Taking a dive into digital can be daunting for many small business owners, especially if you don’t consider yourself a tech expert. But a little bit of tech savvy can go a long way to help boost your small business’ credibility, generate leads and improve customer relations, writes Tamara Oppen, Managing Director at GoDaddy Australia.
The start of the new financial year is a great time to master some new digital skills and help give your business a fresh edge.
You don’t have to be a tech expert to make social and digital media work for you. In fact, Tahlia Plant, owner and founder of Brisbane-based soy candle and diffuser company Bulb and Fossa, self-taught her way to business success.
She says having an online presence has been super important to her business success. “Without an online presence my business wouldn’t be what it is today. It’s how I reach new customers and retain my current customers. It also allows me to showcase my products, engage with new markets, compare myself against competitors and see how I can differentiate myself in a saturated market,’’ she says.
Tahlia Plant, owner and founder of Bulb and Fossa.
Here are a few of Tahlia’s top tech tips to help you start the new year with a pop.
1. Connect with your inner creative to help boost your growth
You might not think you are naturally creative, but in the digital world, a little creativity can go a long way to help you sell your wares and save on professional fees for photographers and designers while marketing money is tight.
Tahlia says the best digital skill she’s learned is how to photograph her products. “I can actually take nice photos of my products and have a creative flare to do this. All you need is a phone, your products, a backdrop and some natural lighting.”
2. Connect with your customers where they are
Social media can often seem a little overwhelming, but it presents a powerful opportunity to sell to customers in their trusted, favourite social media platform.
Tahlia says she wishes she had invested in social media shops and ads on Instagram and Facebook earlier in her entrepreneurial journey. “It took me a while to figure out how to actually create a Facebook shop,’’ she says. “I could have connected better with my network and customers earlier if I had have done this. I love that now that I know I can easily connect both my [website store] with my Facebook shop.”
For her digital marketing goal this year, Tahlia is going to expand her social media horizons. “I would love to be more immersed in Instagram and TikTok and educate myself more on how to create relatable and engaging content based on viral needs,’’ she says. “There has been such a push recently to create videos to help small businesses grow, so I would like to see how I could leverage this.”
3. Be your own performance coach
Tracking your performance is important whether you are a multi-billion-dollar business or selling from your garage. But you don’t have to do all the hard work yourself. Websites and social media platforms often have dashboard tools that let you track how you’re doing, and these can provide both transparency and motivation on your small business tech journey.
“[My website dashboard] has allowed me to see how much traction my website is receiving and easily track my sales and orders,’’ she says. “I also love how the dashboard gives you suggestions on other things that can help your business grow, including connecting my social media platforms. I can then use this information to compare how I am performing this year vs previous years in terms of sales, customers, and order volumes.”
With 9.2 million Australian households shopping online this year, making sure you are online and learning some new tech skills to grow your business could be a great way to set you up for success.
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