About The Academy
Having spent 25 years working within and for SMEs, The SME Marketing Academy Founder, Sarah Lambley FCIM CMKtr, knows one thing to be consistently true.
SMEs simply don’t have the budget to pay high level strategic thinking either by recruiting a senior marketer or hiring external agency support.
Often, smaller businesses have very small, relatively junior marketing teams who work directly for the founder or MD. These marketers are often lonely, have no-one to learn from, have limited experience and are struggling with how to grow the business.
This conundrum often leads to high staff turnover of marketers in smaller organisations and stunted business growth.
Identifying an opportunity to kill two birds with one stone – provide access to great marketing thinking and elevate the marketing discipline by providing training and mentoring to SME marketers everywhere – Sarah founded the SME Marketing Academy.
An affordable and supportive solution providing access to quality training materials and expert strategic, creative and tactical insights every month.
Why The SME Marketing Academy is a Game-Changer...
Flexible
Learn at your own speed, attend Q&As live or watch the recording, submit questions via email when you can't be there in person.
Effective
Delivering the right message to the right customers at the right time is easier said than done. Learn from our experts so that your marketing plans are on point and effective.
Career Development
Marketing is ever evolving. Don't get left behind! The most successful marketers are the ones who set time aside to learn.
Affordability
For a small monthly fee you get access to marketing experts providing practical ways you can grow your business.
Community
As we launched in January 2023, it's early days. But we're on a mission to grow our community from day one - and you could be part of that movement!
Confidence
We all doubt ourselves sometimes, but access to knowledge and expertise within the academy will give you the confidence to silence that inner voice.
Tenure
Marketing in a small organisation is often a thankless task. You can often feel like a jack of all trades, master of none. And often, there's little support available for your career development. The SME Marketing Academy will be your guide and mentor, meaning greater job satisfaction for you and reduced staff turnover for the business.
ROI
The SME Marketing Academy will help reduce staff turnover (and recruitment fees), improve productivity from marketers and ensure they're focused on what really matters - commerciality not just campaigns. at just £100 + VAT per month, you'll get a return on your investment in no time.
Peace of Mind
Are you doing the right things? Should you be doing more? Are you wasting money? With access to expert advice and our emergency email helpline, you can rest easy.
The Support I Wish I'd Had...
Sarah Lambley FCIM CMktr - Founder of The SME Marketing Academy.
I started my career in 1999. It was an interesting time – the dot com boom was underway and marketers were finding their way in ‘new media’. It was an interesting and exciting time, but difficult to navigate. Should I specialise in a particular area of marketing execution or be a generalist marketer? Should I stay agency side or move client side?
When I landed my first significant role as Marketing Manager at ghd, the hair superbrand, I was a lone marketer in a small but fast-growing organisation. It was an exciting but lonely place to be. Big responsibility, big decisions and ultimately being accountable for a brand that had enormous potential.
I was terrified I might f**k it up!
I struggled with imposter syndrome and had to be strong not to doubt myself. I was fortunate enough to be able to find support from other external marketers who became trusted mentors.
My time at ghd was ultimately a huge success – as a shareholder, I exited the business in 2013 having grown the brand to be worth £300m.
Since then, I’ve been working with SMEs to develop their marketing strategies.
And I regularly hear from marketers that they feel lonely or unsupported.
In organisations where founders are doing the marketing themselves or they haven’t yet hired a marketer, I hear the same concerns and see the same problems on a weekly basis.
I decided enough was enough.
The SME Marketing Academy is borne from a passion to see smaller businesses and the marketers within them succeed. To elevate the marketing discipline within smaller organisations to be as effective and successful as it is in the large corporations who have 7 figure budgets.
Marketing success shouldn’t be restricted by budget.
With the right thinking and access to affordable support, all businesses, no matter what their size, can become marketing powerhouses.
Hope to see you inside the academy soon.
Sarah x
Why should you trust in
The SME Marketing Academy?
"Sarah is a truly incredible teacher and her passion for marketing & brand really shines through and ignites her training courses to make them not only engaging, but accessible for all."
Holly Harper, Senior PR & Social Media Executive
"Sarah is a fabulous tutor! Her Brand Discovery course is packed full of useful and engaging content, and it's wonderful to see her passion for the subject shine through. Each module is informative and well thought out, and the whole course flowed perfectly. Thank you!"
Samantha Roney, Marketing Executive
"Sarah is so helpful & insightful. The course has allowed me to bring clear structure to my company"
Laurie Harris, Marketing Manager
Subscription to The SME Marketing Academy includes:
🎓 12 core modules - taking you through the core principles of marketing
🎓 Methodologies, tools and formulas broken down into digestible lessons
💡 Monthly Q&A with Sarah Lambley FCIM CMktr
✉️ Email support for marketing emergencies or burning questions
⛑️ Regular presentations and clinics with a wide range of marketing experts - covering everything from research to copywriting
🧑🎓 Access to the SME Marketing Academy community
💷 The option to buy affordable reduced rate consultancy by the hour when a little more support is required
The Academy Modules
- Module 1: Market Orientation (38:49)
- Module 2a: Introduction to Research with Liz Davis, In The Know (70:10)
- Module 2b: Market Research Tools & Techniques with Liz Davis, In The Know (74:54)
- Module 3: Brand Basics (35:51)
- Module 4: Proposition Writing (28:47)
- Module 5: Archetypes & Brands Part One & Two (68:48)
- Module 6: Other Brand Foundations (32:14)
- Module 7: Creating Your Brand Pack (4:45)
- Module 8: Category Creation (32:46)
- Module 9: Marketing Plan - The Basics (13:05)
- Module 10: Segmentation & Targeting (21:16)
- Module 11: Communications Planning (15:06)
- Module 12: Week One in a New Marketing Role (12:29)
- Dave Harland's Dead Easy Guide to Writing About Your Business Better (79:05)
- Q&A on the Role of Telemarketing in an Increasingly Digital World - with Nigel Blake from Perfect Pitch (48:44)
- Q&A: Media Planning & Buying with Bridget Moore, Alchemy Media (38:02)
- On-Page SEO for Small Businesses with Kate Smoothy from Webhive Digital (26:18)
Burning Questions?
Here Are Some Answers.
How much does the SME Marketing Academy cost?
The subscription fee is currently £100 + VAT per month for a minimum term of 12 months.
How can I arrange for more than one member of my team to have access to The Academy?
Logins are allocated to the organisation rather than the individual, so these can be used by more than one person internally. However, sharing of login credentials outside of your organisation is strictly prohibited.
How do I attend the monthly Q&As?
After sign up, you'll be sent a recurring meeting invite for the last Tuesday of every month. There will be no Q&A in August, so an extra one is added in September.
How do I sign up for an expert clinic?
New clinics will be announced via email and details will be provided on how to book.
I don't have any marketing experience, can I still join?
The SME Marketing Academy is available to anyone who wants to develop their skills in marketing - whether you have 10 years' experience or no experience at all.
I'm at Marketing Director / CMO level - is The Academy relevant for me?
The 12 core modules are aimed at marketers with less experience, but you may find them a useful refresher. The Q&As and clinics will cover a range of topics and represent an opportunity for you to check your own thinking or bounce ideas around, which is useful for everyone, no matter how much experience you have.
Can I sign up for less than 12 months?
Unfortunately not. The SME Marketing Academy has a minimum subscription term of 12 months.
How do I pay for my subscription?
Simply click on one of the 'Enroll now' buttons and complete your payment information.
Can I sign up for 12 months up front rather than pay monthly?
Not at the moment. The Academy is currently set up to accept monthly payments.
Do you offer discounts on the monthly fee?
We don't offer any discounts on the monthly fee. The price reflects the quality of the materials and expertise on offer, but is set at an affordable amount for smaller businesses. To understand more about the importance of pricing and also the risks of discounting, check out the content in The Academy!
I've just signed up, when will I receive a login?
Your login will be sent via email, usually within 24 hours of sign up. If you don't receive it, please check your junk mail. If you don't receive your login credentials within 2 working days of signing up, please email [email protected] so we can investigate.
What is Teachable?
Teachable is the online learning platform we use to deliver course materials. When you join The Academy you will be sent your own Teachable login to access our course system.
How long does the course take?
You can go through the pre-recorded materials at your own pace. We recommend one module per month.
How long do I have access to The Academy?
You will continue to be able to access all course materials and recordings until your subscription ends and you stop paying the monthly fee.
What happens at the clinics?
At our regular clinics, you will be able to book a 30 minute slot with our experts to ask specific questions relevant to your business.