Small business owners wanting to get the lowdown on digital can enrol for a series of free seminars to be hosted by the City of Sydney this month.The first seminar, ‘Learn to grow your audience using Google’ will kick off on March 28 at Customs House. Amongst the speakers sharing their tips and tricks will be Leona Watson, founder and managing director of the inner-city based business, Cheeky Food Events. Watson says since starting her business 15 years ago she has seen vast changes in the marketing landscape. “I started out cold-calling clients to drum up business. Now I use online to drive leads for sales, find my target market and hone my messaging to attract new clients,” Watson said. “The great thing is that you can get started with a little bit of knowledge. It’s about learning to put your time, energy and business skills online in a way that works for your target market’s behaviour.” Watson suggested online marketing was not a “set and forget” and told KBB it’s is important that businesses stay on top of online trends. She suggested the seminars would provide valuable resources to Sydney’s small business owners. |
The seminar series is part of City of Sydney’s efforts to support small business owners. On the night, six business owners will also be selected for free 15-minute one-on-one sessions with Google representatives for tailored advice to help their businesses grow online. The seminar was developed following consultation with local business owners who said they needed help building their professional digital and social media skills. “Now that most Sydneysiders have a smartphone in their pocket and around the clock access to the internet, it’s clear a digital strategy is critical to the success of any small business,” the Lord Mayor Clover Moore said. “We’ve designed this series to fill a knowledge gap for local businesses, giving them access to leaders in the field, from key platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Google and WeChat, with the digital and social media insights that will help their businesses thrive.” Richard Flanagan, Google’s Head of Business Marketing for Australia and New Zealand described the internet as “rocket fuel for businesses” and says every business needs an online presence. “Digitally engaged small businesses are more than 50 per cent more likely to be growing and they’re also seven times more likely to be exporting, which is good news for those businesses and the Australian economy.” Learn to grow your audience using Google. Wednesday 28 March. Registrations open at 6pm, event runs 6.30pm to 9pm. Cost: free, but bookings are essential Bookings and event information: whatson.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/events/small-business-digital-101-google |
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