With people spending more time online than ever before, now is the perfect opportunity to explore, embrace and implement a range of digital marketing strategies, to ensure your business can engage your target audience and in doing so, also generate revenue.

Here are our five favourite digital marketing strategies that we believe are invaluable to succeeding in this fast-paced, digital world.

1. Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)

What exactly is SEO?

SEO is the process of optimising your website to improve its visibility in search engine results pages (SERPS). This process combines a number of factors such as on-page optimisation (keywords, meta tags, and content quality), technical optimisation (site speed and mobile-friendliness), and off-page optimisation (backlinks).

Why do we need it?

There’s more to SEO than just three letters. SEO is basically the foundation of digital marketing as it helps businesses expand their online visibility, attracts relevant traffic, and builds a strong reputation. It's also an indispensable component of any digital marketing strategy, due to its cost-effectiveness and long-lasting impact.

2. Social media marketing

Why use it?

Believe it or not, there’s more to social media than just using it to stalk your ex partners. Social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, and TikTok provide low-cost opportunities to connect with your audience, build brand awareness, and drive traffic to your website. Through the development of a social media strategy that aligns with your business goals and creates compelling content, you can also use paid social media advertising to target specific demographics and boost your reach.

Video marketing

Everyone loves a good social media video and believe it or not, they are also a compelling digital marketing strategy that uses the power of your video content to engage and captivate audiences. Another advantage of video marketing is that they are highly shareable on social media, and can be used for storytelling, boosting conversions, and real-time engagement through live streaming. Given the rising trend of video-sharing  platforms such as TikTok and Youtube, video marketing, to put it simply, cannot be ignored. Plus, they’re also really fun to make!

3. Content Marketing

 Tell your story

The main goal of content marketing is to attract and retain the attention of a target audience by producing useful, engaging and relevant material. This can be anything - podcasts, infographics, videos, articles or blogs. Basically, the goal is to establish your business as an authority in your industry and provide solutions or insights that address your target audience’s pain points.

Why do we need it?

Content keeps your audiences engaged and promotes conversation, builds consumer trust in your business and educates people, in an interactive and interesting way, about what you’re doing. Good quality, up-to-date content will also boost your website’s search engine ranking and drive organic traffic.

4. Email Marketing:

What exactly is it?

Email marketing is a direct communication method that is effective for generating leads, promoting your business and establishing connections. It’s also a cost-effective way to engage with your audience, nurture leads, and drive conversions.

How to do it effectively?

Building an email list or database of interested subscribers allows you to send targeted and personalised messages, such as newsletters, promotions, and product updates. Automation tools can also help segment your list and send relevant content at the right times. You do need to be careful however, not to saturate your subscribers with material, otherwise your emails will end up in spam or worse, the unsubscribe button will be used in full force!

5. Influencer marketing

In a nutshell, influencer marketing is partnering up with people who have a sizeable following and impact within a certain specialty or sector, and using them to market your goods or services to their interested clientele. Yes, it can be expensive, but the benefits of influencer marketing can be priceless. Influencers can not only leverage authentic endorsements, but they can also build trust and boost sales through credible recommendations, making it a valuable strategy for any kind of business.

The last word

Taking a comprehensive approach to digital marketing and encompassing as many of the above strategies into your marketing approach, rather than just adopting one method, is essential for remaining competitive and establishing long-term success for your business in the digital era.

Don’t know about you, but I feel like we’re barreling towards Christmas at a rate of knots, but before we get there, we’ve got two key retail periods to contend with. Like ‘em or loathe ‘em, Black Friday (November 24) and Cyber Monday (November 27) are fast approaching and have become a bit of a big thing here in Straya. What essentially began as an American trend, these two days are now global consumer movements. Big ones. And given the cost of living these days, and the big event next month, consumers will be holding out and saving their cents in anticipation.

Say Black Cyber whaaat?

The origins of Black Friday, the day following Thanksgiving, date back to the 1960s, when police officers in Philadelphia used the term to describe the chaos that resulted when large numbers of suburban tourists came to the city to do their holiday shopping. The huge crowds created a headache for the police, who worked longer shifts, dealing with traffic jams, accidents, shoplifting and all sorts of other issues that come with big numbers of humans in one place. Cyber Monday, falling on the first Monday after the Thanksgiving holiday, is a 24-hour online shopping event, that was created by businesses to encourage people to shop online, but it’s now turned into an extension of the Black Friday sales. Regardless of the origins, these two dates are two of the busiest shopping days of the year globally, so if you can, jump on board.

The Countdown Begins

If you sell stuff, whether it’s actual things or services, consider whether you could take advantage of Black Friday and/or Cyber Monday. A couple of weeks out, start generating excitement by promoting the offers you’ll have available over those days, as they could be a mighty lucrative 48 hours for your business.

In saying that, it’s also important to make your promotion worth waiting for. There will be a lot of other promotional noise to cut through, so if you want customers knocking down your IRL or virtual doors, this is your once-a-year opportunity to give them something that is just too good to refuse. And giving them advance warning will allow them to plan who they will be spending their dollars with over that long weekend – make sure you are front of mind. 

5 Marketing Tips:

1. Use your database to let your current and past customers know about your Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales. Make your email eyecatching and interesting and be straight to the point with your offers.
2. Use your socials. Post on your business pages, and take advantage of local group pages, particularly if you have a special deal they need to know about! Avoid spamming these groups though, that could lead to you being banned, or trolled (eyeroll), so make sure it’s a good, genuine offer that is relevant to them.
3. If you have a shop window, put up an old-fashioned poster, more people notice these than you think, and they’re a cost effective way of letting people know you’ll be having a huge Black Friday sale.
4. If your offer is big and you have a bit of budget, then TV and radio advertising can also be cost-effective ways of promoting your offers.
5. If you’re going to partake in Cyber Monday as well, make sure your website and online store are working efficiently to cope with more traffic than usual.

What are you waiting for?

Get to it! Find a good offer and start building excitement in the countdown to Black Friday and Cyber Monday - make it something worth waiting for. Then we can start planning for Christmas!

Stay fruity

Barefruit x

Brand building. Two words that Barefruit Marketing believe are crucial for startups to consider when establishing a new business. Not only does building an effective brand distinguish your startup from your competitors, but it also creates a unique identity for your business, one that will resonate with your customers, build trust and establish a connection with your target audience. If you’re not sure where to start, here are some of our top tips you should consider when building your brand.

• Clearly define your brand and articulate its mission, values and unique selling proposition. Identify your competition and work out what sets you apart.
• In order to tailor your brand messaging and resonate with potential customers, get to know your target audience and understand their needs, preferences and pain points.
• Develop a strong online presence - creating a professional website and an active social media profile are essential ways of reaching and engaging with your audience.
• Maintain a consistent tone and style in your messaging to reinforce your brand's identity by regularly engaging with your audience. Believe it or not, sharing the journey of your startup, its values and milestones, will forge strong connections with your customers.
• Continuously evaluate your brand's performance, gather customer feedback, and be willing to adapt and evolve, as your startup grows and market conditions change.
•  Use key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure the effectiveness of your brand-building efforts and make data-driven adjustments as needed.
• Most importantly,  understand that authenticity is key to building trust with your audience. Be true to your values and foster a community, where customers can connect and share their experiences around your brand.

Remember that brand building is an ongoing process that takes time, consistency and effort.

It’s about crafting a compelling narrative and delivering on your brand's promise at every interaction. 

It’s about being authentic in your mission and engaging with your audience. 

So what are you waiting for? Start building your brand today.

Black is back baby

Whether you’re a fan or not, Black Friday, on November 24, is fast approaching and although it originated in the States, it’s now a worldwide shopping phenomenon which you might want to partake in.

Given the high cost of living and the fact people are very conscious of how they’re spending their money, Black Friday is a great opportunity to entice customers into your store in the lead up to Christmas, with an awesome offer they can’t refuse.

A good sale goes a long way

Consumers are a savvy bunch, you know that because you are one. We are looking for, and we know a good deal when we see one. We can also see straight through lacklustre offers and will go somewhere else if we can’t see the value. So make sure you’re prepared with a good sale or offer - remember it’s just for 24 hours, so go for it!

The Lennox community has a huge range of excellent businesses, including cafes, restaurants, gifting, beauty, clothing, food and art, not forgetting the deli, gym, hair, nails, restaurant, health foods and more, down at Epiq. The Black Friday sale can apply to everyone. 

Just do it 

If you’re a cafe or a restaurant, why not offer a two for one meal deal for the day, or a complimentary coffee or wine (yes please) with a meal? Hair and beauty, now’s your chance to start promoting a special offer, perhaps a free blow dry or head massage for customers who book in for Black Friday? Gyms could offer a free trial class or half-price membership and our galleries and art stores could offer flash sales – there is so much opportunity – and it is for one day only.

Spread the word

Let locals know about what’s going to be on offer now, so they can start planning on where they’re going to spend their hard-earned cash. Use your database and start sending out emails. Get on your socials and promote the day, or even put posters up in your shop window - it’s a cheap way to advertise and very effective. 

Whatever you do in the lead-up to Black Friday, make it memorable and make it worth getting out of bed for. There will be a lot of other Black Friday promotional noise to cut through. It’s only 24 hours, don’t waste a second.

Stay fruity 

Barefruit x

Testament to their ongoing work in the local community and their dedication to networking and collaboration, Barefruit Marketing was awarded ‘Employer of Choice’ (for a business with less than 21 employees), for the second year running, at the recent Ballina Shire Business Excellence Awards, which recognises and rewards excellence in business. 

Claire Harding, co-founder of Barefruit Marketing also received the ‘Outstanding Business Leader’ award, demonstrating her ongoing commitment to her workplace, the industry and the community. With over thirty years of marketing experience, as well as her outstanding dedication to her staff and the continual expansion of Barefruit, it was little wonder she scooped the coveted award and recognition.

Aside from their commitment to providing a supportive and forward-thinking work environment that focuses on honesty and transparency, Barefruit have always believed in the importance of working with the local Northern Rivers community and go to great lengths to forge new relationships, network and connect businesses with each other.  Understanding the power of collaboration and cooperation, both Claire and fellow co-founder Evan Harding, actively promote other businesses on their platforms, attend regular networking events and are continuously work on developing new business. 

With the mantra of taking nothing for granted, be it personal or professional, and with ‘fun’ as their core value at the workplace, it’s little wonder Barefruit also took out the ‘Employer of Choice’ award, for the second time in a row.  With a creative work environment, weekly team meetings and regular professional development, (and wine of course), Claire and Evan go out of their way to ensure that coming into work is something to look forward to, rather than dread.

Akin to their unicorn abilities, Barefruit stand out from the crowd by offering pro bono services to a number of local not-for-profits and charity organisations, such as Biala Support Services and Rafiki Mwema, a charity that raises awareness for traumatised children that live in Kenya, and sponsor community events, such as the Love Lennox Festival and the XXX soccer team/sports ground.

Given their success at the Ballina Shire Business Awards, Barefruit  are also now finalists for these categories at the Northern Rivers Regional Business Awards, to be held on September 16.