Marketing for Southend-on-Sea businesses
City status arrived in 2022, but Southend-on-Sea is still a seaside resort at heart, with the longest pleasure pier in the world, Adventure Island, and a seafront that runs from Leigh-on-Sea to Shoeburyness. Tourism is seasonal and competitive, and seafront businesses make much of their year in a few busy weeks. Marketing has to be ready before the weather turns:
- Meta and Instagram ads aimed at day-trippers across Essex and east London, scheduled for warm weekends, bank holidays and school holidays
- Short video content for Instagram Reels and TikTok that shows the place at its best
- SMS and email to past customers with event dates and offers, sent only to people who opted in
- Google Business Profile updates with seasonal hours, so nobody turns up to a closed door
Restaurants, cafés and bars along the seafront, in Leigh and in Westcliff compete for locals as much as visitors, and they do well with Instagram, local ads timed for evenings, and events. Hotels and guest houses compete with booking sites, so branded search ads and email to past guests help keep more direct bookings.
Away from the beach, the economy is broader. Olympus KeyMed has its UK base in the city, and London Southend Airport, in neighbouring Rochford district, supports aviation, maintenance and engineering firms at the Airport Business Park. Those businesses market B2B through LinkedIn and specific search terms.
Two railway lines to London make Southend home to many commuters, creative freelancers and small professional firms. The University of Essex has a city centre campus and South Essex College adds further education. Estate agents and independent retailers in Leigh-on-Sea are particularly active on Instagram and Facebook, and local Meta ads with a tight radius suit them better than broad search.
Who we market in Southend-on-Sea
- Seafront attractions and amusement operators
- Restaurants, cafés and bars
- Hotels and guest houses
- Event organisers
- Medical and engineering suppliers
- Aviation businesses near the airport
- Estate agents
- Independent retailers in Leigh-on-Sea
How it works for Southend-on-Sea
We run campaigns remotely from our base in Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, with targeting set to the towns and postcodes you actually serve. You see everything in accounts you own, with a plain-English report every month. dijitul has worked with UK businesses since 2006.
Prices for Southend-on-Sea
All prices are "from" and exclude VAT. Ad spend is separate and paid directly to Google, Microsoft, Meta, LinkedIn or TikTok. Paid media management is from £150 a month or 10 to 15% of ad spend, whichever is higher. You own every ad account, pixel, audience and email list we set up.
Popular in Southend-on-Sea
Nearby
- Cambridge
- Norwich
- Peterborough
- Ipswich
- Chelmsford
- Colchester
- Luton
- Bedford
- Basildon
- Watford
- St Albans
- Stevenage
- Hemel Hempstead
- King’s Lynn
Frequently asked questions
Can our Southend ads switch on for sunny weekends and holidays?
Yes. We schedule budgets around bank holidays, school holidays and events, and can raise or pause spend at short notice when the forecast changes. Paid social management is from £150 a month + VAT, with ad spend paid directly to the platform.
Do you run SMS offers for seafront businesses?
We do, to customers who have opted in as PECR requires. SMS works well for last minute offers and event reminders. SMS marketing starts from £75 a month + VAT plus message costs.
Can you target Leigh-on-Sea separately from Southend?
Yes. We can set separate campaigns for Leigh, Westcliff and central Southend with their own budgets and ads, which helps independents reach people who actually shop locally. Location reports then show which area brings the most bookings or visits.
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