northumberland at an unprecedented time in the UK’s history.

“The NCBRP programme was an overwhelming success and provided a lifeline to SME’s throughout the county, we supported businesses who were losing hope of ever recovering from the onslaught of the global pandemic and opened up a world of new opportunity for them through the power of online advertising”

Although the businesses that received the support came from various sectors, Retail, Hospitality & Leisure businesses dominated the support received with 43 per cent of campaigns. The lockdowns over the last two years meant the industry was struggling, with closures and uncertainty around how the industry would bounce back.