B&Q’s Digital Marketing Lessons for UK Small Firms

A retail giant doesn’t change direction because it feels trendy. It changes because the numbers force it to.

In late 2025, B&Q reported ecommerce sales up 19.4% (Q3 trading update to 31 October) alongside reported sales growth of 3.9% to £973m. Those figures sit behind a bigger story that matters to every UK small business trying to win online: marketing has shifted from “run a campaign” to build a system—data, social, content, testing, and in-store experience working together.

That’s why I paid attention to Marketing Director Katherine Paterson returning to B&Q after 12 years. She came back to a business that’s “moved on tremendously” in data, social, and personalisation—and her approach is packed with practical ideas you can copy on a small business budget.

Data-driven marketing isn’t a tool. It’s your operating system.

The point of data-driven marketing is simple: make better decisions, faster, with less waste. Paterson calls out B&Q’s increased data-centricity—especially in how it targets its customer base with personalised offers. For a national retailer, that means millions of customers. For you, it might mean 400 email subscribers and a few thousand site visits a month. The principle is identical.

The mistake most small firms make is treating “data” as something you’ll look at later—when you have time, or when you hire a specialist. The reality? If you don’t measure, you’ll keep funding whatever feels busy: random social posts, boosted ads with no follow-up, and a website that’s basically an online brochure.

What to track first (so you don’t drown in dashboards)

Start with a three-layer measurement stack you can manage in 30 minutes a week:

1. Demand signals (attention)
   • Google Search Console: clicks and queries (what people actually search)
   • Social: saves, shares, comments (not just likes)
2. Conversion signals (action)
   • Website leads: calls, form submissions, bookings
   • Product actions: add-to-cart, checkout starts (if ecommerce)
3. Value signals (quality)
   • Repeat purchases / repeat bookings
   • Average order value
   • Lead-to-sale rate (even if tracked manually in a spreadsheet)

If you only pick one new metric this month, make it lead source. Ask every enquiry, “Where did you find us?” and log it. It’s low-tech, but it stops you guessing.

Personalisation on an SME budget (without being creepy)

Personalisation isn’t “Hi {FirstName}”. It’s relevance.

B&Q’s scale allows sophisticated targeting. Your advantage is proximity: you’re closer to customers and can learn faster. Here are practical, low-cost ways to do it:

• Segment your email list by intent: “first-time enquirer”, “repeat customer”, “trade”, “DIY beginner”. Even two segments beats none.
• Build one ‘next step’ offer per segment:
  • DIY beginner → “3-step starter guide + the exact products list”
  • Trade customer → “monthly bulk deals + priority booking slot”
• Use behaviour triggers:
  • Visited “kitchen fitting” page twice → send a quote checklist
  • Downloaded “winter prep” guide → send a maintenance reminder two weeks later

A good rule: personalise based on what someone did, not who you think they are.

Social media works best as a listening tool (not a broadcast channel)

Paterson’s push for social isn’t only about reach—it’s about instant feedback. That’s the shift many small businesses still miss.

Social media marketing for small business often becomes a performance: posting to “stay visible.” But visibility without insight is just noise. The better approach is using social to hear what customers care about right now, then feeding that back into offers, website copy, and content.

Build a simple “monthly listening loop”

Paterson runs regular listening groups. You can do a lightweight version:

• Once a month, message 10 recent customers and ask one question:
  • “What nearly stopped you booking/buying?”
  • “What made you choose us?”
  • “What would you change about our website/quotes/checkout?”
• Screenshot answers (with permission) and turn them into:
  • FAQ updates on your site
  • 3 social posts
  • 1 email to your list

This matters because you’ll stop guessing what to post and start answering real objections.

Use user-generated content as proof, not decoration

B&Q “celebrates” content from users. For SMEs, user-generated content (UGC) is often your strongest sales asset because it’s believable.

What works:

• Before/after photos for services (decorating, landscaping, renovations)
• Short customer clips: “Here’s what we did and what it cost”
• Trade walkthroughs: “The 3 mistakes we fixed”

A one-liner worth stealing:

Social content should reduce uncertainty, not just look nice.

Content marketing that earns trust: teach, don’t hype

B&Q’s heritage line “You Can Do It” has lasted decades because it’s practical. Paterson also notes a growing need for how‑to content as home improvement skills are passed down less often.

This maps perfectly to British small business digital marketing: customers buy from the business that makes them feel informed and safe.

The content triad that drives leads

If you’re doing content marketing for lead generation, keep it grounded in three types:

1. How-to content (confidence)
   • “How to prepare a room for plastering”
   • “How to choose the right boiler service plan”
2. Cost/price content (clarity)
   • “How much does a loft boarding job cost in 2026?”
   • “Price ranges for small business website redesigns”
3. Proof content (trust)
   • Case studies with numbers, timeframe, and constraints
   • Reviews unpacked: “Why this job went well”

It’s January 2026—perfect timing for “fresh start” content:

• Home improvement businesses: energy efficiency, draught-proofing, storage projects
• Professional services: “new year finance tidy-up”, “Q4 review and Q1 plan”
• Retail/ecommerce: “winter clearance”, “organising” and “refresh” themes

Short-form vs long-form: don’t pick a side

Paterson credits TikTok growth while also recognising YouTube long-form and Shorts. Small businesses often treat this as an either/or decision.

Here’s what works in practice:

• Make one useful long piece a month (blog, YouTube, guide)
• Cut it into 8–12 short clips (Reels, TikTok, Shorts)
• Point shorts to a clear next step:
  • “Download the checklist”
  • “Book a site visit”
  • “See pricing”

If you want more leads, your content has to send people somewhere.

Omnichannel marketing: your “real world” is a competitive advantage

Paterson is blunt that in-person experiences still matter. I agree—especially for SMEs.

If you have a shop, clinic, studio, van, or local service area, you can deliver something pure-play online competitors can’t: physical reassurance.

Make offline moments measurable

B&Q measures footfall, transactions, traffic, share of voice, and perception. You can’t always measure like a big retailer, but you can connect offline to online:

• Put a QR code at the till/desk that links to:
  • “Leave a review”
  • “Get the care guide”
  • “Join VIP offers”
• Use unique offer codes per channel:
  • INSTAGRAM10, EMAIL10, JANLOCAL
• For service businesses: create a “post-job” text message:
  • thanks + link to review + link to maintenance tips

This isn’t about fancy attribution. It’s about building a clear line from “we met you” to “we can reach you again.”

Testing and “stealing good ideas” (yes, you should)

Paterson talks about control testing and openly admits she’s a fan of “stealing a good idea” and trying it if it worked elsewhere.

That’s a healthy attitude for small business marketing: copy patterns, not branding.

A simple testing plan you can actually run

Run one test per month. Keep everything else stable.

• Test 1: Landing page headline
  • Version A: feature-led (“High-quality kitchen fitting”)
  • Version B: outcome-led (“Get your kitchen fitted in 10 days”)
• Test 2: Offer format
  • Free quote vs fixed-price starter package
• Test 3: Ad creative
  • Before/after vs founder talking to camera

Track one success metric per test (e.g., booking rate). Otherwise you’ll rationalise everything.

A useful stance:

If you’re not testing, you’re paying tuition fees in the form of wasted ad spend.

What UK small businesses should copy from B&Q this quarter

If you’re planning your Q1 marketing and want a focused shortlist, take these five moves.

1. Build a customer feedback habit (monthly, lightweight, written down)
2. Segment your database into at least two groups and tailor one email to each
3. Turn social into proof with UGC and short “explainer” videos
4. Create one practical guide that matches January intent (save money, get organised, fix problems)
5. Test one thing—headline, offer, or creative—then keep what wins

These are scalable tactics. They work whether you’re B&Q or a two-person local business.

Ready to apply this to your own digital marketing?

B&Q’s story isn’t really about a leader returning after 12 years. It’s about marketing growing up: more data, more relevance, more listening, and tighter links between online and offline.

If your current marketing feels like a pile of disconnected tasks, start building the system: measure a few fundamentals, learn from customers every month, and make relevance your default.

What’s the one part of your digital marketing you’ll treat like a system this January—email, social, SEO, or conversion tracking?