Business Tips to Make the Most of Summer

With the festive season and school holidays in full swing the Northern Rivers is seeing a huge influx of visitors. And, with international travel no longer an option for a Christmas getaway, this summer is going to be busier than ever before. As a small business in our area, it’s time to get creative and do what you can to capture the attention of locals and visitors. Think about how you can make valuable exchanges and build relationships to encourage future sales.

It’s time to get creative!

This summer is the perfect opportunity to gather and collect content and customers so when it goes quiet again, you’ve got something to work with. After the year 2020 was, User Generated Content (UGC) is more important than ever before. Think of ways for consumers to engage with your brand so that their experience with you is memorable and personalised. Perhaps it’s through a hashtag, a competition or discount rewarding UGC or some clever packaging.

Lennox Head Pizza have collaborated with @thepizzabib and local artist, MLak, to create quirky pizza boxes with fun artwork that is very shareable on social media. Don’t forget about print ads, either! We can expect this high season to last until after Easter, so an ad in the Lennox Wave, the Echo or other local publications will boost your brand's awareness. Loyalty cards, gift cards and repeat-sale-discounts are other ways to facilitate relationship building with consumers.

Trends to look out for in 2021

The marketing landscape has undergone significant change due to the impacts of lockdowns and social-distancing restrictions, across the world. As such, nostalgia marketing has really taken off. Why? We’re all craving the comfort of familiarity. Nostalgia is incredibly powerful, and it’s been proven to make consumers more willing to spend money on products and services. This makes nostalgia marketing a perfect fit for any marketing plans Australia. When you combine emotions and connections to brands from people’s childhoods with persuasive messaging, it has a strong effect on purchase decision-making. Remember the ‘Crocodile Dundee’ Superbowl ad for Australian Tourism? That tapped into nostalgia, helping Americans connect with and build perceptions of  modern-day Australia.

Position Zero on Google

We are currently witnessing one of the biggest shifts in digital marketing in the last decade. It’s always been the goal to rank 1 on Google, but now there is a Position Zero to aim for. Position Zero is when text from a website is shown above search results. This snippet is pulled from Google’s algorithm as it is believed to be the most accurate answer to a certain query. Position Zero is what Google uses to answer voice searches, which is why it is becoming increasingly important. In 2021, ranking first in search results will still be essential to a successful SEO strategy, and being featured in Position Zero will be just as important, if not more so.

We made it through 2020! May 2021 be a fruitful year for you.

Marketing trends you can expect to see in 2021

BFM 2021 Marketing Trends

2021 is just around the corner which means it’s time to get ahead of the game. As we approach the end of each year, marketing trends for the next start to emerge. So, we’re going to take a look at what you can expect to see in the world of marketing in 2021.

User Generated Content

Since the rise of influencer marketing, user generated content (UGC) has become a highly effective marketing strategy for brands all across the world. As such, the value of UGC has increased exponentially due to consumers’ inclination to trust messages from fellow users over those from brands. The main appeal of UGC is the increased level of authenticity and reliability it provides consumers – essentially, it’s the new-school word for ‘word of mouth’.

Due to lock-down and social-distancing restrictions, 2020 saw a HUGE increase in UGC. Photoshoots and filming were put on hold and so brands had to get creative. And so, they adapted to the evolving digital landscape by looking to their customers to create content they want to see. We’ve seen more collaborations, influencer take-overs and real-life consumers using products on brand profiles on social media than ever before. In 2021, expect to see the trend continue because, let’s face it, there is nothing more trusting and enticing to see someone using and enjoying a product or service.

Example-Starbucks-User-Generated-Content
Branded content

High quality branded content has also been on the rise in 2020. Although, it’s no longer a one-way conversation when it comes to branded content. When brands communicate messages across any channel, consumers are increasingly expecting an experience. They don’t want to be told that something is on sale. Consumers want to connect emotionally with brands and get to know the brand’s personality and values in order to establish a relationship which aids purchase decisions.

And so, branded content in 2021 will be about creating a unique, unforgettable experience for customers. Jen McKinnon, Video Marketing Specialist and Envato says,

"With businesses, brands and individuals creating new content by the second, it's becoming harder and harder to stand out, which is why the quality of what we publish is so important.”

Some brands are using AR features of Instagram filters to give users branded experiences. Below are a few examples we love. Gucci jumped on board with a filter to help 2020 high school and uni graduates celebrate, which was extremely popular as graduation ceremonies were cancelled around the world. We MakeUp has used filters to give users the opportunity to 'try before thy buy'. And Taco Bell ...well we aren't sure if we love it, but it's certainly an experience for the user! You've likely seen brands engage on Instagram filters with games as well, and all of this is high quality branded content that creates memorable experiences for users.

Gucci Filters for branded content
We.MakeUp Filter for branded content
Taco Bell Filter for branded content
Social commerce

Social media is now the biggest and most beneficial platform for digital marketing, and makes up a large part of marketing budgets. With the introduction of Facebook and Instagram shops, product tags and Pinterest shopping ads and catalogues, social commerce has made its mark in 2020. 55% of online shoppers making purchases through social media channel and a whopping 71% of us turning to social media for shopping inspiration.

As we move into 2021, its more important than ever to make your brand, product and services are shoppable on social media. Additionally, consumers are starting to expect a more streamlined shopping experience, so having products shoppable on social media channels delivers on their expectations.

Example Instagram shopping tags
Brand activism

With everything that has happened in 2020, people have turned to social media to share their viewpoints on political, social and environmental issues around the world. It is no surprise that we are now seeing a big increase in brand activism, especially on social media. Today’s consumers are no longer out to get a good deal, instead they are becoming loyal to brands that aren’t afraid to stand up for what’s right, are committed to making change and have values aligned to those of their own.

In 2021, to help consumers feel connected to your brand’s personality, to build trust and loyalty you need to share your brand’s view points on certain issues in the world. Not all of them, of course! But the main ones that resonate with you and your brand.

 

Nostalgia Marketing

Described as the ‘advertising-equivalent of comfort food’, nostalgia marketing has really taken off in the last year. And this is probably because we are all craving familiarity, comfort and safety in 2020. Additionally, in a fast-paced world, looking back on the good-ol’ times always a welcome comfort.

Nostalgia is incredibly powerful, and it’s been proven to make consumers more willing to spend money on products and services, making it a perfect fit for any marketing strategy. When you combine nostalgia and marketing together, you get a force that cannot be reckoned with. Mixing emotions and connections to brands from people’s childhoods with persuasive messaging has a strong effect on purchase decision-making. Nostalgia Marketing forces us to focus on the things we already know and uses the familiarity of the old to sell the innovation. Its familiar, comforting and safe, and who doesn’t want a bit of that right now?

SERP Position Zero

SEO will remain an integral part of a digital marketing strategy in 2021, especially now that we are witnessing one of the biggest shifts in the industry in the last decade. Due to the increase use of mobile and voice search, the way in which people use search engines is changing. Think about how you use your phone to search on Google, versus how you use a desktop computer. As such, to rank first on Google Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs) is no longer the ultimate goal. There is now a Position Zero to aim for. Position Zero is when text from a website is shown above search results. This snippet is pulled from Google’s algorithm as it is believed to be the most accurate answer to a certain query. Position Zero is what Google uses to answer voice searches, which is why it is becoming increasingly important.

In 2021, ranking first in search results will still be essential to a successful SEO strategy, but being featured in Position Zero will be just as important, if not more so.

Position Zero example SEO 2020

2020 has been a wild ride, but with these tip-offs on the marketing trends to expect in 2021, you can get planning now. Because, fingers-crossed (all of them!) 2021 is going to be a better year than the ones we’ve just had. Keep note that trends evolve and change, so these top tips aren’t anything set in stone, but they are a guide you can trust!

 

Related Tag: Marketing Plans Australia

Getting Your Brand Ready for Christmas

Get ready for Xmas

It’s that time of year already…finally! After the Melbourne Cup, the festive season hits and with the longer days, daylight savings and warmer weather, Christmas is well and truly on its way. If you’re a small business, Christmas and the holiday season can be one of your busiest times of the year. So let’s make sure you’re ready.

Promotion, Sales and Discounts

Whatever you’re selling, this is the time of year when the market is saturated with promotions, deals, discounts and sales. It all kicks off with Black Friday on 29 November and Cyber Monday on 30 November in celebration of Thanksgiving. Although Australia doesn’t necessarily celebrate Thanksgiving, we’ve jumped on board anyway – any excuse for a sale! Then we’re into the Christmas rush, swiftly followed by Boxing Day and January sales. Choose which promotional method best suits your brand and make sure you give people plenty of notice. Utilise your social media channels, website and email lists. If you are Lennox-based, you will reach most of the community with the Lennox Wave. What's more, over the holiday period Helen’s bumper issue reaches locals and the many visitors to our town!

Consider Shipping Delays

With COVID-19 and the huge increase in online shopping, Australia Post and other couriers are struggling to keep up. Keep an eye on possible delays! Communicate the cut-off dates for Christmas deliveries to encourage early purchase.

Christmas Gifts for Business Partners and Loyal Customers

The festive season is a time for giving and it’s important to make sure your brand is also. Recognise the people you work with, partnerships, clients and loyal customers with a little-something-special to show they’ve made a difference to your year. It doesn’t have to be big or expensive…a card in the mail goes a long way. Again, don’t forget lead times on merchandise could be very soon.

Shop local!

Choose to shop local to support our community and local business owners. With everything that has happened this year, they really need all the support they can get. Plus, gifts are so much more special when there is a story behind them – a personal touch that cannot be matched.

Schedule your Socials

Being a business owner and wearing all those hats is full on at the best of times, so get ahead of yourself and organise what you can in advance. Batch your content and spend a few hours getting your posts created and scheduled, all the way to the beginning of January if you can! There is an in-built scheduling tool in Facebook called Creator Studio (make sure you link your Instagram and Facebook together!) and multiple scheduling apps, such as Hootsuite or Later.

2020 has been a huge year, and as a business owner we have all felt pushed to our absolute limits at times. This Christmas make sure to give yourself a break. Get refreshed for the new year, think about your goals moving forward and appreciate the fact that you made it!

Related tag: Branding Gold Coast

 

Take Amazing Photos for your Brand at Home

This is for all the small business owners who have their fingers in many pies; who are the finance, the marketing, the logistics, the production and the sales team all in one. When it comes to professional, and sleek branding, ensuring your products are photographed professionally is a biggie. You want your product to look as desirable to the consumer as possible, while providing them with an opportunity to evaluate the material, quality, design and features of your product.

It’s expensive to get have your products photographed by a professional, especially if you’re a small business. So, let’s take a look at how to take amazing product photos yourself, at home.

Plan your photo shoot

As you would do if you were planning anything, you need to do your research. Spend an hour or so looking at competitors, brands you aspire to and, of course, Pinterest to get some inspo. Save it the images you love so you have something to reference when you are behind the camera. Make sure you take a good look at your inspo photography, noting how someone has used light, what sort of light it is (warm or cool), and how they have laid out their studio space.

Set up your studio

Find an area with the best natural light in your home. This where you are going to set up. Usually having a blank wall behind you is ideal, although you can easily hang up a sheet to create a plain, yet soft background. Then you’ll need to decide how you’re going to display your product. Do you have a nice desk you can move into your studio space? Or maybe a rustic stool? Or maybe you need a model? Anything that will give you a nice aesthetic, that matches you branding of course! We can’t forget about props. These are especially important to communicate your brand aesthetic and for zhooshing up your shot. Leafy greens always go down well. Try experimenting with mirrors and flowers too. Have a friend wear, hold and/or use your product – this helps the others see themselves with your product.

Your smartphone is all you need

iPhone or Android, today’s phones have incredible cameras and, when you know your stuff, you can take some gorgeous photographs. First step is to check the settings of your phone. We highly recommend iPhone’s Portrait mode when photographing products and details up.

Now you’re all set to get stuck into it. Snap away, reviewing your photos as you go to see what works, what doesn’t and where you could improve. It might be handing to have a lamp nearby. You can experiment with this by holding it above your studio space at different angles. Don’t forget to keep referring back to your inspo photography as you go too!

Contact us today for the Branding on the Gold Coast.

 

Photo credit: @goldentimetay

Secrets to success of Tweed Coast holiday parks

As always, it's so great to see articles about our client, Tweed Holiday Parks, in the media. The Northern Star wrote this article on Tweed Holiday Parks recent and ongoing success.

The location, modern facilities and drive of staff to go the extra mile is what keeps attracting visitors to the park. According to Tweed Holiday Parks Business Development manager, Lisa Mcrae, "those are the key elements to keep tourists coming back to the Tweed with a smile on their face." Lisa went on to say, "I think the location in Tweed is definitely a selling point for our customers. Five of our parks are located on the beachfront," she said.

Excitingly for the business, of the seven council-owned parks, four have been given the TripAdvisor Travellers Choice Award based on customer feedback in the most recent awards.

Tweed Holiday Parks initially approached Barefruit to guide them through a rebrand project. We have continued this relationship and now assist them with their SEO, social media, digital advertising and more. You can read more this project here.

Korff Wealth

Korff Wealth

Branding, Website, Signage, Digital and Print Advertisements

Korff Wealth Signage

the brief

We were thrilled when we received the brief to work on the rebrand and name change for the former, Yellow Brick Road Wealth and Management, Northern Rivers, which is now operating under Korff Wealth. The business saw an opportunity to restructure and rebrand during the current COVID-19 crisis. With the current economic climate, Australians need expert financial advice they can trust, more than ever. And so, it was the perfect time to strategically review the business and position for future growth.

 

Korff Wealth website

our response

It was time for Yellow Brick Road Wealth Management to rebrand and restructure and position themselves in the market as Korff Wealth. With Barefruit's client services and branding expertise, we made this happen with a complete rebrand. The team worked with the client on the strategic direction for the brand's future as well as the visual aspects, including a new brand name, brand image, and brand logo and brand-new website which was designed by our creative lead and put together by our digital team who assisted in organising, uploading and optimising content. As well as completely rebranded both offices Ballina and Lismore.

To inform the public of Korff Wealth's rebrand, Barefruit created an integrated campaign, that combined both online and traditional advertising. We placed online ads in GIF format to capture the attention of people searching for financial advice. This was complimented with a newspaper article and press ads that were scheduled in the local Northern Star and The Ballina Advocate over a period of four weeks as well as other collateral.

Korff Wealth Brochure for Rebrand
Korff Wealth ad for Rebrand
Korff Wealth GIF for Rebrand
Korff Wealth logo for Rebrand
Korff Wealth newspaper ad for Rebrand
Korff Wealth newspaper ad 2 for Rebrand

the fruits

The result is a slick, and professional rebrand that the client is very happy with. Korff Wealth, with its new name, new logo, brand-new website, new social media pages, and signage for the Ballina and Lismore offices will certainly be attracting old and new customers looking for an expert, objective financial advice across wealth management, insurance and lending.

The Korff Wealth rebrand was promoted in the local newspapers to help spread the word within the local community about the finance company's recent changes. This included paid advertorials and half page ads in the Byron Echo, the Ballina Advocate and the Northern Star.

Korff Wealth Logo Guide
Korff Wealth Logo Guide

 

Like what we do? Let us help your business grow? with a complete Rebrand.
Send us an enquiry below...

Hey Team Fruity!

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    Organic Search Engine Opti-‘what’?!

    SEO ballina

    COVID-19 certainly changed consumer behaviour, and while our community is up and running (almost) as usual, some learned behaviours are here to stay. People are still online…a lot! It’s more important than ever to make sure your website is ticking all the boxes in Google’s eyes… yes, we are talking Organic Search Engine Optimisation. This is a long-term strategy to increase Google’s ranking of your website (and reach more potential website visitors). The time to start is now! But where do you start?

    1. Get your data

    First of all, make sure your website has Google Analytics to track how people come to your website and what pages they visit on your site. Having the data gives you the power to learn more about the behaviour of YOUR target market.

    1. Learn what your customers are actually searching for

    You can’t optimise your website without knowing what your customers are searching for. This is as simple as it sounds. Make a list of words and phrases people might search for when they look for your business online. You can do this by digging into your Google Analytics or doing some research with Google auto-complete or ‘related searches’. These search terms will become your keywords, and a handful or so is enough to begin with.

    1. Organically optimising for keywords.

    Now, let’s optimise your website by using those keywords in content on your site. Quick tip: it is not just using the keywords on your site but also the placement of those keywords. Google takes hints about the page’s topic from the top of a webpage, so try getting your keyword in the first 25 words. But don’t get spammy! Remember to speak like a human being and not some robot!

    1. Don’t ‘set and forget’.

    There is a ‘set and forget’ mentality when it comes to websites which doesn’t do anyone any good. Help Google see you as an authority by talking in-depth about what you do, why you do it, who you do it for and importantly giving insider insights to your industry. How do you do this? Create and post more content! Time to start that blog. Google is trying to help searchers get the information they need – so be helpful, discuss problems, answer questions.  The more people click on your helpful content, the higher you will rank on a Google search results page (winning!).

    The best thing about organic SEO is that it’s free if you want to give it a crack yourself. The more you put in, the more you’ll get out of it. So, go on, give it a go! And stay tuned to learn more about how organic SEO compares to a paid SEO strategy.

     

    Related Tag: Seo Gold Coast

    Thinking differently in these crazy times

    advertising agency northern rivers

    Our local business community has suffered so many blows over the past few months. But, nothing could prepare us for the current COVID-19 situation.

    While you are self-isolating (and provided you aren’t already overloaded with homeschooling) here are some proactive things you can do right now to nurture your business. Your community still wants to hear from you – even if your doors are closed or your services have been temporarily shut down.

    Step 1

    The first step is to get your digital ducks in a row. Assets like social media accounts, websites and sales and marketing software have become vital during these times of reduced human contact. This is a fitting time to start posting more on your Facebook page or Instagram account. Or perhaps learn about Ads Manager and email platforms like MailChimp. You can then integrate your digital platforms. For example, put an Instagram feed on your website and direct your Facebook ads to a landing page. Tidying all these things will help make sure they deliver in the most effective and efficient way. There are endless resources such as webinars, YouTube videos and step by step instructions to assist with this.

    Step 2

    Once you have sorted the best ways for you to keep the conversation going with your community, take the time to consider your tone of voice. This can vary, but it should suit your brand and be authentic. It will likely be best received if it is calm, positive, helpful, informative or empathetic. Tasteful humour is a good one, but please be sensitive and very mindful about how others may interpret your messages. Additionally, people are already bombarded with information about the virus, so it's worth thinking about ways your voice can stand out from the crowd.

    Step 3

    Now that you have established lines of thoughtful communication, brainstorm ways to adapt your service delivery. Be the solution to the problems that people are experiencing. A great example is how quickly most of our cafes started offering home delivery. Another example is how local fitness trainer Rikki Lee started a Facebook group with free daily workouts. Think creatively about how best to utilise your skills. You could become a virtual consultant, providing useful information that is relevant to what you do and to your customers. Zoom chats, Facebook live, Watch parties and Google Hangouts are all relatively easy and fun ways to deliver your messages.

     

    Staying in contact with your business, employees, customers and suppliers could be a wonderful way to stay focussed on your passion. Share that passion whenever possible. There is no better time to surprise and delight your customers with excellent service. Your kindness, compassion and attention to detail WILL be remembered when we all come out the other side.

    We are all in this together.

    From the Barefruit Team

    Avilla Farm: Shopify Website Development

    Avilla Farm: Macadamia Skin Care

    New Website Design & Build

    web design byron bay

    the brief

    An Alstonville based Macadamia farm found an opportunity with a side hustle – to use macadamia oil for skin and hair care products. Ann Leslie (the brains behind this genius idea) engaged us to help her make the switch from her WordPress Woo-Commerce site to an e-commerce website with Shopify. At the same time, she was rebranding from PureNut to Avilla Farm and needed to ensure that the transition was smooth, for her business operations and her customers.

    our response

    We decided to put our digital experts on this project. Ashleigh and Felismina worked on all the technical back end things; uploading and optimising, formatting and organising. Jennica worked with the client on the visual aspect including brand image, content creation and copywriting. Uncovering the correct ‘tone of voice’ was an important aspect to this project.

    Avilla Oils - web design byron bay
    web design ballina

    the fruits

    The result was a gorgeous and functional website that the client was happy with. She can now sell her amazing products, around the world in a more streamlined and efficient way. Because Shopify helps you to organise things like shipping and international fees during the build, order fulfilment is now a breeze for Ann.


    Like what we do? Let us help your business grow?with your own e-commerce site.
    Send us an enquiry below...

    Hey Team Fruity!

      I'm , I'd like you to help my business 'barefruit'.

      I am interested in

      You can call me on and email me at

      We'd love to know how you heard about us?