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Big Ideas, Bright Futures: Mentoring the Next Generation of Innovators

Tue, 28 Oct 2025 23:52:00 GMT

Last week, Clay had the privilege of participating as a mentor in the Celebrating Multicultural Youth Incubator Program, held at the Cobb & Co Museum in Toowoomba.

This Queensland Government initiative supports young people from multicultural backgrounds to explore entrepreneurship and social innovation. In partnership with organisations such as Young Change Agents, the program helps students turn their ideas for a more inclusive world into real, impactful ventures through workshops, mentoring, and incubator events.

Across two inspiring days, students from The Glennie School, Toowoomba Grammar School, and Downlands College showcased their creativity and passion as they developed and refined their social enterprise ideas. Clay worked closely with the teams, offering feedback and guidance to help them strengthen their concepts and business models.

“It was incredible to see how engaged and open the students were,” Clay said. “Each conversation sparked new ideas and a deeper understanding of how they can make a difference in their communities.”

Following each mentoring session, students reflected on the insights gained and shared how they had adapted or evolved their projects. Their enthusiasm and willingness to learn were truly inspiring.

The program not only builds entrepreneurial skills but also fosters cultural connection, leadership, and confidence among young people from diverse backgrounds.

Congratulations to all the participants for their inspiring ideas and commitment to creating a more inclusive future.

Achieve Your Business’s Full Potential with a Marketing Plan

Tue, 03 Sep 2024 23:25:34 GMT

It doesn’t matter whether you own a big or small business; a marketing plan can play a vital role in its success. But before we delve deeper into marketing plans, let’s explore what a marketing plan is and why it is necessary for your business.

A marketing plan is a comprehensive and critical document that directs your marketing efforts on the right path. It conveys your marketing objectives, recognises your business's marketing challenges, and details the best strategies and tactics to resolve them. At its core, a marketing plan presents a roadmap for your marketing activities, helping you stay coordinated and focused on one uniform course of action.

Now that we have clarity on marketing plans, let's discuss why they are beneficial and essential to your business. Having a marketing plan helps your business in a couple of ways:

1. Aligning with your business goals and achieving your vision
A marketing plan gives your business a clear path. Defining your goals and strategies ensures that all marketing efforts align with your business objectives, mission, and vision. This focus helps to save resources on inaccurate marketing efforts.

2. Recognising Target Market
A marketing plan helps you recognise your target market and audience. Knowing who your ideal customers are allows you to alter your messaging and strategies to effectively meet their needs.

3. Strategic Action Planning
A marketing plan can help you identify the specific actions needed to achieve your goals. This includes setting budgets, timelines, and key performance indicators (KPIs) to evaluate success.

4. Competitive Analysis
Analysing your competitors is integral to a marketing plan. By examining your competitors, you can identify their strengths and weaknesses, uncover opportunities for differentiation, recognise upcoming threats, and develop strategies to gain a competitive edge over them.

5. Pro-active Problem-Solving
A marketing plan identifies potential challenges and outlines strategies to address them. By proactively addressing these issues, you can eliminate the risks and adapt to changes in the market.

6. Monitoring Performance
A marketing plan allows you to track the performance of your marketing activities. Regularly reviewing your plan helps you assess what's working, what isn't, and where adjustments are required.

How Can Little Pig Consulting assist?

At Little Pig Consulting, we do more than create basic marketing plans. We offer a wide range of comprehensive services to help you achieve your marketing goals and clear away your marketing challenges in the following ways:

1. Custom-built Strategies
We collaborate with you to develop marketing strategies suitable to your business goals and target audience. Our action plan is that every marketing plan must align with the business’s specific and unique needs.

2. Well-informed perspectives
Our team of marketing professionals provides expert opinions and industry insights to help you cope with the marketing landscape's hardships. We provide best practices and innovative strategies in this ever-changing marketing world.

3. Competitive Analysis
We perform detailed competitive analyses to help you understand your market position compared to your industry's competitors. By exploring and examining your competitors, we give insights into how you can differentiate your brand from the competitors and capitalise on your unique market opportunities.

4. Complete Support
From researching the market and composing the plan to implementing it, we provide full support and assistance to ensure your marketing activities are carried out efficiently and accurately.

5. Holistic Solutions
We assist in addressing marketing issues and offer comprehensive services to execute your strategies. This includes website design, content creation, digital marketing, overall social media management, video production, capability statement creation, building style guides, logo designs, etc.

6. Ongoing Measurement
We assist you in monitoring and measuring the implementation and impacts of your marketing efforts, making data-driven recommendations for adjustments and improvements.

In Summary

Recognising the importance of accurate and suitable marketing plans and implementing them in your business is crucial. With Little Pig Consulting by your side, you can create an appropriate marketing plan that resolves your challenges and drives success and growth while receiving the support and services needed to achieve your marketing objectives. The Little Pig Consulting team can help you turn your marketing vision into reality!

Need help with creating a marketing plan? Book a free 45-minute consultation with Little Pig Consulting and we'll get you started!

Style Magazine - Don't Put All Your Digital Eggs in One Basket

accounts@littlepigconsulting.com.au (Clayton Menyweather) — Mon, 19 Aug 2024 04:23:50 GMT

This article was first published in Style Magazine in August 2024:

Surprisingly to me, we regularly still get asked if a website is necessary for business. Some business owners are happy to have social media as the main way for potential clients or customers to get in touch with them and see what they offer. Whilst we believe having social media is a bonus, we’ve always advised that having a website is best practice.

Why? One of the biggest reasons to have a business website is that you show up for potential clients or customers in a Google search. I know that Facebook does come up in a Google search, but Google will rank you against your competitor and their website. If they’ve got one and you don’t, they will instantly rank above you.

Another reason why a website should be part of your business is digital security. Recently, one of our friends was misled into giving their mobile number to somebody they thought was a legitimate friend on Facebook. This then led to their business page being accessed and hacked via their personal Facebook page. This business owner lost their personal page, business page and group pages set up for their business.

Unfortunately for this business owner, they only had social media and no website which means that unless their clients/customers have a phone number to contact them, they have virtually disappeared.

This business owner is concerned that this action may have led to others being hacked. It was quite a simple scam where the hacker, masquerading as a legitimate friend, sent a Facebook message asking “Can I have your phone number?”. I too was sent the same message from a friend on Facebook Messenger. I automatically replied - “Don’t you have my phone number already?” Little did I know that this action probably saved me from having my account hacked.

I’ve been in this situation before where my business Facebook page was hacked, and it’s a terrible feeling. I felt violated and angry and left wondering why I’d allowed myself to let down my guard and have this happen. These feelings are completely natural but you shouldn’t beat yourself up if this happens to you.

We must be better prepared and more vigilant as these hackers will keep coming harder and more frequently. This situation was around two-factor authentication (2FA) linked to a mobile phone and a Facebook account. This is typically the way our passwords are being secured. On the technical side of the situation, the hack is called “spoofing”. Feel free to google the term and educate yourself about how these unscrupulous people are conducting themselves.

So it begs the question, how do we avoid or at least minimise this happening?

Firstly, never reply to a Facebook message if you are unsure. If you know you have given your friend your mobile number, do not resupply it via social media messaging platforms. Call or text the person via mobile phone and ask if they sent you a message on social media. This will either legitimise their request or alert them to some unsavoury behaviour that is being conducted on their account. They may have fallen victim to a hacker and are unaware.

Secondly, I would recommend using alternatives to social media messenger applications to communicate with people you know. It seems as though it is becoming more and more susceptible to malicious intent.

Finally...

Seek professional advice about your cyber security... Still not convinced you should have a website?Having a website doesn’t have to be an arduous task or an expensive one. There are so many platforms now that you can build a straightforward website on and still rank on Google. A website will increase your online visibility, allow you to channel your enquiries through a legitimate platform, improve your customer service and finally, a well-designed, well-performing website will potentially put you ahead of your competitors.

Need help with building a website for your business? Book a free 45-minute consultation with the best business coach in Toowoomba.

First published in Style magazine, August 2024:

https://issuu.com/armcustompublishing/docs/style_august_issuu_complete_v3/20

Why It's Time for a Website Refresh: The Essential Guide to a Timely Website Redesign

accounts@littlepigconsulting.com.au (Clayton Menyweather) — Mon, 12 Aug 2024 00:00:00 GMT

So, you’ve got a website, and it works. This might leave you thinking, “Why fix what isn’t broken?” In an era where digital landscapes evolve at breakneck speeds, a functional website isn't enough to secure the competitive edge needed for small businesses to flourish.

There’s a bit more to it when it comes to keeping your business at the top of search results. The aesthetics, functionality, and technology of web design all constantly transform, leaving websites that don't keep pace looking outdated and out of touch.

Here's why embracing the evolving trends in web design through a professional website redesign is not just beneficial but essential for small businesses, even if your current one seems okay:

1. Styles Change

Gone are the days when movie marketing was confined to trailers, red-carpet events, and press junkets. While these traditional methods are still relevant, they have been overshadowed by the rise of digital and social media platforms. Today, movie studios are leveraging every available medium to engage with their audience, from Instagram posts and Twitter banter to TikTok challenges and viral YouTube interviews. This shift has allowed for more creative and interactive marketing strategies, and the Deadpool & Wolverine campaign is a prime example of this evolution.

2. Easy to Use = Happy Customers

Ever been to a website that’s hard to figure out? It’s annoying, right? The way websites work and how easy they are to use changes as people get used to better and smoother ways to browse. Outdated User Experience (UX) design can frustrate visitors, increasing bounce rates and diminishing your brand's reputation. Your site might work, but if finding things on it feels like a treasure hunt, it’s time for an update. A new, easy-to-navigate website makes visitors happy, and happy visitors are way more likely to become customers.

3. Being Friends with Google

The rules, tips and tricks for showing up in Google searches are constantly changing. A site designed a few years ago may not be optimised for today’s Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) standards, affecting your visibility and ranking. An older website is likely to be playing by their old rule book, which means it might not show up as often as you’d like it to in search results. If you have a new website built it can be up-to-date with Google's latest preferences and requirements, helping more people find your business when they're searching online.

4. Keeping Things Safe

An old website can be a bit like an old car; you might not see the problems, but they’re there. Newer websites have modern security measures, or better locks on the doors, so to speak. Keeping your website safe can mean keeping your customers' information and the integrity of your reputation safe, and a new website can do just that. Updating your website not only secures your digital footprint but also signals to customers that you value their privacy and safety, fostering trust and loyalty.

5. Show Off How Much Your Business Has Grown

Your business keeps growing and changing, and your website should, too. Maybe you’ve got new products, a new look, or you’re targeting new customers. An old website might not show off how much your business has grown in all the years since you first had your website created. A new website can be like a new storefront, telling everyone who passes by, “Check out how much we keep improving!”

6. Making It Simple for Customers to Take Action

The whole point of your website is to get people to do something, such as buy your products, hire you for a service, contact you for a quote, etc. An old website might not have been designed with marketing in mind. A fresh, new website can be designed to make it super clear what visitors should do next, helping turn those visitors into paying customers.

7. Adapting to New Technologies

The web is a hotbed of innovation, with new technologies that can enhance efficiency, engagement, and sales emerging regularly. Sticking with an older website design may mean missing out on these advancements. From AI and machine learning to augmented reality (AR), updating your website provides an opportunity to integrate new technologies that can differentiate your brand and offer novel experiences to your customers.

In Summary

Your website is a big part of your business’s face online. Making sure it’s up-to-date, safe, easy to use, and looking modern is super important. It’s not just about having a website that works; it’s about having a website that works for your business today. So, let’s pull your old website out of the past and into the current year and let your potential customers know how great your business is right now!

Need help with redesigning your website? Book a free 45-minute consultation with Little Pig Consulting and we'll get you started!

The Marvel of Marketing: Deadpool & Wolverine's Campaign Success

Mon, 05 Aug 2024 01:15:12 GMT

The entertainment industry has long been a battlefield for capturing audience attention.

However, in movie marketing, few campaigns have been as innovative and effective as the one for the Deadpool & Wolverine movie.

This marketing campaign is a testament to how far movie advertising has evolved, blending traditional tactics with modern, unconventional strategies to create an unforgettable promotional experience.

Evolution of Movie Marketing

The Deadpool & Wolverine Campaign: A Case Study in Modern Marketing

The marketing campaign for the Deadpool & Wolverine movie has been nothing short of brilliant. It has masterfully utilised a mix of humour, nostalgia, and social media savvy to generate buzz and excitement. Here are some key elements that have made this campaign a standout success:

Social Media Engagement - One of the campaign's most notable aspects is its heavy reliance on social media. Ryan Reynolds (Deadpool) and Hugh Jackman (Wolverine) have actively engaged with fans on platforms like Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok. Their playful banter and behind-the-scenes glimpses have not only kept fans entertained but also made them feel like they are part of the journey. This direct interaction with the audience has helped build a strong, loyal fanbase that eagerly awaits every new update.
Viral Content - The campaign has also capitalised on the power of viral content. For instance, Reynolds and Jackman's appearances on popular shows like Hot Ones, where celebrities eat increasingly spicy chicken wings while answering questions, have provided a unique and highly entertaining way to promote the movie. These appearances are often shared widely across social media, reaching millions of viewers and creating a ripple effect of anticipation and excitement.
Humour and Relatability - A vital component of the campaign's success is its use of humour. The playful, boarding-on vicious at times and rivalry between Reynolds and Jackman, often showcased in humorous videos and posts, have resonated with fans. This approach aligns with Deadpool's irreverent character and humanises the actors, making them more relatable to the audience. This relatability fosters a deeper connection with the fans, encouraging them to share and engage with the content.
Cross-Promotional Strategies - The campaign has also employed cross-promotional strategies to expand its reach. Collaborations with other popular brands and influencers have helped introduce the movie to a broader audience. A standout example is Blake Lively’s viral video where she says, “Tell me Deadpool is married to a millennial girl in real life without telling me.” The video then cuts to short snippets from the Deadpool movies referencing Avril Lavigne, NSYNC, and Harry Potter, among others. This clever and humorous approach not only highlights the cultural references that resonate with a millennial audience but also showcases the playful dynamic between Reynolds and Lively, further engaging fans.
The Changing Landscape of Movie Advertising - The Deadpool & Wolverine campaign highlights the dramatic shift in movie marketing strategies over the past few years. The rise of digital platforms and social media has democratised marketing, allowing studios to reach their audience directly and more personally. Traditional trailers and red-carpet events are now complemented by various promotional activities, from funny TikTok videos to in-depth interviews on unconventional platforms.

This shift has not only made movie marketing more dynamic and engaging but also more effective. By meeting audiences where they are—on their phones, on social media, and through viral content—studios can create more memorable and impactful campaigns. The Deadpool & Wolverine campaign is a shining example of how to blend traditional marketing with modern tactics to create a buzz that resonates with today's audiences.

In Summary

The Deadpool and Wolverine movie marketing campaign is a masterclass in modern advertising. By leveraging social media, humour, and viral content, the campaign has successfully captured the attention and excitement of fans worldwide. As the landscape of movie marketing continues to evolve, the lessons learned from this campaign will undoubtedly influence future strategies, proving that combining traditional and innovative approaches is critical to a successful marketing campaign in the digital age.

Need help with marketing your business? Book a free 45-minute consultation with the best business coach near you.

Incorporating AI into your business

Tue, 30 Jul 2024 00:25:24 GMT

AI is the buzzword of 2024! In fact, it has become an essential tool for idea generation, data processing, and information storage in the marketing world.

The quality of the prompts that you input plays a vital role in making the most of AI tools and getting optimal results. Therefore, the more descriptive and detailed the input, the more accurate and comprehensive your results will be.

Are you struggling to leverage AI's full capabilities? This article will serve as a manual for mastering AI prompts, covering the basics of prompt writing and offering tips to help you get the best possible results.

Let's answer the most obvious question: What is an AI prompt?

An AI prompt is the information, data, or questions you manually put into the AI tool. The wording of this input or prompt is essential because it is used to create the AI's response. This means a clear and concise prompt is necessary to get text that fits your envisioned result. You will see better results when creating content with AI if you start with a clear understanding of the type of content you can expect the AI to create for you.

The quality of AI prompts dramatically impacts the quality of generated results for various reasons, such as:

It Improves Responses from AI: Improving the quality of your AI prompts will impact the quality of the results it generates. For instance, providing vague or incomplete information will only lead to an output total of errors.
Time Efficient: Creating an effective AI prompt will save you much time. By simply inputting a single sentence, you can access all the necessary information you require related to that topic without having to stress yourself while coming up with ideas or searching for information manually.
Strengthens Your Future Interactions: AI studies your search habits and stores much information about your previous interactions with it. Using AI will be a cakewalk once you nail creating an accurate prompt. It will also ensure that you consistently get the desired results every time you use it.

To craft an effective AI prompt, consider these valuable tips:

Be Clear and Specific - Knowing the context around the topic you want to write is essential. It’s helpful to include points such as tone, caption, blog post and media channels such as email, social media, etc. Being precise and specific will help you get accurate results. For example, you could type, “Write an informative Facebook caption on the Instagram Algorithm changes in 2024 using a formal tone.” Including additional information such as tone, year, and topic in one prompt will help you receive a better output. You can also specify the amount of words you would like from the response text. Whether you’re after a lengthy explanation or a short caption, you can easily add that to the prompt and get a more suitable response for where you’ll be using the text.
Use Your Personality - Many people believe that the text provided by AI is bland and lacks personality. Still, they couldn't be further from the truth because you can easily add that information to the prompt you give. For example, you can ask the AI to target a specific audience using a formal or informal tone, depending on what is most suitable for your targeted audience. You can even tell AI to make a caption sound more appealing to millennials by using references that resonate with that age group.
Use Do’s and Don’ts— By putting in specific instructions such as do’s and don'ts, you can guide the AI in generating information that fits your intentions. For instance, you can instruct the AI to write a specific blog by only including references and statistics from scholarly articles and avoiding any information on the internet without references. The AI will adhere to this and create content that fits your instructions.
Use Examples— Providing examples of the type of text you're looking for can assist AI in generating fitting results. For instance, you can supply the text of a previous social media post and ask the AI to create an engaging post using a similar tone. This will help the AI understand your expectations and deliver results that match the description.
Provide Feedback - If you don’t initially get the results you were looking for, giving your feedback to the AI is essential. This can help you to figure out what went wrong in your prompt that led AI to deliver the result it did. For example, if you were trying to write a social media post, you could ask the AI for data about the TikTok algorithm. If you got the information you used in a previous post, you could change the prompt to more specifically about 2024 updates to the TikTok algorithm.

In Summary

By mastering the art of formulating an efficient AI prompt, marketers can unlock the full potential of AI tools. This optimises content creation and improves productivity in the ever-changing world of digital marketing. Have Fun!

Need help with integrating AI into your business? Book a free 45-minute consultation with the best business coach near you.

Style Magazine - Lights, Camera, Action

accounts@littlepigconsulting.com.au (Clayton Menyweather) — Wed, 24 Jul 2024 04:23:41 GMT

This article was first published in Style Magazine in July 2024:

Depending on who you ask, people are consuming more video than anything else on the Internet. Recent reports from YouTube states that on average per month people watch 28 hours and five minutes compared to nearly 20 hours on Facebook.

These figures may seem alarming to you but to me that’s probably about right. I get so much of my learnings and information from watching video on all the major platforms. I get hooked watching people doing extraordinary things and is the major source for my bad dad jokes.

Video has played an important part in promoting our brand over the years. Some of my most cringeworthy work is the series I did called “Take out the rubbish”. If you want to have a laugh, go have a look at those on YouTube. What they did enable me to do however, was to learn the craft and increase my confidence when it comes to performing live videos on Facebook.

Why use videos in your marketing strategy you may ask? Here are my top five reasons:

Video can engage with your audience and future clients.
Your clients get to know who you are and what you believe in.
You get to showcase your brand's personality.
Explain complex ideas or demonstrate products and their benefits.
Kickstart conversations and boost your Social Media pages

This is not an exhaustive list of reasons, I could write on this subject for hours. Video can be used across multiple platforms such as Social Media, your website, your YouTube channel. They can also be used for presentations.

Are you struggling for content ideas?

Some engaging video ideas could include: Why Choose Us, Customer Testimonials,Get to Know Our Team, Myth-Busting, FAQs and Behind the Scenes to mention a few.

There’s often one big obstacle - ‘I don’t like being in from the camera’ you might say. And I must admit when the camera is in front of me my mind goes blank at times. To help overcome this situation, we find it helpful to map out the purpose of the video and the main points that you want to speak against. Another technique is to record a sentence or two at a time. This way you don’t have to remember everything all at once. Depending on where it’s going to land, your video may not need to be perfect. If it’s a Facebook live, most people understand that a few um’s and ah’s here and there is to be expected. If it’s a corporate video, then this may need to be more polished and rehearsed.

Authentic live videos on all social media platforms tend to do quite well when it comes to getting viewership and engagement. Of course like anything, this takes practice.

Finally...

The more you’re in front of the camera the better you get. A great way to gain confidence is you could set up a test page on Facebook. This is a great way to practise going “live” while testing your audio and lighting. You also get to hone your skills in front of the camera without anybody else seeing your content. Once you feel comfortable, you can hit that go live button!

Who knows? Your brand could be the next social media sensation!

Need help with social media content for your business? Book a free 45-minute consultation with the best business coach in Toowoomba.

First published in Style magazine, July 2024:

https://issuu.com/armcustompublishing/docs/style_july_2024_issuu_complete_v2/36

Style Magazine - KISS | Keep it Social, Sugar!

Wed, 17 Jul 2024 02:17:58 GMT

This article was first published in Style Magazine in June 2024:

So, why be “Social” in Business?

We’ve become accustomed to the idea that all businesses should be on social media in some form or another. With the ever-expanding array of these platforms, it has become imperative for businesses to engage across multiple channels.

Let's delve into some common questions about social media and business this month.

What’s the benefit of being on social media?

With over 78.3% of Australians active on social media, leveraging these platforms effectively is essential for brand building and sales conversion. Social media can be a great tool for people to get to know your business, your products/services, your values and it can be one of the most cost-effective ways to build your brand and position you as an expert in your field.

For our social media, we love to post about our clients, the work we do and how we solve our clients’ problems. We also include things like behind the scenes, some funny posts (did you catch the photo of our dog Bennie getting cuddles at work or the pink Tesla post?) as well as tips and educational pieces to help our followers with their social media.

Our main goal with our social media is to remain top of mind, build our brand and educate and entertain our audience.

What are the basics of social media when it comes to my business?

Start by identifying which social media platforms are suitable for your business. Ensure your profiles are complete with essential information like logo, address, phone number, website, maintaining consistency across platforms.

Next, think about your brand’s voice and its general style in the market. Is it playful? Or is it serious? Is there an opportunity to be both?

Our brand is fun and quirky and therefore we want to showcase this and stay true to this in our social media. We use our brand colours consistently so that we are easily identifiable when scrolling.

Quality images and videos are crucial for making a lasting impression and influencing purchasing decisions. Invest in high-quality visual content to stand out from competitors.

Learn from Others

We draw inspiration from both national and international brands, learning from their successes and failures. This is an easy strategy you can employ in your business.

Consistency is key - like McDonald's iconic "golden arches", ensure your logo and brand colours are recognisable across all platforms. Establishing this association strengthens your brand identity within your industry and location.

Understanding your audience & the type of content they want to consume

Understanding your target audiences is crucial. It's not just about knowing who they are but also which social media platforms they use and when. Tailoring content to fit each platform ensures better engagement rather than a one-size-fits-all approach.

For instance, LinkedIn leans towards formality and business-oriented content, while Facebook and Instagram thrive on a more casual and social atmosphere. Adapting content to suit each platform optimises reach and engagement with your target audience.

Navigating this can be challenging for agencies as some clients may prefer certain content styles that don't resonate with their audience. However, it's essential to prioritise audience preferences over personal preferences.

Leverage platform tools to understand your audience's habits and optimise posting times for maximum engagement.

Finally...

Maintain a social presence by focusing on engagement rather than constant selling. Interact with your audience by responding to comments and fostering conversation. Collaborate with like-minded businesses to expand your reach, such as offering joint promotions. Consistency in content and posting schedules is key to building a strong online presence.

Need help with social media management for business? Book a free 45-minute consultation with the best business coach in Toowoomba.

First published in Style magazine, June 2024:

https://issuu.com/armcustompublishing/docs/style_june_2024/42

Style Magazine - Be Brave, Be You and Be Consistent

accounts@littlepigconsulting.com.au (Clayton Menyweather) — Wed, 10 Jul 2024 02:42:53 GMT

This article was first published in Style Magazine in May 2024:

Starting a small business can be an exciting and often daunting task.

And for those of us who have been in business for a little while, we can now reflect back on some of the challenges that we have faced.

This month I thought I'd discuss the process of starting a business and how branding is really important to the success of your business.

I remember the time when I decided I was going to start my business back in 2017. At the time I was teaching at TAFE and got word that my contract was coming to an end and it would not be renewed. As disappointing as this was, this invigorated an idea I'd had for some time of starting my own small business. I first looked at the skills and expertise that I'd gained over the last 30 odd years since I had left school and how this might benefit others.

So it seemed logical to start a consulting business given my experience in retail, sales, business development and management.

I was also drawing from my experience from teaching Small Business Management, Diploma levels of Business and Management. I thought I was in a good position to pass on this knowledge together with my collective experience to the wider business community.

After deciding what the business was going to be and who we would serve, we had to decide a business name. For some, this is an easy process and for others, it's a bit of a process. The latter was true for us. First, I outlined several criteria that the business name had to have. For example, it had to be memorable, it had to be unique, and easy to spell amongst other criteria. And the icing on the cake - it had to include an animal as I knew from my marketing experience that this certainly helps your marketing, and you can have a bit of fun in terms of your branding.

So Little Pig Consulting was born. One critical facet of the new business was the look and feel of the business. Its identity is the way it presents itself. To get started, I considered who would be purchasing from me. At the time I thought my clients would be predominantly female, so the branding and colours tended to favour pastels. Given the choice of animal we went with, some pastel pinks and greys were our colour palette – pretty brave!

From the very beginning, we knew how important a logo and colours would be throughout the years that were ahead of us.

Looking back, I don't know that I would change too much. Our brand is now highly visible and recognisable in the local Toowoomba business community.

The colour choices have served us well over the years. We have kept up with the consistency in all aspects – from uniforms to the coffee cups and promotional items.

We quite often get the comment “we see guys you everywhere”. Of course, this isn't true - it’s just that the brand has become so recognisable and memorable. And this is what we always wanted for our businesses.

Top Tips

To finish off, here are my basic tips if you are thinking of starting your own business and getting seen:

Research: Who will be buying from me and why?
Be Creative: Come up with a catchy business name & identity.
Investigate: Make sure it's available on ASIC & all social media platforms.
Get Legal: Register your business name and all the appropriate domain names.
Grab What You Can: Secure all of the social media handles, (even the ones you may not use at the start) ideally using the same name.
Get Colourful: Develop your colour palette for your branding and initial logo concepts.
Test: Get a focus group together to give you feedback.
Commit: Get your branding sorted with the help of professionals.
Consistency: Let your style guide direct your brand and use it across all areas of your business.

Finally...

Starting and running your own business is one of the most satisfying things you can do. One of the best pieces of advice I can offer you is, stay true to your goals for the business and remember your WHY.

Be Brave, Be You & Be Consistent.

Need help with social media management for business? Book a free 45-minute consultation with the best business coach in Toowoomba.

First published in Style magazine, May 2024:

https://issuu.com/armcustompublishing/docs/style_may_2024_complete_digital_edn/22

Little Pig Consulting Takes Centre Stage as Naming Rights Partner for the Business Excellence Awards

Mon, 20 May 2024 00:13:35 GMT

Little Pig Consulting has been announced as the naming rights for the Toowoomba Chamber of Commerce Business Excellence Awards for 2024-2026. This prestigious honour marks a new chapter for the Toowoomba business landscape, as Little Pig Consulting steps into the spotlight previously held by Focus HR.

The transition from one respected Naming Rights Partner to another underscores the spirit of collaboration and excellence that defines the Toowoomba business community.

As Clayton Menyweather, Director of Little Pig Consulting, aptly puts it, "It's not just about the prestige; it's about the responsibility of being a custodian of the Business Excellence Awards."

Clayton expressed his gratitude and acknowledged the significance of the role: "It’s a prestigious role – an important one, as a custodian - to look after the Business Excellence Awards for the next three years." He shared his admiration for Naomi Wilson, Managing Director of Focus HR, considering her and her business as inspirations for his journey. He reflected, "When Focus HR took on the naming rights partnership, I thought, 'Wow, she’s made it.' I want to get to that level someday."

For Little Pig Consulting, being the Naming Rights Partner is more than just about visibility; it's about actively supporting and nurturing the local business community. Clayton emphasised Little Pig’s collaborative and supportive approach: "We believe in helping people – it’s at the core of everything we do. With the Naming Rights, we see an opportunity to promote our brand and support other businesses and inspire them, much like Focus HR has inspired us."

The focus of the Business Excellence Awards aligns perfectly with Little Pig Consulting's values. Clayton explained, "It’s about celebrating other people’s successes – that’s what the BEA is all about. By shining the light on excellent businesses in Toowoomba, it promotes the 'buy local, support local' ethos that we have always championed."

Furthermore, Little Pig Consulting actively contributes to the local economy by employing and investing in team members who live locally. Clayton shared a heart-warming example of an employee who was able to secure a mortgage and buy his first home, thanks to stable employment at Little Pig Consulting.

Little Pig Consulting is deeply involved with the Toowoomba Chamber of Commerce, recognising its value in fostering connections and driving growth. Clayton stated, "We are proud Platinum Partners of the Toowoomba Chamber of Commerce. The connections and opportunities provided by the Chamber have been invaluable to our growth."

Another element that makes Little Pig Consulting shine, is their commitment to giving back to the community as a whole. They’re not just building a business; they are passionate about helping to build a better Toowoomba. This ethos is reflected in their support for local charities and active participation in charitable events.

Taking inspiration from the tale of Three Little Pigs, the Little Pig team embodies the spirit of tenacity. Like the pigs in the story, they have weathered challenges and refined their processes to emerge stronger than ever.

Clayton also paid homage to his wife Emma, highlighting her integral role in the success of Little Pig Consulting. He expressed, "I want to pay homage to Emma, my wife. Behind every successful man is a very good woman. Having Emma by my side has been instrumental in our journey. She certainly is the yin to my yang. She levels me out on occasion, and vice versa. Together, we make a terrific partnership, and I wouldn't have had as much success as quickly as I have had if I didn't have her in the picture."

The announcement of Little Pig Consulting as the new naming rights holder for the Business Excellence Awards is a testament to the vibrancy and resilience of the Toowoomba business community.

Looking ahead, Little Pig Consulting's vision for the Business Excellence Awards is clear: celebrating and promoting excellence in the local business community. Over the next three years, they plan on being right beside every single excellent business in the region, and celebrating their success with them.

Ready to elevate your business excellence? Take advantage of Clayton's free 45-minute consultation, where creativity, expertise, and staunch commitment meet to fuel your success. Whether you're just starting out or refining your brand, Little Pig Consulting is your go-to for business coaching, brand development, websites, videography and digital marketing. Don't wait, seize the opportunity to build your business tenacity today!

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EXCELLENCE at the Centre of Awards Launch

Thu, 18 Apr 2024 04:24:35 GMT

The Toowoomba Chamber of Commerce are proud to, once again, present the region's most prestigious business event of the year - the Business Excellence Awards 2024.

The launch was held as part of the Mort & Co Business at Dusk last night. Mort & Co were inducted into the Toowoomba Chamber Hall of Fame in 2023 and were the Focus HR Business Excellence Awards Business of the Year in 2021.

The Awards celebrate our broad cross section of businesses in 14 different categories, catering for the more than 16,000 businesses in our region.

In 2024, two new categories of Awards have been introduced:

Businesswomen of the Year:
Recognises businesswomen role models who demonstrate outstanding entrepreneurial spirit, business achievement and innovation, whilst providing inspiration and encouragement to other women in business.

Arts and Culture :
Includes but is not limited to artists, musicians, writers, performers, museums, galleries, theatres, festivals, or events.

Toowoomba Chamber President Myf Rigby said, "The Toowoomba Region has a rich and diverse economy, with over 16,000 businesses, with 62.6% non-employing sole traders, 35% with one to 19 employees, 2.3% with 20 to 199 employees and 0.1% with 200 plus employees."

"Our region is blessed with diversity, including mining and manufacturing industries, robust agricultural and horticultural businesses, a growing hospitality and tourism market, a large health and wellness sector and a continually growing small business community, which history shows has enabled the region to weather economic headwinds and grasp opportunity."

"After an Expression of Interest process with our members, we will proudly present the Little Pig Consulting Business Excellence Awards Series in 2024."

"The Awards, in its 35h year, have been designed to celebrate the efforts and achievements of our diverse and dedicated business community and recognise their contribution, not only to economic vitality but to creating strong, healthy, innovative, and vibrant businesses that are nation leading."

"Most importantly, the awards are all about EXCELLENCE, the quality of being outstanding or extremely good," the President noted.

Little Pig Consulting Owner, Clayton Menyweather said, "We are delighted to have taken the baton from Focus HR to become the naming rights partner of the Business Excellence Awards."

"We believe it is an important role, to be the naming rights custodian of the Business Excellence Awards over the next three years."

"Whilst the naming rights provides us the opportunity to promote our brand, most importantly it provides a platform for all businesses to reflect on and share their journey, support and be inspired by others, much like Focus HR has inspired us."

"We cannot express enough; how grateful we are to be involved in Awards that provide the opportunity to celebrate our connected business community and shine the light on and learn from the many excellent local businesses."

"We are very proud to be part of the Business Excellence Awards and look forward celebrating excellence with the Toowoomba community over the course of the awards season", expressed Clayton with pride.

Nominations for the awards are open:

The Benefits of Hiring an Outside Consultant for Small Business

Mon, 17 Jul 2023 22:00:00 GMT

Small businesses often operate on tight budgets and limited resources, making it challenging to handle all aspects of their operations effectively.

However, hiring an outside consultant can offer numerous benefits that can help small businesses thrive and overcome various challenges.

Here are some key benefits of hiring an outside consultant for small businesses:

Unbiased Assessment

One of the valuable reasons to hire an outside business consultant for a small business is to gain a fresh perspective and alternative viewpoints.When you are deeply involved in your own business, it can be challenging to see things objectively. An outside consultant brings a fresh set of eyes to your business, unencumbered by internal biases or preconceived notions. They can assess your operations, strategies, and challenges from an unbiased standpoint. This outside perspective can uncover blind spots, identify hidden opportunities, and provide a new lens through which to view your business.

Expertise and Specialized Knowledge

Outside consultants bring a wealth of expertise and specialized knowledge to the table. They have experience working with a variety of businesses across different industries, giving them a broad perspective and insights into best practices. Business consultants stay up to date with industry trends, regulations, and emerging technologies, providing valuable guidance to small businesses. They can offer fresh insights and innovative solutions that may not be readily available within the organization. You might have years of experience in web design, but no idea of how to market it. A consultant can bring expertise of topics you don't even know about to help market your busienss, such as search engine optimisation (SEO) and social media managment.

Objective Assessment and Analysis

An outside business consultant offers an objective perspective on your business. They can assess your operations, processes, and strategies with an unbiased viewpoint, identifying areas for improvement and potential inefficiencies. By conducting a thorough analysis, consultants can uncover hidden problems or opportunities that may have been overlooked. This objective assessment provides a solid foundation for developing targeted action plans and making informed decisions.

Cost-Effectiveness

Hiring a full-time employee with the required expertise can be costly for small businesses. On the other hand, consultants offer a cost-effective solution. They can be engaged on a project basis, allowing businesses to access specialized knowledge without the long-term financial commitment. Consultants provide a flexible and scalable resource that can be tailored to meet the specific needs of the business, making it a more budget-friendly option for small businesses.

Networking and Industry Connections

Small business owners often wear multiple hats and are spread thin across various responsibilities. Bringing in an outside consultant allows business owners and their teams to focus on their core competencies while the consultant handles specific projects or tasks. This enhanced focus and efficiency can lead to improved productivity and streamlined operations. Consultants can provide guidance on process optimization, strategic planning, and project management, enabling small businesses to achieve their goals more effectively.

Training and Skill Development

Consultants can also play a role in training and skill development within the organization. They can provide guidance and mentorship to small business owners and their teams, helping them develop new skills or improve existing ones. This transfer of knowledge can have a long-lasting impact on the business's capabilities and competitiveness.

In Summary

Hiring a business consultant can offer small businesses a range of benefits, including access to expertise, objective assessment, cost-effectiveness, improved focus and efficiency, networking opportunities, and training. By leveraging the specialized knowledge and insights of a consultant, small businesses can overcome challenges, drive growth, and achieve their business objectives. Investing in a consultant can be a strategic decision that propels the business forward and positions it for long-term success in a competitive marketplace.

Little Pig Consulalting offers expert small business coaching and consulting services. Click to book a free 45-minute consultation with the best business coach near you.

The Importance of Social Media Management

Tue, 04 Jul 2023 22:15:00 GMT

It is an unavoidable truth that social media has become an integral part of our lives, both personally and professionally.

For businesses, social media platforms offer unparalleled opportunities to connect with customers, build brand awareness, and drive engagement. However, managing social media effectively requires a strategic approach and dedicated effort. This is where social media management comes into play.

In this blog, we will explore the significance of social media management and how it can help businesses harness the power of social media to achieve their marketing goals.

Building a Strong Online Presence

Social media management is crucial for establishing and maintaining a strong online presence. It involves creating and curating engaging content that resonates with your target audience. A social media manager develops a content strategy that aligns with your brand's voice and values, ensuring consistency across platforms. They optimize posts for maximum visibility, utilizing hashtags, keywords, and compelling visuals. By consistently delivering high-quality content that adds value to your audience's lives, you can build trust, loyalty, and brand recognition, setting your business apart from the competition. Social media marketing has become the biggest ad space in the world, beating out TV, radio and every newspaper combined. Your social media managment is crucial to helping you business become the best it can be.

Engaging and Nurturing Your Audience

Effective social media management goes beyond posting content; it involves actively engaging with your audience. Social media managers monitor comments, messages, and mentions, promptly responding to inquiries, addressing concerns, and acknowledging feedback. By engaging in two-way conversations, you foster a sense of community and build authentic relationships with your followers. Moreover, social media managers implement strategies to nurture leads and guide them through the customer journey. From creating personalized interactions to running targeted ad campaigns, they ensure that your social media presence actively contributes to your business's growth. By marketing on social media, you are not only reaching out to the largest audience possible, but you make it easier for them to reach out to you.

Monitoring and Analyzing Performance

A key aspect of social media management is monitoring and analyzing performance metrics. Social media managers track engagement, reach, and conversion rates to gain insights into what works and what needs improvement. These analytics provide valuable data for refining strategies and optimizing future content. By identifying trends, understanding audience behavior, and leveraging data-driven decisions, social media managers help businesses stay ahead of the curve. They also stay updated with the latest social media trends and platform algorithm changes, ensuring that your social media efforts remain effective and relevant.

Crisis Management and Reputation Building

In the age of social media, reputation management is paramount. Social media managers play a critical role in crisis management, mitigating potential PR disasters and handling negative feedback with professionalism and empathy. They have the expertise to navigate through challenging situations, respond appropriately, and preserve your brand's reputation. Additionally, social media managers actively work on building a positive online reputation through strategic partnerships, influencer collaborations, and user-generated content campaigns. By effectively managing your online reputation, you can establish trust, credibility, and a loyal customer base.

In Summary

In a digitally-driven world, social media management has emerged as a vital component of successful marketing strategies. By focusing on building a strong online presence, engaging with your audience, monitoring performance, and effectively managing your reputation, social media management can unlock immense growth opportunities for your business. Embrace the power of social media management to connect with your audience, foster meaningful relationships, and propel your business towards success in the digital landscape. Stay proactive, stay engaged, and reap the benefits of a well-executed social media management strategy.

Need help with social media management for business? Book a free 45-minute consultation with the best business coach near you.

Market Your Business on Social Media Without Looking Like an Ad

Sat, 24 Jun 2023 22:30:00 GMT

In an age where social media has become an integral part of our daily lives, it has also transformed the way businesses interact with their audience.

Rather than bombarding users with traditional advertisements, successful social media marketing revolves around building authentic connections and fostering genuine engagement.

In this blog post, we will explore effective strategies for marketing your business on social media while maintaining an organic and relatable presence.

Create Valuable and Engaging Content

When advertising on social media, the last thing you want to do is to come across like spam. Like an ad. Something to be skipped over rather than paid attention to. The foundation of any successful social media marketing strategy is valuable content that resonates with your target audience. Instead of solely focusing on promoting your products or services, strive to offer meaningful and engaging content that provides value to your followers. This can include educational blog posts, entertaining videos, inspiring stories, or industry insights. By sharing useful information, you establish yourself as a trusted source and build a loyal following.

Diversify Your Content

Spread your marketing over many forms of content. There's plenty to choose from; posts, videos, blogs, competitions, etc...

Just as importantly, find ways to switch up the content your making. If you do the same thing every time your followers will quickly get bored of the same content.

Tell Your Brand Story

Social media provides an excellent platform to showcase the unique story behind your business. Share the journey, values, and mission that drive your brand. By humanising your business, you create an emotional connection with your audience, leading to increased brand loyalty. Consider sharing behind-the-scenes glimpses, employee spotlights, customer success stories, or charitable initiatives. Authentic storytelling helps your audience relate to your brand on a personal level.

Engage and Interact

Social media is all about fostering two-way conversations. Engage with your audience by responding to comments, messages, and mentions. Show genuine interest in what they have to say, answer their questions, and address any concerns promptly. Encourage discussions, ask for feedback, and involve your audience in your decision-making processes. By actively participating in conversations, you build a community around your brand, strengthening relationships and establishing trust.

Utilise User-Generated Content

Social media provides immense opportunities for collaboration with influencers, complementary businesses, or industry experts. Seek out partnerships that align with your brand values and audience interests. Collaborative campaigns, guest posts, or joint events can help you tap into a wider audience, gain credibility, and expand your reach. Such partnerships also bring fresh perspectives and new ideas to your social media strategy.

In Summary

Effective social media marketing goes beyond traditional advertising. By focusing on creating valuable content, telling your brand story, engaging with your audience, and fostering collaborations, you can build an authentic and relatable presence on social media. Remember, the key is to establish genuine connections with your audience and provide them with content that resonates, ultimately driving brand loyalty and long-term success.

Need help with social media management for business? Book a free 45-minute consultation with the best business coach near you.

Getting the Most From Your Business Coach

Wed, 07 Jun 2023 00:49:48 GMT

In today's highly competitive business landscape, entrepreneurs and business professionals are constantly seeking ways to enhance their performance, improve their decision-making, and accelerate their growth. One powerful resource that has gained significant popularity in recent years is a business coach.

A business coach serves as a guide, mentor, and motivator, offering valuable insights and strategies to help individuals and organisations reach their full potential. However, to truly benefit from this partnership, it is essential to know how to get the best out of your business coach.

In this blog post, we will explore some key strategies to maximise the effectiveness of your coaching relationship and unlock your business's true potential.

Clarify Your Goals and Expectations

Before embarking on a coaching journey, it's crucial to establish clear goals and define your expectations. Reflect on what specific areas you wish to improve or develop, whether it's leadership skills, strategic planning, team management, or personal growth. Communicate these objectives to your coach so that they can tailor their approach accordingly. By aligning your goals and expectations with your business coach, you set a solid foundation for a productive coaching partnership.

Embrace Open and Honest Communication

Effective communication is the cornerstone of any successful coaching relationship. Be open and honest with your coach about your strengths, weaknesses, and any challenges you face. Share your thoughts, concerns, and aspirations without hesitation. Remember, your business coach is there to support you, and the more transparent you are, the better they can provide you with valuable insights and guidance. Establishing a safe and trusting environment fosters open dialogue, enabling both parties to work together towards your desired outcomes.

Embrace Vulnerability and Growth Mindset

To extract the maximum value from your business coach, embrace vulnerability and adopt a growth mindset. Acknowledge that you have areas for improvement and be willing to explore new perspectives and strategies. Be open to receiving constructive feedback and challenging your existing beliefs or practices. A growth mindset allows you to see obstacles as opportunities for learning and personal development, empowering you to overcome hurdles and achieve your goals with your coach's guidance.

Take Ownership of Your Development

While a business coach can provide valuable insights and guidance, it's essential to take ownership of your own development. Actively participate in the coaching process by implementing the strategies and recommendations discussed. Be proactive in applying the lessons learned and integrating them into your daily work routine. Take responsibility for your progress and hold yourself accountable for the actions and commitments you make. Remember, your coach is there to support and guide you, but ultimately your dedication and efforts are pivotal in achieving your desired outcomes.

Maintain Consistency and Commitment

Consistency and commitment are key to realising long-term growth and transformation. Regularly schedule coaching sessions and honour those commitments. Treat these sessions as valuable opportunities for reflection, learning, and goal setting. Apply the strategies discussed consistently, even when faced with challenges or setbacks. A dedicated and committed approach to your coaching relationship will yield greater results over time, ultimately propelling your business forward.

Provide Feedback and Evaluate Progress

As your coaching relationship progresses, regularly provide feedback to your coach. Let them know what aspects of the coaching process are working well for you and where adjustments might be needed. Effective feedback helps your coach fine-tune their approach and better address your specific needs. Additionally, periodically evaluate your progress towards your goals and celebrate milestones along the way. Reflecting on your growth journey not only reinforces your accomplishments but also highlights areas that may require further attention or adjustment.

In Summary

Engaging a business coach can be a transformative experience that propels your business to new heights. By following these strategies and approaches, you can unlock the full potential of your coaching relationship.

Looking for small business coaching in Toowoomba? Book a free 45-minute consultation with the best business coach near you.

Branding Your Business

Sun, 04 Jun 2023 22:00:00 GMT

In today's competitive marketplace, businesses face the challenge of standing out from the crowd and capturing the attention of their target audience. One powerful tool that helps companies achieve this is branding. Branding is more than just a logo or a catchy slogan; it encompasses the entire perception and identity of a business. In this blog post, we will delve into the concept of branding, explore its components, and understand why it is crucial for success in the business world.

Defining Branding

At its core, branding is the process of creating a unique identity for a business or product in the minds of consumers. It involves strategically shaping perceptions, emotions, and experiences associated with a company, distinguishing it from competitors. A brand represents the sum of all interactions and impressions people have with a company, encompassing its visual elements, messaging, values, reputation, and customer experiences.

Key Components of Branding

Brand Identity: A strong brand identity is the foundation of successful branding. It includes the visual elements that represent a company, such as logo, colours, typography, and design. These elements should be carefully crafted to convey the desired personality and message of the brand.

Brand Messaging: Brand messaging involves the verbal communication used to convey the brand's essence, values, and promises. It includes taglines, slogans, mission statements, and the overall tone and language used in marketing materials. Consistency in messaging is vital for building a strong brand image.

Brand Positioning: Brand positioning refers to the unique space a brand occupies in the minds of consumers compared to its competitors. It involves identifying and emphasising the brand's unique value proposition and competitive advantage. Effective positioning allows businesses to differentiate themselves and target specific market segments.

Brand Experience: Every interaction a customer has with a brand contributes to the overall brand experience. This includes everything from website usability and customer service to packaging and product quality. Delivering a consistent and positive brand experience fosters customer loyalty and advocacy.

Build Brand Consistency: Consistency is vital for successful branding. Ensure that all aspects of your business, from your logo and visual elements to your messaging and customer experience, align with your brand identity. Consistency creates a cohesive and recognisable brand that builds trust and loyalty among customers.

Tell Your Brand Story: A compelling brand story helps customers connect with your business on an emotional level. Craft a narrative that highlights your brand's journey, values, and purpose. Share your story through various channels, such as your website, blog, social media, and marketing campaigns. Authentic storytelling fosters a deeper connection with your audience and sets your brand apart from competitors.

The Importance of Branding

Differentiation: In a crowded marketplace, branding helps businesses stand out. A strong brand creates a distinct image and personality that sets a company apart from competitors. It allows consumers to form emotional connections and perceive added value, making them more likely to choose a particular brand over alternatives.

Recognition and Trust: Effective branding builds recognition and familiarity with a brand. When consumers encounter consistent branding elements across various touchpoints, it creates a sense of trust and familiarity. Trust is a critical factor in customer decision-making, leading to increased sales and long-term customer loyalty.

Competitive Advantage: A well-established brand with a clear positioning and strong reputation gains a competitive advantage. It becomes harder for competitors to replicate the brand's unique qualities, allowing the business to command premium pricing and attract loyal customers.

Brand Extension: A successful brand can leverage its reputation and equity to introduce new products or expand into new markets. Customers who trust and value a brand are more likely to embrace new offerings, allowing businesses to diversify and grow.

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In Summary

Building a successful brand requires strategic planning and consistent execution. By defining your brand identity, conducting market research, crafting a compelling visual identity, developing your brand voice, ensuring consistency, telling your brand story, and delivering exceptional customer experiences, you can establish a powerful and distinctive brand. Remember, branding is an ongoing process that requires regular evaluation and adjustment to stay relevant and resonate with your target audience. By investing time and effort into branding, you will create a strong foundation for your business and foster long-term success.

Looking to give a boost to your business branding? Book a free 45-minute consultation with Little Pig Consulting today.

How to Choose the Right Business Coach For You

Thu, 18 May 2023 01:46:14 GMT

Choosing the right business coach is an important decision that can greatly impact your professional growth and success. Here are some steps you can take to select the right business coach for your needs:

Determine Your Goals

Clarify your objectives and what you hope to achieve through the coaching. Identify specific areas where you need guidance and support, such as business strategy, leading your employees, or business marketing. Think about how long you're going to need coaching for. Do you just need one session to learn how to write vision statements? Or will you need to engage your coach across many topics and months?

Assess Their Expertise and Experience

Look for a business coach who has experience and expertise in your industry or the specific areas you want to focus on. Review their background, qualifications, and track record. Consider their years of experience, client testimonials, success stories, and any certifications or training they have obtained. If you're hoping for help with business marketing on social media you had better make sure your coach has experience in the field.

Check Their Coaching Approach

Understand the coach's coaching style and methodology. Some coaches may take a more directive approach, providing specific advice and strategies, while others may adopt a more facilitative approach, guiding you to discover your own solutions. Determine which approach aligns with your learning style and preferences.

Consider Compatibility and Rapport

Building a strong rapport and a good working relationship with your business coach is crucial. Schedule an initial consultation or discovery call to assess their communication style, listening skills, and whether you feel comfortable sharing your challenges and aspirations with them. Trust your intuition and choose someone with whom you resonate.

Seek References and Testimonials

Ask the coach for references or testimonials from their previous clients. Reach out to these clients if possible to gain insights into their experience and the impact the coach had on their business.

Clarify Logistics and Availability

Discuss the logistics of the business coaching engagement, including the frequency and duration of sessions, the mode of communication ( be it in-person, over phone or video), and the coach's availability. Ensure that their schedule aligns with yours and that you can commit to the necessary time and resources for the coaching process.

Evaluate Cost and Value

Determine your budget for coaching services and compare it with the fees charged by potential coaches. Keep in mind that while cost is a factor, the value you receive from the coaching relationship is likely more important, as long as you find the right coach for you. Consider the potential return on investment and the long-term benefits of working with a qualified coach.

Trust Your Instincts

Ultimately, trust your instincts and choose a business coach whom you feel confident can help you achieve your goals. Remember that effective coaching requires a strong partnership and mutual trust between coach and client.

By following these steps and conducting thorough research, you'll increase your chances of selecting a business coach who is the right fit for you and can support you in achieving your professional objectives.

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In Summary

Choosing the right business coach involves assessing their expertise, compatibility, coaching approach, and references while considering your goals and budget.

For expert small business coaching near you, book a free 45-minute consultation with Little Pig Consulting today.

How to Get Started with Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)

accounts@littlepigconsulting.com.au (Clayton Menyweather) — Tue, 02 May 2023 01:20:18 GMT

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the process of optimizing your website so that it appears higher in search engine results when someone searches for something related to your business. By making your website more relevant and authoritative for specific search terms, you can attract more organic (non-paid) traffic to your site and improve your online visibility, ultimately driving more leads and sales. SEO involves various techniques, such as keyword research, content creation, and link building, to help improve your website's search engine ranking.

SEO is a vital aspect of any business's digital marketing strategy. By optimising your website's content and structure, you can improve your website's search engine rankings and drive more traffic to your site. Here are some tips for improving your search optimization for your business:

Conduct Keyword Research

Start by researching relevant keywords and phrases that your customers are searching for. Tools like Google's Keyword Planner and Moz's Keyword Explorer can help you identify high-traffic keywords to target. By adding keywords that a lot of people are searching for, you are more likely to show up in more searches. However, you can’t just make a list of all the words you want to rank for and jam it into your website. Search engine algorithms are now smart enough to detect this ‘keyword stuffing’ and will actually make your website rank even lower! So your keywords must make their way onto your site organically, as parts of relevant content.

Create High-Quality Content

High-quality, informative, and engaging content can help improve your search engine rankings. Focus on creating content that addresses your target audience's needs and interests. Use relevant keywords in your content, but remember, avoid keyword stuffing. Adding this content regularly keeps your website ‘active’ and more likely to show up in searches. A good way of doing this is by having a blog on your site. This is a way of creating high-quality content that regularly updates and gives you a chance to use all those keywords you’ve found.

Optimise Your Website Structure

Your website structure should be easy to navigate and user-friendly. Use descriptive and concise titles and meta descriptions for each page. Create a clear hierarchy of pages, and use relevant keywords in your URL structure.

Build Quality Backlinks

Backlinks are links from other websites to your site. They are a crucial factor in search engine rankings. Focus on building high-quality backlinks from reputable sites. You can do this by creating great content that other sites will want to link to or by reaching out to influencers in your industry to request a link.

Use Social Media

Social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn can help you increase your website's visibility and drive traffic to your site. Share your content on social media, link back to your website and engage with your followers to build relationships.

Monitor Analytics

Monitor your website's traffic and user behaviour using tools like Google Analytics to find out what works and what doesn't. Analyse your traffic sources, bounce rates, and time on site to identify areas for improvement.

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Little Pig Consulting are Toowoomba's SEO experts. If your looking for help with Search Engine Optimisation contact us today to book a free 45-minute consultation .

Creating a Captivating Website Design for Small Businesses

accounts@littlepigconsulting.com.au (Clayton Menyweather) — Fri, 28 Apr 2023 00:09:56 GMT

Are you a small business owner looking to establish a strong online presence? Look no further! The secret to standing out in the digital world lies in captivating website design. A well-designed website can be a game-changer for your small business, helping you attract and retain customers, build credibility, and drive sales.

In this blog, we'll explore the importance of website design for small businesses and share some exciting tips to make your website a true online masterpiece.

Why Does Website Design Matter?

In today's fast-paced digital landscape, your website serves as the virtual face of your small business. It's often the first point of contact that potential customers have with your brand. A poorly designed website can turn off visitors within seconds, leading them to bounce off and look for alternatives. On the other hand, a visually appealing and user-friendly website can captivate your audience, convey your brand message effectively, and drive them towards taking the desired action, whether it's making a purchase, filling out a form, or contacting you.

Website design goes beyond just aesthetics; it's about creating a seamless and intuitive user experience that engages visitors and keeps them hooked. A well-designed website should load quickly, be easy to navigate, and provide valuable content that resonates with your target audience. It should also be responsive, meaning it adapts seamlessly to different devices, such as desktops, tablets, and mobile phones, ensuring a consistent experience across all platforms.

Exciting Tips for Captivating Website Design

Now that you understand the importance of website design for your small business, let's dive into some exciting tips to create a website that leaves a lasting impression.

Know Your Target Audience

Before you start designing your website, it's crucial to have a clear understanding of your target audience. Who are they? What are their needs, preferences, and pain points? Use this knowledge to inform your design decisions, from choosing the right colour palette to creating content that resonates with your audience. A website that speaks directly to your target audience is more likely to capture their attention and keep them engaged.

Keep It Clean and Simple

When it comes to website design, less is often more. Avoid cluttered layouts, excessive use of colours, and too many flashy elements that can overwhelm visitors. Instead, opt for a clean and simple design that focuses on your key messages and call-to-action. Use ample white space, clear headings, and easy-to-read fonts to make your content stand out. Simplicity in design not only makes your website visually appealing, but it also enhances the user experience and helps visitors find what they're looking for quickly.

Create Compelling Visuals

Visuals play a crucial role in website design. Invest in high-quality images, graphics, and videos that reflect your brand identity and convey your message effectively. Use eye-catching visuals that capture attention, but make sure they are relevant to your content and don't slow down your website's loading speed. You can also incorporate your brand's logo and colours to create a cohesive visual identity that reinforces your brand image.

Focus on User Experience

User experience (UX) should be at the forefront of your website design strategy. Your website should be easy to navigate, with clear and intuitive menus, search functionality, and easy-to-find contact information. Use breadcrumbs, clickable buttons, and clear calls-to-action to guide visitors towards taking the desired action. Consider how different elements of your website, such as forms or shopping carts, function and ensure they work seamlessly to provide a smooth user experience.

Optimize for Mobile

With the increasing use of mobile devices to browse the internet, it's crucial to ensure your website is mobile-friendly. Responsive design, which adapts your website's layout and content to different screen sizes and devices, is essential for providing a seamless user experience and maximizing engagement with your website.

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Little Pig Consulting are experts in website design and business marketing. If you're looking for a business coach near you, contact us today to book a free 45-minute consultation.

Is It Time for a Business Rebrand?

Tue, 25 Apr 2023 23:54:02 GMT

As a business owner, you put a lot of time and effort into creating your brand. But sometimes, as your business grows and changes, your brand may no longer accurately represent who you are or what you do. In such cases, it may be time to consider a rebrand.

Here are some signs that your business may need a rebrand, and tips on how to do it effectively.

Your brand is outdated

Take a good look at your business. If your brand looks old-fashioned and out of touch with modern trends, it may be time to update your look. You want to ensure your brand stays relevant in a constantly evolving market.

Your target audience has changed

If you've shifted your focus to a new target audience, your current brand may no longer appeal to them. A rebrand can help you connect with your new target audience more effectively.

Your brand is confusing

If customers are unclear about what your business does or what you stand for, it's time to rebrand. Your brand should be clear and concise.

Your brand is not memorable

If your brand doesn't stick in people's minds, it's time to create a more memorable brand. If you're in a business with a lot of competition you will need a strong brand to help you stand out from the competition.

Your brand has a negative reputation

Perhaps your're looking for a clean slate. If your brand has a bad reputation, wether because you've had problems in the past or because you're taking over a company that has, it may be time to start fresh. A rebrand can help you distance yourself from any negative associations and create a new, more positive image.

Now that you've identified that a rebrand is necessary, how do you go about it? Here are some steps to take:

Define your goals

Before you start your rebrand, you need to know what you want to achieve. Are you trying to connect with a new target audience? Do you want to change the perception of your brand? Write down your goals so you can refer to them throughout the rebranding process.

Conduct market research

Gather data on your target audience, your competitors, and the market as a whole. This will help you create a brand that is both unique and relevant to your audience.

Develop your brand strategy

Your brand strategy should include your brand story, messaging, tone of voice, and visual elements. Your brand strategy should be consistent and cohesive, and it should reflect your goals and values.

Create your visual identity

Your visual identity includes your logo, color palette, typography, and any other visual elements that represent your brand. Your visual identity should be memorable, relevant, and reflective of your brand strategy.

Implement your rebrand

Once you've developed your brand strategy and visual identity, it's time to implement your rebrand across all channels. This includes your website, social media, print materials, and any other touchpoints that customers have with your brand.

Monitor and evaluate

After you've implemented your rebrand, monitor its success and evaluate its impact. If necessary, make adjustments to your strategy to ensure it is achieving your goals.

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In Summary

Rebranding is a big undertaking, but if done correctly, it can breathe new life into your business and help you connect with your target audience in a meaningful way. Use these tips to guide your rebrand and set yourself up for success.

Little Pig Consulting have extensive experience in branding for business, from logo design to social media marketing to everything else in between. Contact us today to book a free 45-

-minute consultation.

What You Need to Know About Logo Design

Thu, 23 Mar 2023 01:25:00 GMT

In business, you’re trying to attract the right customers and make them fall in love with your brand - yes, it’s a bit like dating!

Think of your logo like the photo on your dating profile. It might be the first interaction that makes people take interest in your brand and want to know more about you. Alternatively, a poorly designed logo could be like a left swipe meaning you miss out on a potential new client/customer. So, it makes sense you want to be attractive to your audience.

A logo is something you want to get right as it is such an essential part of your brand. Your logo will appear on all your branding materials, it will stare back at your potential clients/customers from your website, packaging, business card, and signage. A solid logo design will communicate what you stand for as well as make a good first impression.

How to Design a Good Logo

In the ever-widening sea of brands and businesses, how do you make your brand stand out?

Here are a few tips to develop a stand-out logo:

Find inspiration for your design.
Check out the competition.
Choose your design style.
Find the right type of logo.
Pay attention to color.
Pick the right typography.

Define Your Brand Identity

Your logo should communicate your brand's identity. Think of your brand's logo as its face/identity. When you think of a brand, you think of its logo, the colours, and possibly even the font choices. To do this, you need to understand what your brand's core personality is. You need to consider what makes your brand unique and what your brand is about.

Make it Easy to Remember

The most important part of a logo is that it’s memorable, one that sticks in the mind long after seeing it. Thinking of the brand should conjure its logo to mind and vice versa.

More often than not, simplicity is key. Your brain is going to have trouble remembering an overly complicated design whereas a basic logo will more easily stay in the mind's eye. Think of the logos of some of the biggest brands in the world, brands like McDonald's, Nike, and Mercedes. What do all these logos have in common? It’s simple; simplicity.

Make it Different from What’s Already Out There

As we have already discussed, a simple logo is best. However, when every other business is already applying this principle, you need some way of standing out from the crowd.

A common grievance often expressed about logos today is that they are all starting to look the same. Take a look at the logos of these massive businesses.

Over the years, all these businesses have incorporated the same branding strategy of simplicity. Unfortunately, now their brands, their very identities, have become almost indistinguishable from each other.

How do you avoid this? Study the logo designs of your competitors. Is there a commonality there? Make sure you don’t fall into the same trap and simply add another name to the list. Do something different!

In Summary

A good logo design is crucial for making your brand stand out in a crowded market. A well-designed logo can attract interest and curiosity, while a poorly designed logo can lead to missed opportunities. To create a standout logo, find inspiration, understand your brand identity, focus on simplicity for memorability, and strive to differentiate your logo from competitors.

Logo Design is one of the many things Little Pig Consulting can help you with. Our graphic designers have extensive experience with logo design so book a free 45-min consultation with the best business coach near you.

Which Videos Should You Make For Your Business?

Tue, 14 Feb 2023 00:49:20 GMT

They say that a picture is worth a thousand words. Well, it has been calculated that a

1-minute video is worth as much as 1.8 million!

Videos are far more likely to reach audiences than text posts as they are naturally more engaging and require less effort to consume. It has also been found that visitors spend nearly twice as much time on a website with a video compared to a website without one.

Want to make videos for social media but don’t know where to start? Here are some ideas.

Which Videos Perform the Best

Here are a couple of the video ideas that perform the best on social media:

How-to Videos: Studies have shown that more than half of all social media users are looking for videos that will teach them something. When trying to learn something it is by far easier to learn by watching rather than reading. Food brands may want to post follow along recipes, while construction or landscaping businesses may want to post some DIY tutorials.

Behind-the-scenes: The second most sought after videos are behind-the-tutorials. People like to take a peek behind the curtain. These videos are great for showing your human side, the personality that is solely unique to you and your employees. Office tours are popular options, as are videos that show the process of your product being made.

Comedy: Never underestimate the power of entertainment. The Wendy's Twitter account gained huge amounts of traction after they started posting tweets trash-talking other fast-food brands, something unheard of at the time. Short comedic videos are great for gaining new viewers, as those who mightn’t be interested in what you're selling will still be in the mood for a laugh. The next time they’re looking for what you provide, you will be the first one they think of.

User Generated Content : Turns out you don’t even need to be making your own videos to be posting them. User Generated Content is becoming more prevalent every day. User Generated Content is videos and images of your product or service that are being shared by your customers. You can then (with their permission) share those posts on your own page. It’s been shown that brands that use UCG have seen an average of a 20% increase in their profits.

Tips for Making Videos

If you want a more in-depth look on how to make videos perfect for social media, you can read all about that here . In the meantime, here are some basic tips:

Keep it short: People’s attention spans grow infinitely shorter when using social media. The best performing videos across Facebook and Twitter are 60-90 seconds long. The second-best performing are 30-60 seconds long.

Invest in Proper Equipment: You need to be making high quality videos, these videos are representing your business, after all. If you cannot afford a quality camera, you’re in luck. Most modern smartphones are equipped with surprisingly decent cameras. A good camera alone isn’t enough, however. You may need to invest in other equipment such as lavalier microphones, gimbals, or lights. That being said, you’re not shooting a feature film so it's probably best to buy the cheapest versions you can find. You might be surprised what you can buy for a few hundred dollars.

Perform to Your Audience: Keep an eye on the analytics of which videos perform best and focus your efforts on these. HOWEVER, don’t just stick to one form of video once you’ve found your best performing formulae. Variety in social media posts is a huge factor in attracting viewers.

In Summary

Videos are one of the best forms of marketing your business. Just remember to k eep it short, simple and high quality.

Little Pig Consulting are experts at creating interesting videos for businesses. Whether your looking to have one made or merely for advice on how to make the best videos you can, you can book a free 45-min consultation with the best business coach near you today.

How To Make A Great Explainer Video

Fri, 27 Jan 2023 05:58:10 GMT

An explainer video can be a fantastic tool for your business. If you don’t know what an explainer video is, or why you might want one, you can read all about it here.

In essence, an explainer video is a short video that explains the product or service your business offers to people.

If you’ve never made an explainer video before, there are a few things to keep in mind to help you make the best video you can.

Keep It Short

You’re not making a documentary here. You’re only going to be able to keep your audience’s attention for a short time. Your explainer video should only be a minute or two long, three minutes tops.

What, How and Why

When making an explainer video there are three questions you need to answer. What, how and why? Or more specifically:

What is the audience’s problem?
How will your product or service fix it?
Why should the audience choose you?

One pitfall that people often find themselves in an explainer video is getting caught up in the how . It might be tempting to show off all your bells and whistles but try to avoid getting too specific, keep it broad. Rather than going too in depth on ‘how’ you will solve your clients’ problems, focus on the ‘why’ your business is the one for them.

Include A Strong Call To Action

You want the viewers to act immediately after watching. Use verbs that encourage the viewers to act; click here, buy now, call today!

Avoid making more than one call to action. Don’t end your video asking them to watch other videos or to like and subscribe, stick to the one thing you want them to do, which in this case would be contacting you.

In fact, while you should still have the call to action at the end of the video it might also be a good idea to present it earlier and repeat it at the end. Studies have shown that people often stop watching a video roughly 15 seconds before the actual end.

Make It High Quality

This video is going to be how you present your business. If the video is poor quality, then the natural assumption is you provide a poor-quality service. When filming your video make sure to put no small amount of effort into scripts, filming and editing.

An often-used alternative is an animated video. Animated explainer videos are very common as animation is a good way of explaining simple concepts while keeping your video interesting and visually appealing.

Match The Video To Your Audience

Make sure the style and tone of the video matches the audience you are trying to connect with. If you’re advertising for a wedding service, you're not going to have your presenter wearing jeans and a ratty t-shirt. If you're advertising for an extreme sports competition, you're not going to play classical music in the background. Think of the kind of people you are advertising for and tailor the video to them.

In Summary

Explainer videos are a fantastic form of videos for any business to generate activity online. If you keep the above ideas in mind, you can start making your own high-quality explainer videos in no time. For more advice on how to make great online videos, check this out!

Want help from experienced video professionals? Talk to Little Pig Consulting. Book a free 45-min consultation today.

Should You Be a Sole Trader or a Company?

accounts@littlepigconsulting.com.au (Clayton Menyweather) — Fri, 27 Jan 2023 04:55:27 GMT

When setting up your new business there are a lot of things you need to think about. One of which is, do you go it alone or reach out for support?

Will you be a sole trader; a business is owned by one single person.

Or will you be a company; a business with several shareholders who each own a percentage.

Both approaches have their own pros and cons, so read on to find out which is right for you.

The pros being a sole trader

If you are working with limited resources, there are far fewer things to think about. There is far less paperwork and far fewer costs. Many will choose to purchase an ABN and a registered business name but that’s about it. As far as taxes go, a sole trader will only pay their personal income taxes.

Additionally, if you want to have full control over your business then you should know a sole trader is a single person that will have 100% ownership and control over their business. This means they don’t have to answer to any shareholders

In short, some of the top reasons for being a sole trader is because it is simpler to set up , there are fewer costs, and you will have total control .

The cons of being a sole trader

Of course, there are downsides to this business model. As a sole trader you are in it alone, you do not have shareholders to shoulder the burden or to invest money in the business. Being a sole trader means that you will be solely responsible for your business and its debts. You will be paying bankroll, rent, legal fees, fines and buying anything your business needs. Any legal trouble your company lands in, you will be the one in the hot seat.

So, the cons of being a sole trader is sole responsibility for any financial or legal troubles the business has as you will have no other shareholders .

The pros of being a company

On the other hand, you could choose to set up a company. Owning a company means that you will be able to bring investors on board to become shareholders within your business. These shareholders will buy a percentage of the business, meaning that you will have a lot more money to work with during the first stages of your company.

Additionally, you won’t be shouldering the burden of responsibility alone. You will have several others to weigh in decisions with you and split the liability of debts incurred or any other problems the business has.

The pros of a company are more initial capital and limited liability .

The cons of being a company

No one has sole control over a company. Major decisions the CEO makes must be agreed upon by their shareholders. Additionally, the business’s profits will be split between shareholders depending on the percentage of the company they own.

There are also a variety of fees that need to be considered when starting a company. In Australia you must register your company with the Australian Securities and Investments Commission which currently costs $538 initially and $230 annually to renew.

Additionally, companies are taxed at a corporate rate of 30% compared to a sole trader, who needs only to pay personal taxes.

The cons of a company is that it costs more to run and that you will not have sole agency, nor take all profits as shareholders will own a percentage of the company.

In Summary

As with everything, there are pros and cons to both. You know your needs better than anyone and hopefully knowing the differences between the two can let you decide your approach.

Starting your own business? Get help from a professional. Book a free 45-min consultation today.

12 Reasons Your Website Needs a Redesign

accounts@littlepigconsulting.com.au (Clayton Menyweather) — Thu, 15 Dec 2022 00:53:26 GMT

There’s nothing better than creating a lasting impression with your customers.

Having a website is one of many ways to have an online presence, and to keep creating positive impressions for your visitors it needs attention regularly. Good website design is essential in keeping people coming to your page.

Is your website design the best it can be? Is it outdated. Or unresponsive?

Here are 12 reasons why your website may need a redesign.

1. Visual Appeal

Appealing design principles can change over time, and you want your website to reflect your brand well. A successful website will both look professional and provide valuable information to present you as an expert in your field. A website needs to be updated periodically to keep it fresh and relevant. This includes adding new content, updating images and changing colours and fonts to align with your branding. It also helps to add new features such as blogs, forums, social media links, etc.

2. Stock photos

When you first had your website created, you may have relied on stock photos if you did not have photography done for your business. Good photos can take your website to the next level and is another way to present the message of your business. Finding a photographer specialising in branding is critical to have high-quality photos that can be used on your website and social media.

3. Effective use of calls to actions

Does your website effectively use calls to action to guide your visitors’ journeys? These buttons or links are critical in improving your click-through rate (CTR) and capturing a potential customer’s interest in your business from your landing page and throughout your website.

4. Content

Completing a website redesign is an opportunity to review how your website looks and how current your content is. Even if your content is factually correct, re-writing it to be simple and on target can be more effective for those visiting your website, converting them into customers.

5. Responsive & Mobile Friendly

With mobile phone usage on the rise, it is essential that your website has a responsive design making it mobile-friendly. This ensures your potential customers when using your website are presented with a quick and smooth experience, delivering a good impression of your brand. If you haven’t updated your website in a while there is a good chance the responsiveness of your site does not compete with fresh websites. A well designed website makes use of mobile specific tools to ensure the mobile site runs just as smoothly as the desktop (e.g. compressed images,

6. Website Speed

How fast your website loads is a major factor in whether a visitor stays or leaves to view a different site without returning. There may be elements that need to be changed or removed to give your website a speed boost. Google Page Speed Insights is one of many great tools that provides insight into how fast your website loads, and what you can improve to reduce the risk of potential customers not viewing your site.

7. Technique & Coding

Web development is constantly evolving. The tools and languages used to build websites change over time to meet the needs of the technology our customers are using and to meet accessibility criteria. If it has been a few years since your site was created, more than likely there is extra code or additional code that needs to be added to keep your website up to date.

8. Measuring Effectiveness

To be able to track how effective your website is, it needs to have the necessary tools. Older websites built before tracking was available will not have these, and you could be missing out on vital data showing where you need to improve your online presence, how your customers use your website and opportunities for growth.

9. SEO & Website Updates

Search engines regard fresh content as the most current for consumers. Without regular updates, your website can easily fall in the rankings, reducing the opportunities for your website to be the one visited by potential customers. Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) is a hugely important part of marketing your website. Reviewing the keywords you are targeting and freshening up your content ensures that search engine algorithms are bumping up your website to appear higher in search results.

10. Provide Easy Navigation

A good user experience means that visitors can easily find what they're looking for without digging through pages of irrelevant information. An essential part of providing a good user experience is to make certain your website is easy to navigate. If customers have a difficult time navigating through your website their journey can be negatively affected, raising your bounce rate.

11. Is Your Bounce Rate Favourable?

Bounce rate refers to the percentage of visitors to your website who leave after only viewing one page. A high bounce rate is an indicator that your website is outdated or not performing well. Visitors may not be finding what they are looking for quickly or don’t like your website's look, so they are leaving to find information elsewhere. If your bounce rate is not favourable, redesigning your website can improve this.

12. You’ll Reduce Your Risk of Getting Hacked

Having an online presence is essential for businesses, and you must ensure you reduce the risk of your website and social media getting hacked. Security flaws can arise regardless of age. However, the likelihood of such flaws arising on an older site is higher due to the fact that it uses older technologies and coding practices.

In Summary

If you need a website redesign, now is the time to get started. A redesign can be a great way to improve your online presence and drive more traffic to your business. We offer a variety of services that can help you achieve this goal including SEO, content creation, digital marketing strategies, and more.

Need a website developed? Or does your current site need sprucing up? Book a free 45-min consultation today to learn from the best web designers in Toowoomba!

Why You Should Be Using Webforms Right Now

accounts@littlepigconsulting.com.au (Clayton Menyweather) — Thu, 24 Nov 2022 06:40:59 GMT

Today, a website is basically a necessity for any business, and any website can benefit from the use of webforms. Webforms are one of the best ways to gather information from your online users.

What is a webform?

A webform is a digital form that has several advantages over paper forms, not least of which is the ability to have your computer sort and store the information instead of doing it yourself.

More to the point, webforms are available on your website for anyone to access from anywhere, anytime. You can use webforms for any number of things. Some examples include:

Order webforms for online stores,
Online booking webforms to make reservations,
Contact webforms that will put your business in contact with potential clients.

Once the information is filled out you can not only have the information easily displayed to you, but you can also view analytics online.

Why Use a Webform?

Having these webforms on your website allows you to collect and sort information easily and efficiently. All the user needs to do is fill out the webform using their computer or phone. Compare this to driving all the way to your business themselves, or even picking up the phone and making a call. The easier you are to reach the more likely the customer will give you their business.

Moreover, the best part of including a webform on your site means you can turn everyone who fills it out from a visitor to a lead. When your customers fill these forms out, you can use there data to analyse your current market. Once they have filled in their contact details, you can use that to advertise to them through e-mail or sign them up to an online newsletter (should you have one).

How to make a Good Webform

The webform should be simple – The most important thing to consider when designing a webform is whether it is easy to use. Webforms are designed to make the process easy on the user. Give the user easy instructions with clear headings. For example, do NOT use a heading like ‘ Please write your first name here.’ Instead, simply write ‘ First Name’ . Anyone who has filled a form out before will be able to infer what they should write there.
It should be appealing – In the theme of keeping it simple, your webform should have as few input lines as possible. It should be easy to read with large, clear font. Stick to a single colour theme, white being the safest bet. Don’t fill the screen up with conflicting colours.
It should be accurate – Make sure the information on the webform is accurate. If you are selling t-shirts online, do not give users the option to order sizes of shirt that you do not have. Keeping the webform regularly updated will help here. If your restaurant is fully booked for the night, disable the option to reserve a seat for that night.

In Summary

Webforms are simple tool that not only makes your website more efficient but can also help in gathering data on your customer base.

Do you need expert webforms designed for your business? Click here to book a free 45-min consultatio n today!

Which Social Media Platform is Best for Your Business?

Thu, 27 Oct 2022 01:09:24 GMT

When you make the decision to begin marketing on social media, the first question you’re going to ask yourself is “which site do I use?”

Now, that doesn’t mean that you can only pick one. In fact, you should make an account for all three and spread your content around. However, running multiple social media accounts can take a lot of time and effort, and not everything that performs well on one site will perform well on another.

So, which one should be the focus of your time and effort? Let’s find out.

Facebook

The undisputed king of social media, Facebook boasts 2.85 billion users. Regardless of whether or not it will be your main form of social media, a Facebook page has become a must-have for any modern business.

While Twitter focuses on short text posts, and Instagram on image-based posts, Facebook casts a wider net. Instead of choosing to focus on either form of media, most Facebook posts are accompanied by both text and images. Additionally, Facebook is the place to be when sharing more in-depth information, such as articles and blog posts.

Because Facebook has been around longer, the average age of a Facebook user is older than other apps. If you’re planning on marketing to an older audience, then Facebook should be your method of choice. Older demographics tend to have more money, meaning Facebook is also the place for marketing to wealthy clients. If your business is managing hedge funds or investing capital, for example, Facebook should be your pick of the litter.

Instagram

With 1 billion monthly users, Instagram does have fewer users than Facebook, however, considering it was released six years after Facebook, it is one of the fastest-growing social media apps out there. Instagram focuses heavily on sharing images and videos, instead of text posts. But where Instagram really shines is user engagement.

User engagement can be measured by getting likes, comments, share or any other way users interact with your posts. A study revealed that Facebook posts saw a median engagement rate of 0.09% per post. Comparatively, Instagram saw a rate of 1.6%. Instagram posts will often gain ten times more engagement on Instagram than Facebook, even when comparing the exact same post made on different platforms. If you are planning on interacting with your audience or making use of influencers and user-generated content (read more about that here), Instagram is also the place to go.

Instagram should be your medium of choice when trying to attract a younger crowd as it has a much younger age demographic when compared to Facebook. When compared, the number of users aged 18-24 on Instagram is 30%, while Facebook is only 23%. This is likely a combined factor of Facebook being older and Instagram focusing more heavily on images and videos, which are more popular with younger demographics.

Twitter

Twitter is the best platform for keeping your customers informed and up to date with information happening right now, in the moment.

If you’re sharp of wit, Twitter would be the best place to be making jokes or wordplay. Users are far more likely to take the time to read a text-only post on Twitter than the other sites, instead of just skipping over text in favour of images and videos.

Paid ad slots also see far more engagement on Twitter than other platforms, with traffic rates of 1-3%. That mightn’t sound like a lot but, in comparison, Facebook only sees an average of 0.12%. This improved engagement does come at a higher price than either of the other two platforms, however.

In Summary

The use of social media is imperative to your business's success in this day and age, but not all sites are made equal, which is why it's so important to figure out the best site for you.

Little Pig Consulting are experts in social media management. If you're looking for consulting regarding social media, you can book a free 45 min consultation here today!

Which Management Style Works Best for You?

Thu, 27 Oct 2022 00:38:12 GMT

In every business, there is some form of management but every business is different. What works for others may not work for you. This is why it’s important to get a read on the best form of management for your own business.

Let’s take a look at some of the most popular forms of management and find out what would work best for you.

Autocratic

In an autocratic style, there is only one leader, one person who makes the decisions. Communication works in a relatively one-way street with the person in charge, giving orders to those below them.

Pros of an autocratic management style:

Faster decision-making process,
Keeps a single vision.

Cons of an autocratic management style:

Runs the risk of becoming unliked,
Keeps workers in the dark.

An autocratic management style might work for you if you’re running a small business. When the owner and the manager are one and the same the autocratic style is generally fallen into by default.

It also works well in a business that requires little management, where the employees know exactly what to do and how to do it.

Democratic

In a democratic work environment, communication is more heavily emphasised. The person in charge will put their ideas forward to the workforce and ask for their feedback. However, at the end of the day, it is still their decision.

Pros of a democratic management style:

With extra input better ideas can be found,
Less pressure on one person,
People feel empowered; like they matter to the business.

Cons of a democratic management style:

It can take more time,
Can lead to competition between employees.

A democratic management style might work for you if your company consists of a small team where everyone is equally invested. This style works best when people actually care about the company they work for and are actively thinking of new ideas to improve upon it, rather than those who are just there to do what they're told and collect their paycheck.

Collaborative

Collaborative workplaces use a management style similar to the democratic process. However, in a collaborative workspace, all members must give feedback. A decision will often not be made until there is a consensus.

Pros of a collaborative management style:

Truly ensures the decision made is representative of the whole company,
People that would usually keep their thoughts to themselves are forced to give their perspectives.

Cons of a collaborative management style:

Can take even longer than democratic,
People may feel pressured and not want to give feedback.

A collaborative management style might work for you if you are currently making decisions that will directly affect all members of your company. In smaller companies, this work style can work particularly well, as you can gain new perspectives you might otherwise miss out on, without a single meeting becoming an all-day affair.

Laissez-faire

Laissez-faire is a French term meaning ‘let’s do’. This management style gives a lot more freedom to employees. Employees are trusted to be able to do their work without someone hovering at their shoulder, looking over their work. Management will generally only become involved if the employee needs help or something has gone wrong.

Pros of a laissez-faire management style:

Managers spend less time monitoring,
Inspires independence,
Gives people the freedom to work the way they want to.

Cons of a laissez-faire management style:

Less oversight, without communication, could lead to mistakes being made,
Lazy workers may use this to skirt by.

A laissez-faire management style might work for you if you have a team of highly skilled or highly experienced workers who know the best way for themselves to produce results. This also works well for people working remotely from home. As long as the tasks are completed, it doesn’t matter how.

In Summary

Figuring out the best management style for your business, and sticking to it, helps keep everything running smoothly.

If you’d like to learn more about the best way to manage your business, get in touch with Clayton. You can book a free 45 min consultation at Little Pig Consulting today!

Using Analytics to Learn What Works

accounts@littlepigconsulting.com.au (Clayton Menyweather) — Fri, 23 Sep 2022 06:51:06 GMT

Today you can better understand your audience than ever before thanks to online analytics.

Analytics allows you to measure and quantify what posts get the most engagement, the kind of audience you’re attracting or even the exact amount of time people spend on your site.

Fifty years ago, this would take dozens of hours of manpower to get an accurate measurement. Today, it’s all yours with the click of a button.

Whether it's your website on Google, your posts or Facebook or videos or YouTube, most websites today will give you the option to read the analytics for your online content with the click of a button.

Click-Through Rate

The term ‘click-through rate’ refers to the rate at which viewers of your posts will also click on them to be taken to your website.

This can also be broken into the subcategory ‘link click-through rate’ which refers to people who click on a text link to be taken to a different page, rather than simply clicking on a picture or article. Link click-through rate is a more reliable method of measurement as it only refers to those who choose to click the link to be taken to your page, versus those who may have accidentally clicked on a picture.

Define Your Target Audience

Analytics can give you a breakdown of your gender and age group of your viewers. This information is invaluable when deciding your target audience. You can learn if your target audience is engaging with your brand, or you might even learn to pivot to a new target audience if it turns out you’re doing particularly well with a certain demographic (learn more about identifying a target audience here ).

Evaluating Engagement with Your Videos

Videos are a great way to gain traffic and advertise your business. On Facebook and YouTube, you can use analytics to evaluate the rate of engagement your videos have.

On YouTube a view is only counted if the person watches at least 30 seconds of the video. Views will not be measured if it is watched below this amount of time, if it is played while on AutoPlay or if the algorithm decides the views are displaying bot-like behavior (for example, jumping between the same few videos over and over).

When it comes to the ad spots they show on YouTube, it’s a little different. YouTube will keep track of when:

Someone watches the entirety of an ad that’s below 30 seconds,
Someone watches at least 30 seconds of an ad that’s above 30 seconds,
Someone clicks through the ad to be taken to a different site.

On Facebook, however, a view is counted when someone has only watched 3 seconds of a video. As Facebook videos tend to play automatically as people scroll by this can lead to your video racking up hundreds of fake views. To get the real engagement number, thoroughly read the analytics page, as this will also display the total minutes of watch time spent on a video, the number of times a video was watched all the way through, the number of times a video was watched for at least 10 seconds, and average percentage of the video that was watched.

All this combined will tell you exactly what sort of videos your audience likes and wants to see more of. More than that, it can track exactly when people stop watching, which can teach you the kind of content they are not interested in.

In Summary

This easy-to-use tool is built in to virtually every form of online marketing, be it through social media or your website. It is extremely useful in helping build an online audience and promoting your business.

Do you want help using analytics to boost your online engagement? Book a free 45 min consultation with Little Pig Consulting and talk to a professional today.

How Do You Find Your Target Market?

accounts@littlepigconsulting.com.au (Clayton Menyweather) — Fri, 23 Sep 2022 06:25:21 GMT

Have you ever heard the phrase, “a friend to everyone is a friend to no-one”? It could be said that is the basic principle behind a target market.

You can’t please everyone. Something that works for one group won't work for another and if you are making or marketing a product or service without a target market in mind, you may as well be shouting into the wind.

So how does one find their target market?

What is a Target Market?

Your target market is the people most likely to be your customers, the people you will be providing your products or services to. Think about the kind of people who will be using your business. A high-end furniture store is not likely to be marketing to uni students, but instead wealthier clients. A trade or timber shop is going to be marketing to tradies and builders instead of middle-aged women or children.

Identifying Your Target Market

So, how do you now identify our own target market? First, you ask yourself the kind of customers that you actually want. When you started this business what were you trying to achieve? What are the values of your business? Once you’ve answered these questions you might have an idea of the customers you feel passionate about marketing to (or avoiding) rather than simply trying to match your own company to the customer base most likely to give you money.

If you hold values of environmental consciousness, for example, you’re probably not going to be marketing to oil or coal companies. But you can use messages of environmentalism in your marketing, and incorporate green initiatives into your business, to attract customers that hold the same values.

Use Analytics

Websites like Google and Facebook have built in analytics that you can use to find out specific information on your customers (read more about analytics here ). What percentage of them are a certain age, gender or nationality. You can use this to look at the customers you already have. You might be surprised to find an overwhelming number of them belong to a certain demographic. You might find that your brand is popular among suburban mothers or foreign businessmen. After learning this it might be a good idea to double down and pivot towards this market with which you are finding success.

Find Your Niche

The term niche refers to ‘a specialized segment of the market for a product or service.’ Niching can be a daunting task as you might feel as though you’re cutting yourself off from the larger market. But if you have a chance to cater to a niche audience you might find yourself becoming the go-to brand.

For example, there is an online store called Lefty’s that sells exclusively left-handed products such as left-handed pens, kitchenware, even guitars. Less than 10% of the population is left-handed, making it a smaller demographic than right-handers but you better believe those left-handers are going to be shopping at Lefty’s as often as they can.

If you find a viable niche for your business, you could honestly become the biggest company in the world for that specific audience.

In Summary

Finding your target market is an essential process when begining a new business. Once you have found your target market, it’s time to curate your content to appeal to them.

Little Pig Consulting are experts in website design for small businesses. Contact us here for a free 45-minute consultation.

Making Videos Perfect For Social Media

accounts@littlepigconsulting.com.au (Clayton Menyweather) — Mon, 15 Aug 2022 04:08:58 GMT

Social media management has fast become the best platform for advertising available, be it to bring in new customers or engage with your existing ones.

With the number of social media users rising and the average attention span falling, short online videos have become the premium way to quickly convey information to users who can’t be bothered to read .

Now, there are a few differences when making videos specifically for social media compared to others.

Here is some advice to help get your videos in your customers' news feeds...

Keep It Short

One difference about videos on social media is that they are normally found, not searched for. This means the people who happen upon your video aren’t going to be inherently interested in the topic, so you need to not only make it interesting enough to watch, but you need to keep it from being too long. Seeing a video more than a few minutes long will send most viewers scrolling on, as they aren't going to spend their precious time watching something they didn't even search for.

Keep your video short, 1 minute is a good point to finish at, but if you must go over keep it 2-3 minutes tops. A video that’s too long will dissuade people from opening it at all, let alone watch the whole thing.

Get Right Into It

Studies show that most people decide wether to keep watching a video on social media within the first 3 seconds. Otherwise, they will just keep scrolling. Those first 3 seconds are the most important part of your video so you need to make sure it catches interest right away.

Make Use of Captions

Most videos on social media play automatically, without sound. This helps as it means the first few seconds of your video has a shot at pulling in someone who had no intention of opening it in the first place. So, when uploading, make sure all your videos have captions so people can watch without sound.

Don’t Be Afraid to Get Creative

If you are uploading frequently, it also gives you more leeway to try something different every now and then. Your video needs to be attention grabbing so something creative might be a good way to get people clicking on your video that mightn’t have otherwise. Users mightn’t be looking for a builder, but they might be interested in a time-lapse of a house being constructed.

Always Upload ‘Natively’

A ‘native video’ is a video uploaded directly to the site, such as Facebook or Instagram, rather than a link to the video on a different site. Social media sites reward their users for posting on their site by pushing native content over other types. So, if you’re posting videos to Facebook, it’s more likely to be seen than if you were sharing Youtube links.

Keep an Eye on Analytics

As social media management becomes increasingly important, there are more and more tools made available to help us get the most from our posts. Apps like Facebook have built in analytics meaning you can keep track of your videos stats to see what works for your viewers. Do they prefer videos that are super short or a bit longer? Do they like it when you are producing videos that inform or entertain? Once you know what works you can build upon that, instead of putting time and energy into something that doesn't. (Learn more about analytics here .)

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In Summary

Videos are one of the best social media tools out there. If you want to become a better videographer for social media, you need to follow the above tips.

Don’t know where to start? No problem! Book a free 45-minute consultation and talk to the best business coach near you.

Vision and Mission Statements & What They Can Do for You

accounts@littlepigconsulting.com.au (Clayton Menyweather) — Mon, 01 Aug 2022 04:52:02 GMT

Have you ever worked for a company and known exactly what they stand for and what they want to achieve? Mission and vision statements communicate exactly that.

Customers are more inclined to trust, and employees are more inclined to care about a business that lets you know that it cares about some things more than pure profit.

What are Mission or Vision Statements?

Mission and vision statements are short sentences that a business will write up with the intention of communicating its company ethos. However, they do work in slightly different ways.

A vision statement speaks of your overall goal for your business’s future. For example, here at Little Pig Consulting, our vision statement is: “Be the leading, trusted resource for small businesses in the region.”

A mission statement, on the other hand, is an explanation of what your business is doing right now to achieve this goal. At Little Pig Consulting our mission statement is: “Providing innovative tools, resources and advice to assist businesses to build their tenacity.”

How to Write Your Vision Statement

Your vision statement should display your company’s goals as well as its values for your employees to look upon and understand.

When writing your vision statement the first thing you need to identify is your company’s goal. What do you want your company to have achieved in five years’ time? Are you aiming to be the biggest business in your field, whether that be in your area, your country or even the entire world? Or perhaps you instead mean to keep your company small and focus on delivering the best service for the customers you already have?

Either way, your vision for your company should incorporate the values you want to see in your employees. For example, here at Little Pig Consulting we want to be the “leading, trusted resource”. From this vision statement, this simple sentence, our employees know that while we want to be the best, integrity is our core value.

Some other successful examples of vision statements of companies include:

Amazon: “ To be earth's most customer centric company; to build a place where people can come to find and discover anything they might want to buy online. ”

Apple: “ To make the best products on earth, and to leave the world better than we found it. ”

Google: “ To provide access to the world's information in one click. ”

How to Write Your Mission Statement

When writing your mission statement, you want to outline your promise to the world and exactly what your business will do to achieve its vision. A mission statement is a promise, to both itself and its customers.

Your mission statement should let people know why your company exists. More than that, it should give an idea of why it is different from others. In Little Pig Consulting’s mission statement, we say that we want to ‘assist businesses in building their tenacity.’ This sets us apart from other companies that may take a different approach.

Some other examples of mission statements of companies are:

Amazon: “ Our mission is to continually raise the bar of the customer experience by using the internet and technology to help consumers find, discover and buy anything, and empower businesses and content creators to maximise their success. We aim to be Earth's most customer centric company. ”

Apple: “ Our mission is to bring the best personal computing products and support to students, educators, designers, scientists, engineers, businesspersons and consumers in over 140 countries around the world. ”

Google: “ Our company mission is to organise the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful. ”

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In Summary

If you can accurately communicate your company's vision and mission, you can install a sense of purpose and belonging in your employees.

Want to learn more about how to write a vision or mission statement? No problem! Book a free 45-minute consultation and talk to the best business coach near you. For more information on other tools for small business, read our blog on capability statements here .

Tips and Tricks For Getting Clicks On Social Media

Mon, 23 May 2022 06:50:19 GMT

As of 2022, there are close to 3 billion users on Facebook alone. That's over a third of the world's population! When you add in Twitter and Instagram, there is a total of more than 4.5 billion social media accounts around the globe.

With so many users, social media management has become the most wide-spread form of marketing ever seen, which you can use entirely for free!

But when everyone is posting and advertising on these sites, how do you stand out from the crowd? Use the following tips and tricks to avoid getting lost in the sea of clickbait and paid-ads....

Write Compelling Headlines

The thing that grabs the attention of the reader is the title. It informs the reader what the blog is about so they know whether they want to open the link. But with some tweaking it can do more than that; it can convince them that they should. Including a ‘call to action’ in your title has been proven to draw in more customers. A call to action tells your target audience what they should be doing once they have read your article. For example, “Tips and tricks for getting clicks on social media”.

Post With an Accompanying Image

A relevant, eye-catching image is essential when posting on social media. The image should be clear and simple. Use an image that is thumbnail sized or crop a regular image to suit your needs. Avoid using an image with text as text on the image can make it seem cluttered combined with the headline and meta text already attached. This text makes any text on the image redundant anyhow.

Use the Right Keywords

Make use of keywords in your articles. If you’re a carpenter selling rocking-chairs in the Brisbane area, make use of those words in your article. When people search for things on the internet the algorithms scan the internet for the exact words they searched in. More importantly, in this case, those words are also kept track of by the algorithm so it can show the user things it may be interested in. If people have been searching up rocking chairs on Google, there is a good chance of them being shown links and ads for rocking chairs across their social media sites.

Write Infotainment

If people are clicking on your links you need to keep their interest. The use of keywords should have you showing up in the feeds of people who already care about your topic, now you need to keep their attention. If people actually enjoy reading your content you’ll see these people opening your links every time it pops up on their feed.

Customise Your Links

Unfortunately, we can’t always get the exact web address we want and are sometimes left with lines of text filled with random numbers and symbols. A long, unsightly link can sometimes come across as unprofessional or off-putting to a reader, dissuading them from following the link. Luckily, there is an easy solution. URL shortening programs, such as Bitly.com , can shorten those links to something a little easier on the eyes.

In Summary

It can be hard to stand out from the crowd on social media. It is definitely worth the investment though as it can be very lucrative for your business to find a way to appeal to your market in the bustling business districts of social media.

Do you want to learn more about boosting your social media presence? Book a free 45 min consultation with Little Pig Consulting and talk to a professional.

Why You Should Be Using a Password Manager

Mon, 09 May 2022 06:52:28 GMT

Whether it be for email accounts or social media management or any number of other things, most businesses need to make use of several different online accounts.

This leads to the creation of many passwords, which can slow businesses down with the amount of time it takes to find and enter the right password for each site. It can also lead to unacceptable security breaches, such as writing a password down or setting your computer to remember it each time.

A password manager (such as LastPass or Bitwarden) makes all these problems go away. Here are just a few reasons why you should be using one...

You Don’t Have to Rely on Memory

The obvious benefit of using the manager is that you never have to remember another password again. The machine remembers it for you, also eliminating the need to write your password down somewhere.

Most websites these days offer a ‘remember password’ option but when using a manager you are far more secure. When you remember a password on a website you are giving that website access to that password. More than that, any hackers that can access that website can now access your password.

Fast Access

The convenience of having a password manager cannot be overstated. With a single click you can access any password you have saved in the manager. Any member of your company that is allowed access to the manager can access what they need with a push of a button. This cuts down on the time spent struggling to recall a password or waiting on a superior to give it to them.

If you have some concerns with giving all your employees access to all your passwords, worry not, for within the manager you can restrict access to certain passwords as you wish.

Stronger Passwords

For many, a password is the only form of security they have to keep people out of their secure networks. Just last year, a hacked password led to havoc being wreaked upon the largest oil pipeline company in the world, Colonial Pipeline. Hackers managed to get a hold of a single password and used that to launch a cyber attack on the company, effectively shutting off half the country's fuel supply. The company chose to pay the ransom, which is known to be anywhere between $2-6 million. A single password cost them millions and could have irreparably damaged the US economy.

When making a password we will usually make it something we can easily remember such as: ‘Password123’. It’s also common to use the same password for all our logins. If we make use of a manager to hold our password for us, it means that we can now use far stronger and more secure passwords that could never be remembered off the top of our heads. For example: he69Ck3Z7yLs9fB4. Try remembering THAT without writing it down. Unguessable passwords held in a hacker-proof virtual vault; the peak of password security.

In Summary

If you want to keep your business safe, invest in a password manager. It is an inexpensive tool that could run less than $5 a month to use that ensures your business is more productive and secure.

Do you want to learn more about virtual tools for your business? Book a free 45 min consultation and let the experts at Little Pig Consulting handle it for you.

Why Your Business Should Be Posting On Social Media

Mon, 04 Apr 2022 06:07:57 GMT

Perhaps you don’t think your business needs a social media presence…

But whether you’re a butcher, a baker, or a candlestick maker, posting regularly to social media can do wonders for your business.

Here are some things social media can do for you...

Advertise For Free

Since the first company produced its first product it’s been the simple truth that if you wanted to draw new customers to your business you had to advertise that you even existed. You can’t wait for people to go hunting you down. In the days of yore, you would have to rely on buying advertisements on the radio, the television, or your local newspaper. But today, we have the internet.

Facebook alone gets more than a billion users every day, and it is entirely free to post on this platform, be it personal or for business. You can increase your odds by creating a Facebook ad campaign, but even just posting organically can build your brand on social media.

Improve Search Engine Optimization

Search Engine Optimization (or SEO) is the process of improving the quality and quantity of traffic to your website or web page from search engines. SEO targets unpaid traffic rather than paid traffic through advertising platforms like Google Ads.

Anytime you use a search engine a program is sent out into the internet, hunting for the words you typed into the search bar. When it finds websites containing those words it brings them back and displays them for you.

So, it stands to reason, the more words on your website the more likely you are to get hits anytime something is searched online. This idea translates to social media as well, the more posts you make, the more likely you are to show up in searches. Websites like Facebook and Google are also known for rewarding frequent use by giving your posts higher priority over sites that lie stagnant.

I nstantly Engage With Your Customers

Social media posts have the handy feature of allowing viewers to comment on the post. This allows your customers to let you know exactly what they think of the post and to ask any questions they have. You can respond to these comments and answer and questions asked as easily as you would interact with anyone on social media. No hold times, no red tape. Engaging with your customers directly like this also gives you a chance to show your personality and build your online brand for all to see.

Gain Access to Online Analytics

When posting on websites like Facebook, you have access to the analytics related to your posts. From there you can gather concrete evidence about your target audience. What is the ratio of men to women? What is their age range? Income bracket? What exact content are they engaging with? What content do they hate? This might have been a service you would have had to pay another business hundreds of dollars to provide, and now it’s yours at the click of a button.

In Summary

It can be very beneficial to have your business active on social media and help you to b uild relationships with and learn information about new and existing clients.

Do you want to start a social media page for your business but don’t know where to start? Book a free 45 min consultation with the team at Little Pig Consulting today.

How to Systemise Your Business Procedures

Mon, 28 Mar 2022 05:53:04 GMT

If you’re running your business, you can’t oversee every little task, let alone complete them all yourself.

People can’t be running to you every time they need to do something, asking for explanations on how to do it. If that’s how you spend your time, how do you expect your business to ever grow, expand or succeed?

That’s why we systemise.

Systemising your business stakes the pressure off you and makes sure people will always know the best way to carry out tasks they have been delegated to complete.

What is Systemising?

Systemising is the process of putting in place systems and procedures. These procedures should help your employees be able to do what they need to do with minimum explanation required from management.

How Do You Systemise?

Create Standard Procedures

Create a list of the most common tasks carried out by your business. This means everything from answering emails, conducting meetings to cleaning up the office at the end of the week.

Write up standard operating procedures for each task that you expect staff to complete in your business.. Go into as much detail as possible. If done correctly, you should be able to pull someone in off the street, hand them a page with the procedure on it and have them complete the task themselves…. ok, maybe not but you get our drift!

These procedures are the bread and butter of the systemisation process. Even if someone has never done a task before, if your task checklist are thorough enough, in theory they should simply be able to follow the right steps and do the task themselves.

You can also make training procedures, as this will free your employees from spending time training new staff. At Little Pig Consulting, we are big fans of recording tasks as a way of training staff about how to undertake tasks.

Delegate

Delegate, delegate, delegate. Try it out with something small before moving on to big tasks. If you’re the boss, then you need to be able to pass smaller tasks onto other people so you can focus on the bigger or more important bits of work.

Delegating will also give more responsibility to your employees, giving them a chance to hone their skills. Delegation also instills a sense of trust.

Implement Automation

There are things that simply don’t need to be done by the people in your business.

Automation is a major part of systemising your business. Set up automation wherever possible. This frees up time for people to do more important things and ensures that these smaller tasks aren’t forgotten while people are focusing on something bigger.

Make Notes When Things Go Wrong

No one wants to think about the things that they’re doing wrong but unfortunately that’s something you should be doing a lot. If there is a problem your business faces often then it’s time to nip it in the bud and fix it.

Therefore, make notes and ask for feedback on the procedures you use to systemise and then tweak them to make the process smoother. After all, those who don’t learn from their mistakes are doomed to repeat them.

In Summary

Systemisation is the process of implementing systems that take the pressure off you and make sure your employees know how to carry out their tasks without having to ask you every time.

Not sure about how to start with systemising your business? Talk to the team at Little Pig Consulting. You can book a free 45 min consultation and let us handle it for you.

Why SWOT Is One of the Best Tools for your Business

Mon, 21 Mar 2022 05:39:26 GMT

SWOT is one of the most commonly used and most-effective techniques used by business owners today.

Whether you’re trying to get your start-up off the ground, or you’ve been running your own company for the last decade, every business can benefit from conducting a SWOT analysis.

Here are some tips to keep in mind if you're not sure what SWOT means...

What is SWOT?

SWOT stands for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats. When conducting a SWOT analysis, you look at your business internally for Strengths and Weaknesses, and then externally for Opportunities and Threats.

Ask yourself the following questions:

What are my business’s strengths?
What are its weaknesses?

Then look outside your business to the rest of the world.

What opportunities can I seize?
What threats do I need to work to avoid?

Why SWOT?

So why is this necessary? Perhaps you’re thinking that these aren’t questions that need to be asked, that you already know what your strengths are. But when you take the time to sit down and invest time into taking an objective view, you will find yourself uncovering more than you thought, especially when you open the floor to more than one person. You should always bring in at least one other person on a SWOT analysis to point out things that you yourself have missed (because there will always be something).

Simply getting these vague ideas out of your head and down on paper will do wonders for focusing your efforts. By the end of it you will have a list of goals to achieve, areas to work on, and a better understanding of your business.

How to SWOT?

Though not part of the acronym, here is the first step to SWOT that might be missed; research. Perhaps this is left out because it is assumed that you already have a fundamental understanding of your business and the market for it. Or perhaps RSWOT just doesn’t roll off the tongue. Either way, you first need to know what you’re talking about before you begin investigating.

SWOT works best when you have a particular goal in mind. Whether you are trying to rebrand your business, contend with a competitor or implement a new marketing strategy, SWOT will help you find the best path forward.

So, you’ve done your research, you have a goal in mind, now we can get stuck into the nitty gritty.

Strengths – What are your business’s strengths? Do you have good internet traffic, a good number of employees or an overabundance of capital? Also, look at yourselves and your employees as individuals and try to identify personal strengths.

Weaknesses – Unfortunately, then there’s the downsides. Perhaps you are inexperienced, or you have no industry connections. Whatever it is, writing out all your weaknesses will make sure they don’t go unnoticed and will give you an opportunity to address them.

Opportunities – What opportunities are there in your market that you can exploit. Do you have access to an exotic resource, or can you find a target demographic that seems to be ignored?

Threats – Finally, list the things that you should be on the lookout for. A shift in the market? Being unable to supply enough product to meet demand? If you identify the biggest threats to be on the lookout for you can make a plan of how to either prevent these from happening, or how to deal with them if they do.

In Summary

A SWOT analysis helps you look internally and externally at the current state of your business. Once you’ve conducted a SWOT analysis you should be able to make a plan for your business moving forward.

If you need help doing so, or if with any other facets of your business you can book a free 45 min consultation with Little Pig Consulting today!

Tips on Writing Capability Statements

Mon, 14 Mar 2022 04:50:10 GMT

You may have heard about capability statements and wondered if your business needs one. Capability statements l et people know what your business is capable of.

You can think of a capability statement as a resume for your business. It’s a document that you can give to potential clients that outlines the services your business offers. This can help them decide if they want to work with you.

Here are some tips to keep in mind if you're not sure you need a capability statement...

Why should you use one?

A capability statement is a showcase of your business’s strengths. When trying to attract new clients, you can’t rely on them taking the initiative to research you. They may miss parts of what you can offer and will likely be researching half a dozen other companies.

Instead, supplying them with a capability statement will give them an outline of your business’s competencies and let them know exactly what you can do for them. Presenting them with something that lets them know exactly what you can offer puts you ahead of the pack and will help you stand out from the crowd.

Furthermore, for some, capability statements aren't just a good idea, it’s an essential one. Tender bids for government contracts or financial institutions will usually require a capability statement for you to be considered.

What to include in yours?

Just as every business is different, so will every capability statement. However, there a several things that should be included in every statement:

An introduction of your company,
An overview of your core competencies,
The main services or products you offer,
Examples of major clients and previous projects you have completed,
Profiles of your management staff, listing their competencies,
Your contact details.

Tips on writing a capability statement

Watch your tone – Think about who you are writing this for and adapt your language to suit them. You may want to use slightly different language in the statement you send to a banker from the statement you send to a baker.

Limit the length - If it’s a trial to get through, your capability statement may go unread. Limit the length as much as possible while still getting across all the necessary information. You should avoid writing more than three or four pages, some statements can be as short as one page.

Make it easy to read – Keep the writing as simple as possible. Don’t fill your capability statement with blocks of text. Instead, break up the longer paragraphs into smaller ones and use dot point lists.

Make it nice to look at – Using images will make your capability statement easier and more entertaining to read. Additionally, graphics can relay information easier than text. Don’t underestimate the power of colour, a colourful statement not only catches the eye but will differentiate itself from any old page of black and white text. There are many tools online, such as Canva, that can help you build a document that stands out.

In Summary

A capability statement lets people know what your business is capable of. They are essential when it comes to landing big jobs and building your business.

If you really want to make an impact, then let us help you write the perfect capability statement. You can book a free 45 min consultation at Little Pig Consulting today!

5 Ways To Engage With Your Customers Using Social Media

Mon, 07 Mar 2022 04:36:10 GMT

Social media is a platform for building connections. Be it with friends, family, or even complete strangers. Perhaps you think that people aren’t looking to form such connections to brands or businesses? Well, as it turns out, that’s exactly what consumers are looking for.

Social media is by far the most popular way consumers want businesses to contact them. Moreover, that same report found that when customers feel a connection with a brand over social media, 57% will increase their spending, and 76% will choose that brand over any other competitor.

Social media is perhaps the most important tool any brand could be using today. It does the same job as buying advertisements or staffing customer support. But it also does more than that, it helps your brand build a personality, and tell its story.

How To Do This?

So, how are you going to use social media to engage with your customers? Here are some tips for keeping your customers engaged with your brand:

Regularly Check and Respond To Comments

It has been found that social media is by far the most popular way for customers to connect with businesses. Y ou should be constantly checking your page for people asking for help. Fast responses are a must! So, you should be checking the comments all throughout your day.

Don’t just respond to questions, though. Reward people for interacting with your page by acknowledging their efforts.

Don’t Always Push The Product

If every single post you make on social media is an ad, then people will eventually begin to ignore your posts, or worse, unfollow you. Instead, use your page to show off your business’s personality, the human behind the brand. Be it a cute picture, an inspirational quote, or a funny joke, breaking up the ads with genuine and interesting posts will have your users looking at your page as more than just an advertisement.

Give Your Customers Updates

Social media is the best place for your customers to learn of new services or products being offered. Do you have a limited time sale? Are you discontinuing a well-beloved product? Social media will be the place for people to find out and they’ll keep on coming back to your page to know.

Encourage User Generated Content

A great way to really engage with your customers is to get them making content related to your brand. Share posts, photos and videos other people post on your page (with the creator’s permission, of course). Once users see that making such posts can get them on your page it will encourage others to make their own content related to your brand.

And if you really want to get user generated content then maybe you should start offering some more tangible rewards.

Host Contests

Begin hosting a contest on your social media page and you will find users regularly coming back to check for the next one. Contests are a sure-fire way of getting people to interact with your posts, even if only for a chance to win something. If contests reward people for sharing your posts, or even better, making their own content related to your brand, then you are offering incentive for people to market your brand for you.

In Summary

Social media helps you to b uild a relationship with the ones who give your business their business.

Having trouble generating interest for your social media page? Book a free 45 min consultation and let the experts at Little Pig Consulting handle it for you.

Why Your Business Could Use An Explainer Video

accounts@littlepigconsulting.com.au (Clayton Menyweather) — Wed, 09 Feb 2022 06:35:28 GMT

What Is An ‘Explainer Video’ And What Can It Do For You?

As the name might suggest, an explainer video is a short video that explains exactly what a company does. This video will showcase your company’s product, or the service offered, in a short and exciting way. These videos can be on the front page of your website to explain your business to newcomers. In fact, studies show that people spend nearly 90% more time on a website that contains a video. You can also post an explainer video across social media, which will not just explain your business but also advertise it.

Why make an explainer video?

People Are More Likely To Watch Than Read

A common outcry from today’s parents is that kids want to watch TV far more than they want to read a book. Well, adults aren’t any different. People are far more likely to engage with a video than a chunk of text. People don’t want to read. Especially not when they don’t yet know anything about your business.

Video is faster, easier, and more engaging than text. Studies have shown that video links are clicked on 27 times more than text links on social media. It doesn’t matter if you have written a document that would make Shakespeare weep if no one were going to read it.

It Saves Resources

You will find yourself spending less time explaining what you can do for people when you have a video that does exactly that for you. Watch the time you spend in pitch meetings be slashed. Why would someone take an hour out of their day to call you in for a pitch when they could just jump online and watch a two-minute video?

Videos Get More Engagement

When posting an explainer video to social media the rewards are twofold; people watch your video and people engage with your video. Let me explain. Video posts are 120 times more likely to be shared on social media than any article or text post. The more often people engage with your online content by sharing or commenting, the higher above other sites you are placed by the algorithm, making your posts more likely to be shown to other users.

Talk to a professional.

Explainer videos come in all shapes and sizes, and it takes no small amount of time or effort to make it right. Contact Little Pig Consulting here for a free consultation on how we can make the perfect explainer video for you.

In Summary

Explainer videos are extremely beneficial for the businesses as they give an insight to the working of the company in a short time.

If you want to talk to a professional about an explainer video then contact us here at Little Pig Consulting and we can help you in making an explainer video for your business. You’ll find our office at 6/256 Margaret Street, Toowoomba QLD 4350. You can give us a call on 4613 0742 .

Why Would You Want To Hire a Business Coach?

accounts@littlepigconsulting.com.au (Clayton Menyweather) — Wed, 09 Feb 2022 06:35:09 GMT

Whether you are just beginning out, or you are looking to grow the business you already have, a business coach might be just what you need to ensure your own success.

Why hire a business coach? Here’s just a few reasons.

1. They have experience

A business coach brings a lot to the table, not least of all is experience. If this is your first business, then this will be especially helpful. You needn’t waste time experimenting to see what will and won't work. They’ve been there, done that. A business coach can help jumpstart your business by showing you exactly how to start and what pitfalls to avoid.They Can See Your Blind Spots

2. They can see your blindspots

In the same vein, a business coach is less of an extra pair of hands, but rather an extra pair of eyes. When we get focused on one task, we often put on blinders. When dealing with our own business we can sometimes become overprotective of our aims and ideas. A business coach has complete objectivity and will be able to point out flaws in your plans or steer you towards opportunities that you might never have considered.

3. You Will Have an Equal in the Workplace

One problem with being ‘the boss’ is the fact that you have authority over everyone else. This can sometimes be detrimental if people are afraid to be honest with you. If you are pitching a bad idea, you employees may be too intimidated to disagree with you. No one should work in an echo chamber, otherwise any bad decision you make could cost your business greatly. This would be easily avoidable should there be someone who is not your subordinate, but rather someone who’s job description includes telling you when you are making a mistake.

4. They Will Hold You Accountable

When you have no one above you, you have no one telling you what to do. This can sometimes lead to you procrastinating things you don’t want to do or putting off making the hard decisions. A business coach can hold you accountable to these tasks and because you are paying them money to do so, you will likely feel especially guilty if you ignore their advice and continue to neglect your duties.

5. You Will No Longer Be Alone

It can be tough at the top. If you are stressed or struggling, you might find you can’t turn to your employees for guidance or even show that you are troubled. Instead, you will often need to put on a brave face and keep the ship sailing. Having a business coach gives you someone for you to discuss your troubles with, someone who can help you navigate your way through the trials and tribulations of running a business and, perhaps most importantly, simply listen.

In Summary

A business coach can be an invaluable investment that will help you take your business to where you want it to go.

Looking to hire a business coach? Little Pig Consulting are the business consulting agency with years of experience. Contact us here to book a free 45 minute consultation today.

A Brief Guide to Business Networking

Thu, 21 Oct 2021 00:27:52 GMT

Networking is one of the most important tools for any business owner to have in their repertoire. Putting yourself out there and building connections will bring in so many more customers, as well as potentially opening yourself to new opportunities in the future.

In the current age of the internet, there are a thousand other people who do the exact same thing you do online. So, networking with potential customers helps you build a relationship with them and puts you at the forefront of their mind whenever they think about what you can provide. More than that, it gives you a ripe source of referrals. The people you speak to probably won’t need your services, but odds are they know someone who does.

Here are some handy tips to keep in mind when you’re at your next business function or event.

Practice your elevator pitch

You may have heard the term elevator pitch before. Here’s the basic idea. You’re in an elevator going up to the top of a skyscraper. The elevator stops, the doors open and in steps the exact person you want to be pitching to. You have maybe 30 seconds to introduce yourself, your business and explain why your business deserves their attention.

Speak to the right people

When you go to a networking event, you’re most likely not going to be able to talk to every single person in the room. So, who should you be talking to? Be on the lookout for people with businesses that relate to yours in some fashion.

If you’re a car dealer you might be on the lookout for a mechanic to refer people to. If you’re a grocer, you might want to talk to the farmer who could be a new source of produce. If you own a gym you might want to talk to someone who makes exercise equipment.

Do try to talk to as many people as you can, however. Just because your businesses don’t align, it doesn’t mean that they won’t know someone who works at one that does.

Use the right tools

You should be attending as many networking events as you can and when you go, be prepared. A lways have a ready supply of business cards and make space in your wallet to fill with the ones you receive.

You get out what you put in

The whole point of networking is building a professional relationship with people. A network of people that can help each other out. You cannot expect people to help you without you giving them anything back.

When talking to someone new, if you yourself can’t help this person out, be thinking of anyone you know that you can refer them to. In one sweep you have proven your value to both this new connection and an existing one.

In Summary

Networking is a very important element when it comes to developing brand recognition and building your business.

If you’d like to start networking, get in touch with Clayton. You can book a free 45 min consultation at Little Pig Consulting today!

4 Reasons You Should Update Your Website Design

accounts@littlepigconsulting.com.au (Clayton Menyweather) — Sun, 10 Oct 2021 23:38:30 GMT

Because you want to make a good first impression.

Here’s a cliché; first impressions matter. But, like most clichés, it’s one because it’s true. Within the first few seconds of opening your website users will either make the decision to keep reading or to try their luck with a different one.

Your website is actively marketing your business and its quality reflects upon you. The first time they see your website people are going to make a snap judgement whether your business seems professional. If it is of poor quality, people will assume your work is too.

Because you need to improve user experience.

We want to make the experience as easy as possible for the user. If your website is filled with confusing instructions, broken links or frustrating layouts, most customers will leave immediately, leaving for a site that doesn’t require effort to navigate. Even those who stick with it will be left with a negative first impression. That’s why it’s so important to make the user experience as smooth and easy as possible. You want to make hiring you the easiest thing they’ve ever done. The faster they navigate the site, the faster you get a new client.

Because you need to match your competitors.

If someone needs a plumber, odds are they’re going to be searching ‘plumber’ online and clicking on the first link they see. If they open a shoddy looking webpage with an outdated design, they’re not going to be assured in the quality of your work. In a couple seconds they can find a different website, with a better design that assures them they’ll be receiving a quality service. You could perform twice as well as your competitor, it doesn’t matter if the customer never has the chance to find out.

Because it’s easier than ever.

To be honest, one of the biggest reasons you shouldn’t be putting off your websites update is because, these days, it is so easy to do. With a slew of tutorials online, there are step by step guides on how to bring your website to the next level. There are even websites like Squarespace, that are dedicated solely to selling you pre-made website designs.

All you need to do is purchase one of these designs and write your business’ information in. Hit publish and you have a fancy new website ready to go. However, choosing the right design can be daunting and navigating such programs can be tricky. But don’t worry, there are plenty of people to help.

In Summary

You may have thought that websites were set and forget but the reality is much different.

If you w a nt to talk to a professional about a fresh, updated website design then contact us here at Little Pig Consulting and we can help you turn clicks into clients! You’ll find our office at 6/256 Margaret Street, Toowoomba QLD 4350. You can give us a call on 4613 0742 .

Tips To Improve Your Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)

accounts@littlepigconsulting.com.au (Clayton Menyweather) — Mon, 13 Sep 2021 05:13:21 GMT

Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) techniques are constantly changing and evolving. It can feel overwhelming and impossible to figure out which ones are important and which are safe to ignore.

The most important thing to remember is to keep the user experience in mind. Following the countless tips you’ll find online might be tempting but in the end, if your website is bad for visitors it’s bad for your business.

In this blog, I will outline some of the most important factors that go into ensuring your website will rank well in search engines.

Create Useful Content

Write with humans in mind, it’s good to fit in a lot of relevant keywords but stuffing in too many will negatively impact the user experience. When their experience is bad they click off your website and keep searching, which looks bad to Google.

Remember that search engine spiders are not the ones who will end up buying from you. If you don’t keep your human customer in mind then no amount of trickery you’ve used to impress Google crawlers will fool the eyes of the human who ends up on your website.

Don’t Plagiarise

It’s also important to note that you should make sure not to plagiarise content from other websites. If you find a great article online that would be great on your website it’s fine to take inspiration from it but don’t directly copy anything beyond simple quotes that you credit to the original author.

Search engines that view your content will have already indexed the page you’ve copied so you can’t simply get away with copying other work. If you really like another website’s content you can always link to it from your website or share it on social media. Trying to fill out your website with stolen content could actually harm your rankings.

Make Sure Your Website it Fast

A well designed website is the cornerstone of your SEO strategy. Structuring your website so that it’s as fast as possible is a process that begins at the planning phase. It can be very difficult to fix a slow website to the point that sometimes you’re better off starting over and getting a completely new one built from scratch.

Having a slow loading website is one of the worst things that can happen to your SEO rankings. It is bad within the Google algorithm and also from the perspective of user experience.

Google can track when a searcher clicks on your website link from their results page then gets bored of waiting for it to load and clicks back. This type of activity sends a strong message to search engines that your website isn’t what people want which can be disastrous for your rankings.

Don’t Forget About the Code

Correctly structuring your content with a good hierarchy of tags (in the code) will help search engines understand the structure of your website and let them know what information is most important for them to index. Search engine algorithms consider these types of details into their many ranking factors as well as certain users who can’t properly navigate your site without them.

A good tagging structure helps with accessibility as it helps the disabled as people using screen readers. They can’t see whether the text is big or small so there’s no way for them to know what you’ve visually indicated is important without other indicators.

Tag Your Images

There is an entire section of the Google results that is dedicated to only displaying images and this provides an opportunity to add keywords to your website. People often think of search engine results pages as walls of text and don’t consider that text can be attached to images.

Simple strategies like creating useful URL names and adding image tags can attach searchable text to your images in a way that accurately describes your content. If you give search spiders an easy way to identify your images’ content, it will be easier for them to index it correctly, bringing searchers to your website.

In Summary

Many factors go into SEO and this article only outlined a few of them but if you follow the work on these tips, you’ll be on your way to higher rankings and more traffic.

These tips are only the beginning of what we offer our clients at Little Pig Consulting. If you’d like help with your SEO, reach out to our team on 4613 0742 or use our website contact form.

What Does Social Media Marketing Include?

accounts@littlepigconsulting.com.au (Clayton Menyweather) — Tue, 07 Sep 2021 05:35:38 GMT

If you have recognised what social media could mean for your business, then your next step is working out if you can fulfil this marketing need within your business currently. Some businesses find they don’t have the capabilities; whether in time, knowledge or where to start. If this is the case, jumping onto google and facebook to see who can help is next - followed by the all important question - what does social media marketing include?

We can’t answer for every social media marketing business out there, but here is a rundown of what you can expect when you join with Little Pig Consulting for your social media marketing.

So let's jump into it...

Get to know you

Whether you are located in Toowoomba and the Darling Downs and we can meet face to face or we need to consult via phone / zoom, we spend time getting to know you and your business. We want to drag out from you all of your knowledge and passion and ask the questions that your customers want to know.

Once we have an idea of your business and branding, we want to know your ideal customer. Who are you talking to? If we are talking to young mothers, teens or farmers, we need to speak their language and resonate with them. So what is next?

Work together

We can’t do this process on our own . Good social media marketing needs constant input from our client. We want to know what you are up to - what is interesting about your business right now and also ALL the photos. Getting you to be a selfie star is our number one goal - but if that doesn’t work - we want all the behind the scenes you can send us.

We know that organic photos and photos with people (staff and customers) will get more attention than anything we ‘curate.’ Mini videos, boomerangs, fails, views from your place of business - we want it all! Help us tell your story and what is behind your brand.

If you are a family based business, even consider sharing some personal images and stories. It is all about getting your social clients - potential and current - to build a closer relationship with your business and we can’t achieve that without you!

Golden rules

We know that consumers don’t enjoy being “sold to” on social media. Here at Little Pig Consulting, we follow golden rules that our posts will fall into these three categories and we refer to them as the 3 E’s. Engage, Entertain, Educate. Yes, we can do some sales posts but rarely and between the more important E posts.

Schedule

We make sure your content is posted at the best possible time. After we’ve created your schedule for the month, complete with accompanying text and hashtags, we schedule your social media posts to any and all platforms you’re on.

All you have to do is check over the posts and engage directly with any customers that comment on your posts - leave the rest to us!

Measurable

We check monthly on how your social media marketing is going for your business. We measure against previous months and years, delve into your audience to see that we are in fact talking to your ideal client and check on your Google My Business results.

This information shows us what your customers are engaging with, what is making them visit your website / brand and helps us to make sure we're giving your business the marketing results you’ve engaged us for.

In Summary

If you are struggling with being consistent with your social media marketing and know that you could achieve so much more, we are ready to help today!

We are an experienced Digital Marketing Agency in Toowoomba that have proven social media strategies that work for our clients with reporting to prove it! If you would like to discuss how we can start social media marketing for your business, book a free 45 min consultation today.

Digital VS Offset Printing - What You Need to Know

accounts@littlepigconsulting.com.au (Clayton Menyweather) — Thu, 02 Sep 2021 04:51:45 GMT

If you’re in the market for printed material for your business such as business cards, brochures, business cards, banners, flyers or other marketing materials, there are more considerations to take than just an effective design, colour scheme and layout.

One of the decisions that needs to be made prior to designing any of this is whether your material is going to be printed digitally or offset. Let’s explore the basics about these two printing methods.

A good designer will discuss these options with you in your initial meeting and have reputable industry contacts to refer you to in order to fulfil the project brief. The reality is that both types of printing have differing technical requirements that need to be incorporated into the design, different capabilities and limitations as well as differing levels of quality in their output.

Let’s delve in now...

Offset Printing

Here are the benefits of offset printing:

Large quantities are cost effective
Better economy of scale
Highest possible printing quality, with optimal reproduction and colour fidelity
Larger variety of paper and finishing available
Custom inks such as metallic and Pantone colors are available

Digital Printing

Here are the benefits of digital printing:

Low set up costs
Fast turnaround times
Variable data capability (name, address, numbering etc can vary with each print)
Print only what you need.
Lower minimum quantities available

Because of the significantly shorter setup time involved in digital printing, it has short turn around times for projects and can usually offer same-day and next-day printing.

In Summary

Both methods of printing have their place in modern business, as most businesses have variations in their printing requirements.

The best course of action is to ask your designer to advise you on the most appropriate method of printing for your project in your initial meeting.

If you or your business is in need of a print professional to assist you with your business marketing, design and print requirements, can call our team directly on 4613 0742 to organise a free consultation.

Logo File Extensions and What They Mean

Mon, 23 Aug 2021 05:06:47 GMT

When you engage a designer to design your new logo design, at the end of the process you’re going to be handed over a number of files in different file formats. You may wonder why you receive so many files and also why you can’t even open some of them.

Ideally, the designer will break up the files into different folders for print and digital or web use and also provide a folder containing the master file. The file formats you should receive are .ai, .eps, .jpg, .png and .pdf.

The .ai and .eps files are the ‘God’ files and should be protected at all costs.

Before we get into the file formats, it’s important to identify the two types of artwork that designers produce, vector and raster. Vector art is based on mathematical anchor points and infinitely scalable without compromising quality. Raster artwork is pixel based and unable to be scaled up without compromising or destroying the quality of the artwork. Once pixel and size parameters are set, this is the final output size of the artwork. Logos should always be designed in a vector format.

Now that’s clear, let’s break down what the file formats are and where you can use them.

AI (Adobe Illustrator Artwork) is a proprietary file format developed by Adobe Systems for vector artwork and the .ai file extension is used exclusively by Adobe Illustrator. Illustrator is the industry standard for the development of all vector artwork across graphic design.
EPS (Encapsulated PostScript) – this is a standard graphic file format for logos. EPS files are a PostScript file (a page description language in the electronic publishing and desktop publishing business), and a versatile editable file format.

EPS files are usually generated by professional drawing applications as well as most desktop publishing/layout programs. While an .eps file can contain raster imagery, it is generally used solely for vector based artwork.
JPEG or JPG (Joint Photographic Experts Group) – easily the most common file format you’ll find across the internet. JPEGs are raster files (pixel based) and known for their lossy compression. Lossy compression means that the quality of the image decreases as the file size decreases .

There are differing resolution parameters depending on where your jpg may be used. Often the term dpi is used interchangeably when they definitely shouldn’t be. PPI (pixels per inch) describes the resolution of a digital image in pixels whereas DPI (dots per inch) is in fact, the amount of ink dots on a printed image.

Although PPI predominantly refers to screen display, it also directly impacts the print size of your design and quality of the output. DPI, on the other hand, primarily only concerns print.

Digital applications generally only require 72ppi, digital printing can be as low as 120-150ppi while offset printing requires 300ppi. If you have a jpeg you would like to print in larger quantities (offset), it will need to have over 4 times the resolution of an image used on the internet.
PDF (Portable Document Format) – you can create PDF files from a wide range of programs, it is a truly portable file format that ‘holds’ artwork and text in place no matter what computer it is viewed from. They will also retain the integrity of vector artwork so are usually the best way for a client to view a crisp version of their logo design. PDF’s can contain both vector and raster elements.
PNG (Portable Network Graphics) – great for interactive documents such as web pages, but are generally not suitable for printing due to their file size. A signature trademark of PNG’s are that they usually have a transparent background - a significant advantage over a jpeg file.

Like jpegs, PNG files are raster and cannot be used larger than 100% of original image size. They can be reduced in size.

Now you’ve got through all of that, here’s an extra file format that you may come across:

TIFF (Tagged Image File) – a high quality large raster file. While all other raster (pixel based) files feature some level of degradation, TIFF files generally are the highest quality raster version of your artwork. It is still not superior to any vector based artwork though, due to it not being scalable and generated using pixels.

In Summary

File formats can seem complicated initially, but there’s usually a helpful designer somewhere who can assist you to understand what file to use where. In most cases, vector files are best for printing and raster files are best for digital/web-based artwork. You should always keep multiple copies of your logo artwork in multiple locations in an easy to find file folder.

If you are needing a new logo design, visual marketing material, business collateral such as brochures, flyers, business cards and letterheads, call our team directly on 4613 0742 to organise a free consultation.

Video Is King but Why?

Mon, 16 Aug 2021 01:41:59 GMT

In social media marketing circles people keep saying “Video is King”, but why is that? Why are we pushed towards video in order to interact with our potential viewers or customers?

Creating a fully produced video takes a lot of effort, time, and if you don’t have the know-how, it can also cost money.

Is it worth all the energy and money when I can just post a photo of my product? A picture says a thousand words after all, doesn’t it? Well how about I give you 25 photos per second and see how much you can say.

Moving with the trend 25fps at a time
A good example of video taking over the humble photograph is Instagram’s announcement last month. Instagram, a platform created as a 1:1 photo sharing medium has been forced to evolve to keep up with it’s audience’s hunger for video content.

Adam Mosseri the head of Instagram on 1 July 2021 stated (in a video mind you) that Instagram is no longer just a photo sharing app ( Adam Mosseri, Instagram ). With the emergence of TikTok (the most downloaded non-gaming app in 2021), Facebook videos, and the ongoing popularity of video juggernaut Youtube they have had to move with the trend and create a video space on their platform.

Video has become the go to marketing solution with:
54% of consumers wanting to see more video content from a brand or business they support. ( Must Know Video Marketing Stats for 2021 )

Why Video?
Video can give a viewer so much more depth into what you are trying to say than a photo can. It has the advantage of being able to move within 3D space. You can walk people through a place, show all the angles of an item and look down the lens and connect with your viewer face-to-face.

You can depict tone and emotion through music and voice. Kevin Allocca Head of Culture and Trends at YouTube describes ‘video as a tool for facilitating a sense of connection’.

I am a visual learner as is 65% of the human race and visual cues are more helpful in understanding a product or service. ( Must Know Video Marketing Stats for 2021 ).

94% of marketers feel that video marketing increases the customers’ understanding of their product or service.

In Summary

Many small details that go into making your website appealing to search engines but if you run a small business you don't need to focus a lot on those. If you want your website to appear on results pages you should instead focus on creating the type of content that people are searching for.

If you are unsure about where to begin or would like some assistance in improving your SEO, contact Little Pig Consulting today.

We can discuss how to make engaging website content and increase the search engine position of your website. Book a free 45 min consultation, call our team directly on 4613 0742 or use our website contact form to get in touch.

How To Build Engagement

Mon, 09 Aug 2021 05:07:02 GMT

If you are a business utilising social media as a marketing platform, you’ll be wanting engagement with your existing or potential customers. Or at the very least stopping people from simply scrolling past!

So what can you do? We will share with you what we know…

It’s Hard

So let’s get the fact that what you’re trying to achieve is hard. Why? Three big reasons;

On average we are seeing 5000 ads a day (in and outside of social platforms)
Facebooks’ algorithm has changed throttling businesses organic posts and focusing on friends and family
People are scrolling faster - deciding if they are interested in contect much quicker

So how can you as a business connect with your audience and stop them from scrolling past?

Know your customer

It is easier to engage with your ideal customer if you know who they are. You can speak their language and create content that speaks to them specifically. This is a case of quality over quantity. Targeting your client at the very beginning will drive your social media efforts going forward.

So how do you know or find out? Each social feed has data and analytics. Look at what you are doing, what is working, age group and gender of your audience and use these to start experimenting more with what is actually driving YOUR audience engagement. Once you have the data, it will be easier for you to make informed decisions on what is scroll-stopping for your audience moving forward.

Be a scroll-stopper

When you are trying to get attention, what do you do? You are bold. Stay true to your brand, keep it real and build emotion. Sounds hard but you can do it.

Use animations and colours that catch attention
Find a way to stand out with your uniqueness
Show your face with obvious emotion

Building these three tips into a post is a sure fire way to stop scrollers. At the end of the day, the more emotion you can build into your design the more likely you are to get engagement.

Use Video

It is a fact that video is the best way to communicate when using social platforms and engage with your audience. Don’t be scared - a standout video can be simple, just ensure you hook your viewer ASAP.

Feature people as consumers are naturally drawn to human faces
Flash your logo to drive your brand association
Have an intriguing set-up such as a quick movement or graphic that sparks curiosity
Focus on Problem Solution

We also recommend including captions on all of your videos as most videos are now viewed on mobiles.

In Summary

Hopefully this gives you a good starting point to help get your audience to stop scrolling and pay attention to your brand. This in turn will start customer engagement. Don’t forget to keep experimenting with your boldness, track the data and review results.

If you’d like help to build your style and strategy - we are an experienced Digital Marketing Agency in Toowoomba that have proven social media strategies that work for our clients with reporting to prove it!

If you would like to discuss how we can make engaging social media and build a Facebook following for your business, book a free 45 min consultation today.

How Does Search Engine Optimisation Work (SEO)?

Thu, 05 Aug 2021 01:00:04 GMT

You may already know that Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) is important to grow the success of your website. You may not know how to put this into practice and if you would like to delve deeper there is a lot to learn about the workings of SEO.

Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) works when a search engine reads the content of your website and saves it to its index. They will then link to your website if their algorithm decides your content is the best match for the query entered into their search engine results page.

There are many factors that go into a search engine’s decision on which page they will rank at the top of their results pages. I will outline some of the basic principles in this blog.

How Do Search Engines Work?
Search Engines like Google crawl over and gather data from all pages on the internet and save information about them. They use this data to create an index of information they can draw from to match words that are typed into their search box with the best possible match.

The method Google uses to create these matches and deliver a results page is called the Google algorithm. An algorithm is basically just a set of instructions for solving a problem so it’s behind the scenes of pretty much all computer programs. A search engine algorithm is the powerful bundle of programming functions that makes the whole search system work.

What Makes a Website Look Good to Search Engines?
There are a lot of small details that go into making your website appealing to search engines. Google doesn’t make all the details of their algorithm public as it would then be too easy to game their system so there is no concrete answer to this question, only guidelines.

There are hundreds of ranking factors that Google considers in its process and some people spend their whole lives trying to understand their individual influence. If you are not from a major corporation it is unlikely you will need to be concerned deeply with this subject.

For small business owners, it should be enough to know a basic overview of how Search Engine Optimisation works. It includes both the technical information used when writing the code for websites and some guidelines on the type of content you should create. It can all get very complex but Google has always made it clear that high quality, helpful content is the main thing they are looking for.

How Do You Know What Content to Make?
If you want your website to appear on results pages you will need to create the type of content that people are searching for. The simplest type of blog to start with would be one in which you answer questions you are commonly asked in your line of business.

If you want to rank well for the subject area of your business you should think of a helpful topic to blog about then look it up on your search engine of choice. If you can’t find any good content on the subject that you consider high quality then it’s a great blog for you to create as yours can easily be written better than theirs and attract visitors.

If you write a number of helpful blogs like this that get clicks and directly relate to the services you offer then over time you can start ranking well for words related to your business. This content will help search engines to know what your business does and that your website is the best place to send people.

In Summary

If you are unsure about where to begin or would like some assistance in improving your SEO, contact Little Pig Consulting today.

We can discuss how to make engaging website content and increase the search engine position of your website. Book a free 45 min consultation, call our team directly on 4613 0742 or use our website contact form to get in touch.

How To Build A Following On Facebook

Mon, 12 Jul 2021 05:26:42 GMT

If you are a business utilising Facebook as a marketing platform, you’ll want to build a decent following. Whether you are wanting to sell, share expertise or just talk to your customers, the number one question we get asked is how to build a following on Facebook? So, let's dive in...

Facebook isn’t what it used to be

Once upon a time, if you liked a page - you were proud and engaged - Facebook would show your ‘following pride’ and your friends would see what kind of businesses you stood behind. However, now we are overwhelmed with businesses marketing to us.

There are so many businesses trying to get our attention that we think twice about following a page. People are getting picky. Yes, we are trying to protect our feeds from continuous sales and instead are craving genuine connections.

Create interesting content

Sounds like a bit of a no brainer, but let's dive into that a bit further. As a marketing company for other businesses, we know that it is vital that the content we create is Entertaining, Educating and Engaging.

What you need is a following of people who engage with your content. If you have followers that are not engaged, they will stop seeing your posts. Create content that is totally you and your brand - let it be bold, funny, value-giving and authentic.

Paid advertising

If you need to build your following quickly, you can use paid advertising or run a paid competition to try and ensure your businesses' more engaged individuals see more of your content. It is a marketing strategy that targets people who have visited your website or watch your videos etc.

Your end goal is to secure the LIKE or following of people who want to see your content. There is nothing worse than talking to crickets on your page.

Execute

There isn’t a fast and certain way to build your ideal Facebook following, but if you keep producing interesting content and can build trust with those who you want to talk to - you can do it!

We are an experienced Digital Marketing Agency in Toowoomba that have proven social media strategies that work for our clients. If you would like to discuss how we can make engaging social media and build a Facebook following for your business, book a free 45 min consultation today.

What is Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)?

Wed, 07 Jul 2021 05:02:23 GMT

A lot of people can feel overwhelmed by the amount of jargon involved in technology fields. The acronym ‘SEO’ means nothing to most people but it is actually one of the most important aspects of building the online presence of your small business.

SEO stands for search engine optimisation. It refers to the ability of your website content to be shown in a good position on a search engine results page. If done correctly, it can bring a lot of traffic to your website and clients to your business.

There are many important aspects to SEO that aren’t obvious when you’re starting out. I will outline some of the basic principles in this blog.

Why is SEO Important for Small Businesses?
SEO will improve the visibility of your website in search engines, bringing more eyes to your website and brand. When your website appears in a high position on a results page, especially Google, it gives your business a sense of legitimacy as customers tend to trust that Google can judge whether a website is of good quality and the business is trustworthy.

If you are hoping to increase the traffic to your website then SEO will need to be a major focus for you. While it is true that advertisements can bring traffic to your website these can be very expensive if the words you wish to advertise with are competitive. It is also true that many people will scroll past ads and look for ‘organic’ results as they will trust their quality more than someone who paid for a higher position.

What Are ‘Organic’ Search Engine Results?
Organic results are the websites that appear on a search engine results page without anyone paying the search engine to put them there. Most of the time the top result on a Google results page will be an advertisement but sometimes there will be several of them appearing at the top for lucrative search terms.

However, searchers are becoming more savvy and will often scroll past these ads to find the top organic results. This is where the value of investing in your SEO comes into play. While SEO may seem like a lot of work to begin with, if you stick with it you can see incredible long-term results.

How Can I Improve My Local SEO?
The best thing you can do to improve your local SEO is to focus on high quality and helpful content. This type of content will contain useful words that search engines will read and know which results pages to show your website on. The quality of your content will keep visitors there longer, which will signal to search engines that your website is better than the rest.

In Summary

There are many small factors that will impact how well you can rank on Google. While the aspects involving quality content tend to make sense to most people, the technical aspects can feel overwhelming.

If you would like some help with setting up your website to succeed on Google and other search engines, talk to the team at Little Pig Consulting.

We have knowledge on all aspects of SEO and can advise you or edit your website to improve its quality in the eyes of Google, investing in its long term success. Call our team directly on 4613 0742 or use our website contact form if that is an easier method for you.

TV Broadcast vs Online Video Content, What’s the Difference?

Mon, 05 Jul 2021 07:02:22 GMT

Where should I advertise? TV or online? What’s the difference between the two?

TV broadcast advertising and uploading video content online are two very different mediums and are subject to many different rules and regulations.

Production

To get a video produced for television production you will need someone who knows the rules and regulations of broadcasting. It is not as easy as making a 15 second video on your phone and sending it to your local television station. There are broadcast standards for video and audio that need to be met otherwise it will not be allowed to be broadcast.

With online video content these rules and regulations do not apply. You can film it on your phone, a GoPro whatever you have to film with and there is no broadcast standard to adhere to so it’s quicker to deliver. But keep in mind a good-looking video, clear audio and engaging content will help keep your potential client watching.

The only rules that apply to online video content production is Copyright Infringement. That means you can’t use your favourite AC/DC track as background music!

Content

Television broadcast has many strict rules to what you can say in your advert. TV advertising is heavily regulated by Free TV Australia through their advertising regulator ClearAds . If you want to say you’re the ‘Best in Town’ you can forget it, unless you can substantiate that by fact through evidence, if not Free TV Australia will not allow it.

With Online content you are free to say what you like as there is no overall governing body to regulate content in Australia. However, this doesn’t mean that your morals go out the window as people can still report you to the ACCC for inaccurate claims or misleading content. ‘The ACCC can require companies to substantiate any claims on their social media pages, and can take court action where it identifies a breach of the law (or issue an infringement notice in certain circumstances.’ ( ACCC )

You can also post more than just an advertisement online. You can produce a ‘how to’ video, mini documentaries and much more as you’re not as confined to the 15 and 30 sec time slots like TV.

Cost and Delivery

Television advertising can become expensive depending on the length of your ad and where your ad appears. Television stations do a lot of research into the demographic and viewership of a particular program and can target your ad towards your ideal audience.

However, advertising during popular programming can come with a hefty price tag. You also need to pay delivery fees to have your video delivered to the television station you want to advertise with, unless it is produced in-house, and there are also fees to have it approved and classified with ClearAds.

Online video content to deliver online is pretty much free. Of course, just posting your video online doesn’t always mean it will be seen by your potential client. Targeting your video to your specified client using the social media ads can help your potential client reach.

Creating engaging and interesting content can help your video be shared to other potential clients.

Television advertising can work very well if you have a healthy budget to produce, approve and deliver to your chosen stations and have the money to advertise in popular programming. If your advertising budget isn’t the same as McDonald’s however then online video content may be a terrific option for you.

Don’t know where to start with online video production? Have no idea how to film and edit? Then give Little Pig Consulting a call and we can help you produce your first, online video.

Why You Should Update Your Website Regularly

Mon, 28 Jun 2021 06:46:08 GMT

Running a business can feel like an endless catalogue of tasks and to-do lists, many of which don’t necessarily result in increasing leads, building brand integrity, raising exposure and generating income. Updating your website is not one of these unfavourable tasks.

Aside from keeping your website secure, updating your website to become more user-focused and centred around the user experience can increase your visibility in online searches and position you as a subject matter expert in your field. Ultimately, this is an investment and a crucial aspect of business.

The three main ways to update your website are:

Updating website platform/security
Updating site content
Updating the site design.

Choose a Secure Website Platform

Businesses should use a website platform that is secure, has a strong development team behind it and servers that are equipped with intrusion detection systems and malware protection. Data communication networks with external access should also be protected by a central firewall. Our chosen platform has all of these and also offers SSL certificates on all sites that we build.

SSL Certificates are data files that digitally bind a cryptographic key to a business's details. When installed on a web server, it activates the padlock and the https protocol, allowing secure connections from the web server to the browser. Typically, SSL is used to secure credit card transactions, logins and any data transfers.

Website builders that were considered secure 10 years ago, may not necessarily be secure now. If you’re using a platform such as WordPress, you need to be running updates constantly on the core software as well as any plugins or risk it becoming outdated and vulnerable to bugs, glitches, and hackers wielding malicious code.

The security of your website is paramount to implementing trust in your brand and to offering the end user a worry free experience.

Updating Site Content

Another really important update involves your site content. This strategy can help increase search traffic, convert visitors into customers, attract prospects, generate leads, and drive new business.

Fresh, new and relevant content builds your website’s authority and establishes your business as an industry subject matter expert and looks good to Google for SEO. The more frequently you update your site with content such as blogs or news content, re-written content, downloads, and new pages, the more often a search engine will stop by to visit your website. When search engines are looking at your site more often due to this updated content, the opportunity to achieve a higher ranking is created.

It is important that your content effectively communicates your products and services and includes keywords that are relevant to your business. By providing useful content, you demonstrate competency and knowledge in your chosen field which in turn builds the foundation of trust in your brand.

Keyword targeting is a strategy that will help your website to show up when people search for those services. Blog articles and well written website content are some of the best ways to address keyword targeting.

Updating Site Design

If your business is following the last two strategies but not paying attention to the design and experience of the user of your site, you may lose potential leads in under 3 seconds.

A poorly designed website that has not taken into account the experience of the user has failed immediately in it’s function and form. Hard to use navigation, non-responsive design, unpleasant or visually jarring colour schemes, or unnecessarily long and complicated contact forms and content can cause visitors to leave a website without even giving the business a chance.

With that in mind, your website should be designed around the experience of your target market and the potential user with ease of use and logical navigation as the central focus. User-experience design is a multi faceted approach best left to web designers with extensive experience and relevant knowledge.

Your business and target market will determine the percentage of traffic that you receive from mobile, tablet and desktop traffic. For example, the average mobile traffic to a website sits somewhere around 30%, though a business such as a nightclub may have mobile traffic in and around 80% or even higher.

A website design should focus on the needs of the target market and the way they will engage with your site as it’s primary design focus. This will ensure you are meeting the needs of your targeted customer, retaining their interest, engaging them with your content and building trust in your brand.

In Summary

Regular updates to your site can prevent security threats to your website. It is important to consider moving your website to a platform that has top-tier security and away from builders that require constant monitoring and manual updating. Our website platform can provide you with these reassurances and often it is more economical to go through a rebuild with us, than to constantly update your current site yourself.

Updating content across your website is a brilliant way to have your website crawled by search engines and organically increase your visibility in searches. With our Silver, Gold and Custom Website packages, our team regularly update our clients' sites and each package includes one initial blog for your website written by our experienced content writers. Our social media packages can be tailored to include a written blog each month and uploaded to your website; offering purposefully written content featuring industry specific keywords.

Finally, ensuring that your site is client-centric and focused on the user experience is a specialty that we at Little Pig Consulting have many years experience in building and intricate knowledge on. This ensures that your websites will have the opportunity to build it’s visibility far more than a site that fails in these three arenas.

If you require a new or updated website, call our team directly on 4613 0742 or use our website contact form if that is an easier method for you.

Small Business Growing Pains

accounts@littlepigconsulting.com.au (Clayton Menyweather) — Fri, 07 May 2021 03:54:30 GMT

Let's be honest, most of us small business owners have an adolescent attitude - where we don't plan too far ahead or imagine the consequences of our actions for the future. We have a great time, acting without thinking, doing without recording and pretty much winging our way through the first couple of years.

However, there comes a time where us naughty teenagers need to grow up. As the business matures it needs tighter policies, procedures for staff to follow, HR documents, position descriptors, terms and conditions.. the list feels endless. Plus importantly, we need to take care of the clients who have trusted in us by creating more sustainable practices. Don't be a business that "If you fail to plan you plan to fail" - instead, ensure a smooth future for your staff, your business and your clients!

This doesn't come without growing pains. As you implement changes in your business, you may momentarily lose efficiency and productivity. For example, if you upgrade to safer IT practices with 2-factor authentication, you're introducing an extra step. Another process that will take up time initially, is staff training around these new processes and procedures. The upside of this is that before you know it, you'll be a grown-up adult business! If anyone you know is in transit from naughty teen to responsible adult - get in touch!

Little Pig is Growing Up

We are a perfect example of a business blossoming into adulthood. Starting as a classic "Mum & Dad" Business in the 3rd bedroom to dragging mum from her teaching day job into a 40sqm office to help out! The best advice I can give is: think and act bigger than you are, then ensure you have the infrastructure in place to support your growth. We are working hard on processes for our business and all of the 'scaffolding' that would be needed for a LARGE business, instead of the SMALL business we are.

It definitely feels like overkill now, but we are future-proofing for the growth we envision for our business. So the plan is, do more than you need to and then grow into it!

Don't stop here, check out our other consulting blogs or check out our marketing blogs if you'd like to learn more! If you've found this helpful for your business, you may find a business coach & consultant like Clayton a match for you business. Find out today by booking a FREE 45min consultation.

6 Advantages of Using Social Media Marketing

Tue, 02 Feb 2021 04:23:45 GMT

There are a number of reasons why you should use social media in your marketing strategy.

With everyone communicating through Facebook, watching YouTube and posting pictures to Instagram, it is not surprising to learn that your target audience is actively using these platforms. Below are 6 Advantages of using social media marketing as part of your marketing strategy.

1 | Brand Recognition

Gaining brand recognition is possibly the single most important goal for your business and social media is the perfect gateway to promote your business in a cost-effective way. Social media increases your reach, allowing you to market to your local area, regionally or even globally. If you ensure your brand stands out creating content that is unique, effective and captivating then your potential customers will be looking at your brand. Consumers want to buy from brands they know, trust and really connect with.

2 | Generate Conversation

Social media is more personal than other forms of marketing and allows you to really connect with your customers. Engaging content that will generate a conversation about your products and brand will ensure consumers know there is a real person behind the brand. Social media efforts should aim to increase engagement, creating content that creates natural conversations and ensure consumers communicate about your business with their network.

3 | Build Connections

You can attract new customers to your business and build strong relationships with existing customers like never before. If you take the time to read your audience’s comments, conversations around your brand or industry and watch trends your audience follows, you’ll be able to create content that is most relevant and ensure you’re building meaningful connections.

4 | Share Your Story

Social media marketing can help you promote your business in ways that otherwise wouldn’t be possible with a limited budget. Traditional marketing wouldn’t allow you to share your brand effectively, however by using social media to showcase your brand consistency and professionalism you will show your business credibility. Couple this with customer testimonials, meaningful ‘why choose us’ posts and images of current clients and you will be building a strong story of about your business.

5 | Get Creative

Audiences have a natural attraction to visual mediums. Youtube is the number one most popular social media sites in Australia, showing that video will capture your audience. So mix up content, from creative graphic design, GIF animations, short and fun video and eye-capturing photography! Watch your analytics to see what your audience is enjoying the most and keep delivering what is building the most reach for your posts.

6 | Prove Your Service

Social media has become yet another avenue for customers to contact you. Whether it is through commenting, reviewing your company or messaging your page, it is expected that businesses respond. How you respond will possibly be seen by your entire audience so ensure you keep brand consistent and deliver on the customer service they expect.

We are an experienced social media marketing agency in Toowoomba that have proven social media strategies that work for our clients. From graphic design, GIF animation, video, photography, branding and identity – we’ve got you covered. If you would like to discuss how you can make social media work for your business, book a free 45min consultation today!

Video Marketing on Social Media

Tue, 01 Dec 2020 04:29:26 GMT

Did you know that visual content such as video used on social media is 40 times more likely to get shared than all text?

So how can you use video throughout multiple platforms to not only improve your SEO but to engage your customers? Here are a few tips to get your well on your way!

Content

You need to capture attention within the first couple of seconds. The idea of a video is to give great information in short bursts in a way that will hold attention and also make them want more. However, make sure you don’t waste their time - ensure the video's intention is clear right at the start so that you can capture the right audience for your video. Keep it short and simple and try to be unique and to the point. Keep on one track and if you want to cover multiple subjects - make multiple videos. Always keep in mind your call to action and ensure your content is engaging enough to encourage customers to click through.

We should always aim for interaction with the viewer, through posts or videos to use on social platforms. Do you want them to message you, visit your website or share your video? You need to make this clear at the end of your interesting content and then measure your video’s response to track what customers responded to well and what wasn’t. A great indicator that your video content was successful is the amount of clicks or follow through with the call to action you provided!

Branding

Done right, videos can be used on your website, through social media and other platforms you use. Ensure all media you post has headlines and descriptions so that search engines can find it and don’t forget to add your hashtags and add tags to increase your search results! Logos act as a link between a company and customers so don’t forget to put your logo on your video! As your video is being seen and shared, it is important your brand is getting just as much exposure. High quality video is so important to give your brand and company credibility. Background noise for example is really unprofessional and can distract from what message you are trying to get across!

Video Ideas

What’s trending NOW? Stay relevant to news stories and what’s going viral. Video can be made quickly and if you can incorporate your brand into the social conversations, you will be more relevant to your customers. Videos are a great tool for humanising your business. Behind the scenes videos are amazing to build rapport, show your business environment and show people why they'd want to work with you. Also keep in mind to not make all of your videos purely business -, mix it up to keep it fun and entertaining.

Showing yourself and your team in your marketing is so important right now and high-quality video will impress even more! You don't have to overthink your video marketing ideas, short and sharp is best and can be about; why choose your business, your business story, helpful hints or how-to, shout out to other businesses, thanking your customers, customer testimonial, interviews, case studies.

Our Video Process

At Little Pig Consulting, we take away the fear of being on camera by coaching you through the entire process and making you feel comfortable in front of the lens. Knowing what to say can be difficult but you’re not alone. We won’t just press record and walk away, we work with you every step of the way to put together a script that really shows off who you are. Editing! It’s what we do. So even if it does take five or ten or twenty takes to get that exact wording you like, all that matters is the final product.

There has never been a better time to get started with video in your business. Video brings the human element back to your business, making you seem more authentic and approachable. We can help you tell your story and highlight your business through video with incredible aerial videos and photography – created by a CASA approved pilot. Contact us today!

Fear of Failure Part Three

accounts@littlepigconsulting.com.au (Clayton Menyweather) — Tue, 01 Dec 2020 03:49:50 GMT

Remember… Failure is completely normal. Ask anyone and they’ll be quick to tell you of a time or times when they have failed.

Let us help you with some tips in this three part series blog. Here is part THREE.

4 | A problem shared, is a problem halved

We all tend to treat failure like a dirty little secret—again, it’s the thing whose potential we simply don’t want to acknowledge. Here’s something you absolutely need to know: You aren’t the only one who is worried about failing. Nearly everybody feels that way at one point or another. Sit down and chat about your concerns with a close friend, confidante, or even mentor rather than biting your tongue and playing it cool.

By putting your fears out in the open, you’ll relieve some of the stigma or shame related to coming up short. When you openly acknowledge that failure is a real possibility, it eases some of the burden you’re placing on yourself to achieve success immediately.

Your friend will probably jump right in and sympathise with you, which helps to normalise the experience. After just that one chat, failure will suddenly seem a whole lot less scary.

5 | Don’t let perfection consume you

If you set the bar insanely high, you’re leaving yourself a ton of room to experience failure. Even if just one slight thing goes wrong, you’ll be tempted to write the whole thing off as an embarrassingly massive flop. You’re making things way more difficult and anxiety-inducing than they need to be. High expectations can serve to motivate you in some cases. If your desire for absolute perfection has you tearing your hair out, it might be time to lower the bar and give yourself some much-needed breathing room. Make sure that you’re being as realistic with your goals. Break down your goals into smaller, more manageable chunks will help you stay on track with your end game, without piling too much responsibility and stress on your plate.

6 | Worst-case scenarios – think about them

Thinking about the worst result that could possibly happen when you put yourself out there can actually help you step back and get some perspective. Ask yourself these questions:

What happened the last time you failed at something?
Did your career come crashing down?
Did your whole life go up in flames?

Probably not. In fact, you were probably embarrassed for a bit and then bounced back fairly unharmed. Go ahead and think about the worst thing that can happen. It might just be what you need to take that next step forward.

7 | Inaction IS scarier than failure

Staying stuck exactly where you are because you’re too afraid to do anything else. In those moments when you’re convinced you can’t do something because you’re too afraid of failure, think about whether or not the threat of failure is actually scarier than inaction. Starting your dream business can be terrifying. But nowhere near as terrifying as staying in a job you hate for the rest of your life. Don’t look back at the end of your life and regret what you didn’t do because of fear.

Video Testimonials - How To Get Them

Sun, 01 Nov 2020 04:12:48 GMT

A tried and tested guide on how to get customer video testimonials.

If you’ve read our blog on Video Testimonials - Yes you need them, then you are probably wondering what the best way to go about getting them is. At Little Pig Consulting, we’ve worked with dozens of clients to capture valuable video testimonials for their business. Below is a tried and tested guide that we offer our clients on how to get video testimonials from customers.

1 | Ask Happy Clients

It seems super simple to just ask - but be specific about who you ask. Check out the feedback you’ve already received from your customers and email or call the clients who seem happiest with your brand. If they respond positively, check that their testimonial will be substantial enough to invest in by asking a few questions.

2 | Guide The Testimonial

We recommend a simple question structure to help your clients build you an effective testimonial story. Request them to talk about how your business has helped them, why they chose you or prefer you over your competitors, whether they’d recommend you and details they’d like to share about their experience.

3 | Explaining The Benefit

You don’t want your testimonial to feeling forced or flat so don’t hesitate in explaining the importance of the testimonial to your business. Mention that their positive and honest feedback will help potential customers. If you are able to get a business to business B2B testimonial, let them know that their business will also benefit from the exposure to a wider audience.

4 | Offer To Interview

Lack of confidence to speak in front of a camera alone can sometimes deter a really awesome testimonial client, so offer to interview them. This takes the pressure off and allows them to simply answer questions. Our best tip is to give them the questions beforehand so they can prepare, allowing their confidence to grow before the interview, which will come across as more convincing in the testimonial.

5 | Grab them Immediately

If you have the ability to capture a video testimonial on the spot (directly after a positive experience), then this is a moment you should definitely capitalise on! If you run events or have the ability to set up a video booth, have one ready to go where your customers can shoot a quick video about their experience. That or you can mount an iPad in your office or storefront and when a customer has a great experience, give them the opportunity to rave about you there and then!

6 | Hire Professionals

If you still feel unsure that you can produce a quality video testimonial yourself, our skilled videographers in Toowoomba are here to help. We will coordinate all aspects of capturing your testimonial and coordinate with you and your client through the entire process to make sure everyone feels comfortable in front of the lens.

Produced well, video testimonials are valuable digital content that businesses can use to boost credibility and increasing conversions across a variety of platforms. Contact us for a free 45min consultation today!

Fear of Failure Part Two

accounts@littlepigconsulting.com.au (Clayton Menyweather) — Sun, 01 Nov 2020 03:46:07 GMT

Remember… Failure is completely normal. Ask anyone and they’ll be quick to tell you of a time or times when they have failed.

Let us help you with some tips in this three part series blog. Here is part TWO.

2 | Nurture a System for Learning

Failure is a natural part of growth, but it’s really only productive if you react to it in the right way.

You need to be willing to look your failure in the eye, analyse it, and figure out how you can use that information to do better moving forward. One strategy that can be particularly empowering is to develop some sort of system for how you’ll respond to failure. For example, when you realise something didn’t work out as planned, as yourself some questions to analyse the experience and find ways to improve:

What went wrong?
If I could do it again, what would I do differently?
What can I learn from this experience?
Or, maybe something else—like a sit-down to hash things out with your team or undertake a focused strategy session from a business consultant to form a new plan—is what does the trick for you.

Having this system in place helps to normalise failure and will empower you to view it more as an opportunity, as opposed to a dead-end.

3 | Visualise potential obstacles

One thing that makes the fear of failure so confronting is the uncertainty. Not knowing exactly what could go wrong and send your business crumbling to the ground is enough to keep you up at night. This is why it can be so helpful to visualise any potential obstacles to success. Positive thinking is not enough! Research has shown that the best outcomes are created when we balance positive thinking with visualizing the future obstacles and struggles we will encounter. Taking some time to think about any potential roadblocks can actually reduce the amount of uncertainty you will feel and can increase your chances of doing a better job from the get-go.

Don't stop here, check out our next blog to learn more! If you've found this helpful for your business, you may find a business coach & consultant like Clayton is a match for you business. Find out today by booking a FREE 45min consultation.

Video Testimonials - Yes You Need Them!

Thu, 01 Oct 2020 04:14:24 GMT

If you aren’t collecting testimonials, you need to be.

Testimonials sell; it’s a fact and because consumers are attracted to the human element that video brings, video testimonials are the most authentic and powerful marketing strategy for your business to use. Why are video testimonials so effective? Let’s look at some facts about consumer behaviour when researching products and services online.

The Stats

We know that we are influenced by others opinions to some extent, but have you ever wondered how much a video testimonials by a stranger actually impacts us when it comes to making decisions? Here are some stats that we thought you should know!

77% of people who read reviews before they make an online purchase. (Juniper Research)
79% of online shoppers trust online reviews as much as friends and family. (Bright Local)
85% of consumers read up to 10 reviews before feeling they can trust a business. (Search Engine Land)
89% Customer testimonials have the highest effectiveness rating for content marketing. (Social Fresh)
90% of respondents claimed that positive online reviews influence buying decisions (Dimensional Research)
Customer reviews create 74% increase in product conversion. (People Claim)

Video Vs Text

Video testimonials are engaging and more convincing than text testimonials. If you have a satisfied customer, why not capture their testimonial and use to its full potential?

65% of your audience are visual learners. (WebDAM)
51.9% of marketing professionals worldwide name video as the type of content with the best ROI. (Hubspot)
Website visitors who view video stay on a website an average of 2 minutes longer. (ComScore)
Visual Content is more than 40x more likely to get shared on social media than other types of Content. (Hubspot)

Conclusion

By including video testimonials directly within your website you are giving customers the information they need to make a buying decision. Video testimonials on your website provide SEO value and drive traffic to your site. So you can see that video testimonials play a big part for your consumers and if you aren’t capturing and showcasing your current customers’ praise, you are missing out! With the stats to back us up, we feel confident to say a company with testimonials vs one without any - will generate more leads and close more sales.

How To Get Them

If you’ve got happy customers, capture them! If they are not local, you can still get them to provide you with a video testimonial remotely. Some ideas could be a Facebook post asking your customers to share their experience via video, send out an email asking them to shoot a video about why they love/use your business or run a contest to ask customers to creatively show how they use your products.

If you’d like to learn more about capturing effective testimonials, check out our next blog; Video Testimonials - How To Get Them.

Fear of Failure Part One

accounts@littlepigconsulting.com.au (Clayton Menyweather) — Thu, 01 Oct 2020 03:42:10 GMT

So many people only share their ‘best selves’ on social media – even in business. Therefore, the comparison game is running rampant. We are bombarded by the successes and the achievements of other people—and that makes failure seem like that much more of a dirty word, particularly when it comes to the business world.

But remember… Failure is completely normal. Ask anyone and they’ll be quick to tell you of a time or times when they have failed.

Fearing failure can actually end up counterproductive. You run the risk of completely paralysing yourself with your thoughts and worries and you can let those big goals pass you by.

So, what gives? Well, put simply, you need to loosen your stronghold on your fear of failure in business. Let us help you in this three part series blog. Here is part ONE.

Why Do We Fear Failure?

Failure can be embarrassing. When we don’t succeed at something – it can bring on a range of emotions and thought processes – I’m not smart enough, not fit enough, not driven enough… you get the picture. Nobody enjoys feeling like they’ve been knocked a few pegs below everybody else or exposed as some sort of fraud or imposter—especially at work, where you know that your very own livelihood is on the line. If you’re anything like me, your heart is skipping a few beats just thinking about failing at something in your professional life.

However, there’s more to our fear of failure than simply not wanting to showcase our shortcomings.

Failure tells us that there is a lot more work needed.

We have to make changes, tweaks and improvements to get things right. So, this means a lot more time and elbow grease needs to be invested in order to progress……. and sometimes, we need to go through this process multiple times to get it right. That’s a discouraging prospect, and it’s often the thing that holds most of us back from ever trying anything that seems intimidatingly challenging—whether it’s starting a new business or tackling a complex new project.

So, how do we work to overcome a fear of failure in business? Here are some tips that may be able to help you.

1 | Understand that failure is healthy

Walt Disney was fired from his newspaper job for lacking imagination and having no original ideas. Charles Darwin was considered an average student. Colonel Sanders famous secret chicken recipe was rejected over 1,000 times before a restaurant accepted it. Did you know that you’d have a much tougher time thinking of someone who has never failed? That’s a reassuring message because it means that failure is a normal and necessary part of the growth process.

If you aren’t failing, well, you probably aren’t trying to tackle enough big and scary goals. You’re coasting along in your comfort zone. So, feel reassured by the fact that failure can actually serve as an indicator that you’re on the right path toward bigger and better things.

You might stagger a few times along the way, but at least you know that you’re heading in the right direction.

Turning failure into a natural part of the process will instantly make it a whole lot less terrifying.

Team Management for Business Productivity: Part Three

accounts@littlepigconsulting.com.au (Clayton Menyweather) — Tue, 01 Sep 2020 03:31:33 GMT

There are literally pages and pages and pages of hints and tips about managing staff on the internet. We have taken the best advice from these and rolled it into this three part series blog. Here is part THREE.

9 | Try to see things through the eyes of others

Easier said than done, I know. But there may be reasons why a certain person is hard to manage. Has he or she always been this way, or may new external factors be contributing? Is there anything in your own management style that could be triggering an oppositional response? Are you unnecessarily micromanaging people and unaware you’re doing it? If you can look at a problematic situation holistically and gain insights into why someone is acting the way he or she is, that can lead you to a constructive solution.

10 | Get help when you need to

This is an easy step, but often neglected. If you work in an organisation of any size, help is everywhere. Get perspective on a difficult employee from someone whose judgment you trust. This could be anyone: a Human Resources contact, a mentor, a business consultant or a colleague. Seeking opinions when employee issues isn't a sign of weakness. It's sensible judgment.

11 | Set clear measurable job objectives

This is so it's a matter of fact and not debatable whether or not your employees have reached their performance targets.

Objectives are important in the management process, because well-conceived targets are so valuable and often so neglected. Why would you not want to have crystal-clear goals that you and your employees could refer to often to make sure they're on track? It makes evaluating performance more concrete and less nebulous. When a problematic employee isn't achieving goals, you have something totally tangible to discuss. It is easier to argue data than opinion.

12 | Think in terms of assets and liabilities

Does a problematic employee still add real value to the organisation? Some of the most brilliant people can be very difficult - uneven collaborators who like to do things their own way. But the benefits they bring to the company can outweigh the problems they cause. So, they are clearly assets.

If on the other hand they become so disruptive that their accomplishments are far outweighed by the problems they cause, then they'd be liabilities, and it would be time to let them go. (Always work closely with Human Resources, of course, to be sure terminations are handled in the right way.) Is this a perfect, nuanced lens through which to view employee performance? Maybe not. But it can help bring some clarity to the "fog of business”.

Team Management for Business Productivity: Part Two

accounts@littlepigconsulting.com.au (Clayton Menyweather) — Sat, 01 Aug 2020 03:23:41 GMT

5 | Be decisive

A good leader needs to be able to assert their authority and make important decisions for the team. There is no space for flakiness in a leadership role, so it’s crucial that you stick to your guns and go with what you feel is best for the business.

6 | Delegate jobs to the right people

Part of why it is vital that you establish a relationship with your team and get to know them individually is so you can assess what their strengths are. People perform better and are more engaged in roles where they feel they are employing their best skills, so delegating proper functions that suit each will have a significant impact on the productivity of the team.

7 | Manage conflict

When there is conflict in the workplace, it should not be ignored. Turning a blind eye could lead to a negative atmosphere, which could have implications for staff productivity and communication among the team may suffer. When an issue arises, it’s crucial that it is addressed straight away before it builds.

Don't avoid or bulldoze conflict, but deal with it directly and even-handedly - Conflict is the currency of management. If you abhor conflict, management likely isn't the right job for you. The best managers aren't "conflict avoiders," but neither do they pull rank and roll right over others when conflicts occur. Remember, you're going to have to continue to work with these same people in the future. Best to look for fair constructive resolutions, not simply "getting your way."

8 | Set a good example

Your staff will look to you for guidance and inspiration, so it’s essential that you set a good example to gain their respect. If you expect them to behave professionally and commit to their work, it’s vital that you do so yourself. Make sure that you are doing your job, continuing to develop your career and support your team in doing so too.

Don't stop here, check out our next blog to learn more! If you've found this helpful for your business, you may find a business coach & consultant like Clayton a match for you business. Find out today by booking a FREE 45min consultation.

Team Management for Business Productivity: Part One

accounts@littlepigconsulting.com.au (Clayton Menyweather) — Wed, 01 Jul 2020 03:11:08 GMT

1 | Maintain good communication

Employees want to be kept in the loop about ongoing projects, goals, and deadlines, so it’s essential that you communicate well with them and inform them about goings-on within the organisation. It’s also essential that you encourage feedback and that your staff feel that they can approach you with any questions or issues they want to address, so making yourself accessible to your staff is critical.

2 | Build positive working relationships

It’s important to get to know members of your team individually, not only on a professional level but on a more personal level too. When you put the effort in to get to know a bit more about how your colleagues are doing and what they are interested in, it will build a much better rapport among the team.

3 | Acknowledge good work

Don’t be one of these bosses who only gives feedback when you’ve got something to criticise! By providing your staff with positive feedback it will help to build their confidence and encourage them to get more involved in the future, so it’s vital that you acknowledge their achievements and the effort that they are putting in. Encourage creativity and ensure that everyone is clear about what is expected of them.

4 | Be real

Your team doesn’t expect you to be superhuman, so if you’re feeling the pressure and need a helping hand, don’t be afraid to admit it and if you make a mistake, own up! By showing the human side of yourself and allowing your staff to get to know you a bit better, your team will feel more relaxed and comfortable approaching you.

Creative, Fun & Keeping it Social

Wed, 10 Jun 2020 04:29:16 GMT

Our top 10 tips for your business social media.

If you have an effective presence on social networks, this can easily translate into your business by gaining leads, improving relationships and reaching audiences you may otherwise have been unable.

We’ve been working with numerous clients to grow their businesses social media presence and we wanted to let you in on our top tips of how we believe you can get the best from your social networking efforts!

1 | Consistency

We always recommend branding on all posts for our clients through the use of branding colours and logos. We keep the language similar and post content that is always on brand and then translate the same visual content via different posts on all the networks to ensure brand consistency.

2 | Engaging Content

Engagement is TOUGH on social media these days! People are consuming it, but are tough to get engagement from. We love to look but have become very passive. Therefore, it is important to be creative in showing your expertise. Creating content that can start a conversation and show your brand in an honest way. It's also EXTREMELY important to KEEP IT SOCIAL!

3 | Build on Relationships

Just like you need to keep in touch with friends, building relationships on Networks is about engaging with your followers regularly.

4 | Family Owned

Some of our clients are choosing not to show their children in their social media networks and there are still creative ways to promote your family when you’re a family-owned business and still maintain your privacy.

5 | I nteract

We encourage our clients to give free and helpful content to build their reputation as the go-to in their field. However to follow this up, always respond to questions or comments.

6 | Ask a favour

Don’t be afraid to ask your personal connections and clients for recommendations on your networks. You can also encourage them to interact with your posts to start momentum.

7 | Entertain

There is a 1 in 10 rule that we follow and is highly recommended in social media - meaning only 1 in every 10 posts is a sales post. The rest is entertaining, informing and interacting!

8 | Different Content

There are multiple social platforms and we don’t always share the same static posts on every one. Instead, we encourage our clients to talk business on LinkedIn and keep Facebook casual and engaging for example.

9 | Images

It is now well known that photos and videos outperform text. We offer our clients visuals for every curated post and where we can, use animation to further the appeal to their audience.

10 | Tagging

We are passionate advocates of tagging / praising businesses and building connections with those that you support and support you!

Lastly - be creative and fun! This is the best way to get engagement and to help posts go viral. We always try to mix up content, ensuring there is an element of fun, education, behind the scenes, job spotlights, sharing relevant or inspirational posts and in general, keeping wording conversational.

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