Monthly Archives: June 2021

Digital marketing – online targeting

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As a small business, if you want to attract customers you have the option to run advertising.  If you sell cosmetics and you advertise in a local paper you advertise to 50% of the population who has no interest in your cosmetics.  Namely men.  In this guide, we will look at how we can use digital marketing to target only those customers who are potential buyers of your product or service.

Digital marketing, Online advertising, internet advertising is the use of the internet, mobile devices, social media, search engines, and other channels to reach consumers.
Digital advertising is a targeted, data-driven advertising strategy for reaching consumers in every stage of the buying journey from early consideration through to comparison and purchase.

WHY should I use digital advertising?

Australian’s use of the internet grows every year. Every night most Australians have a smartphone in their hand as they watch TV.

We advertise to let people know you exist, to show a benefit or to promote a compelling offer. Digital advertising has specific advantages:

  • Customers can be targeted based on location, age, sex, income, interests and past search behaviors
    • Targeting can be done to only the audience you are interested in and not the ones you are not.
  • Instant real-time result allows you to measure success
  • Messages can be targeted rather than one message suits all
  • Start or stop advertising instantly

Using our cosmetics example we can decide to advertise today to women aged 19 to 35 who have an interest in fashion.  We can immediately see how many in our target audience have been reached and how many clicked through to your website.  It is also possible to track how many of those people ended up buying a product on your e-commerce store.

WHAT are the different types of digital marketing?

Before you endeavor on a Digital media purchase we strongly suggest you build a marketing plan as discussed in our Marketing Guide. The types of digital marketing options include:

  • online advertising  
    • banner ads – an advertisement that appears on a web page
    • keywords – spending money so your business will appear on the first page of a browser (Google) search
    • retargeting – serving a digital advertisement to someone who has already searched for your product or similar. For example, you search Toyota and keep getting ads for Toyota
    • native – an ad that is a sponsored post rather than a hard sell ad
    • video – use of a video advertisement in a digital arena like YouTube
  • online streaming
    • Podcasts – placing advertising in a pre-recorded radio type program
    • Video on Demand – this could be catch-up TV or Foxtel where video advertising is allowed.
  • social media advertising – use social media as the platform to advertise
  • mobile app advertising – free apps survive by including advertising
  • email marketing – a direct mail piece like you would have traditionally received in your letterbox but via email

HOW do I go about doing digital marketing?

Unlike traditional forms of advertising like TV, radio, and newspapers, digital advertising is much easier for the everyday person to do versus having to use a specialised media buying business.

It can be as simple as entering your credit card details.

Assuming you have a plan including having marketing objectives, a definable target market, and a decision on marketing levers (see our Marketing Guide) you are almost ready to advertise.

It is important to have some creative content that will actually convey your message and resonate with a customer. You need to ensure there are a customer benefit and call to action.  That is, why should the customer be interested and how can they get in contact with you.  The final part is to make it visually appealing.  See our guide on Graphical design to see how to do this simply.

Not that these are the right solution for your circumstances, but the most popular means to deliver a digital advertisement is through Google or Facebook.  Both these organisations have tutorials, guides, tools, etc. to lead you through the process and pay with a credit card to start the advertising.

Google https://ads.google.com/intl/en_au/getstarted

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/business/ads

HINTS

Whilst using digital marketing makes bold claims around specific targeting and measurement the reality is not always quite as accurate.  Errors do occur and you should always use actual sales improvement as a true measure of success.

While the internet is a powerful medium, you can benefit from using a mix of traditional advertising like direct mail, radio or outdoor and digital marketing to reach your target audience.

Digital advertising is bought in an auction environment.  The more buyers for the same digital assets drives prices up.

SUMMARY – better targeting of customers

Digital marketing or advertising uses the internet to target only those customers you specify.  It is possible to track those customers through to a sale which helps you determine if you should invest any further money in the same approach.  Digital advertising can be specific to your local area or enable you to reach a global audience. It is very data-driven and if used correctly is a very powerful marketing tool.

Australian Competition and Consumer Law

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Trust me, this widget is 10 times better than ?, environmentally friendly, and will last forever.  Reality is you cannot say this unless you can substantiate every statement. This guide will look at Australian competition and consumer law that you need to understand.

This guide is a summary of what you should consider as a small business.  It cannot be used as a definitive guide and it is strongly recommended that you further research this subject on the government websites Australian Consumer Law (ACL) and Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC). This summary does not cover every aspect.

The ACL offers consumer protections in the areas of: (1) Unfair contract terms, covering standard form consumer contracts. (2) Consumer rights when buying goods and services. (3) Product safety. (4) Unsolicited consumer agreements covering door-to-door sales and telephone sales. (5) Lay-by agreements.

The ACCC Competition and Consumer Act 2010 (the Act) is a national law that regulates fair trading in Australia and governs how all businesses in Australia must deal with their customers, competitors and suppliers. The Act promotes fair trading between competitors while also ensuring that consumers are treated fairly.

WHY should I care what the ACL and ACCC laws are?

There is significant government legislation associated with this subject and lack of knowledge is not an acceptable defence.  Significant fines apply for breaking the rules to ensure unfair activity does not occur.

WHAT Australian Competition and Consumer Law do I need to understand?

Australia Consumer Law (ACL)
  • Unfair contract terms – This protects a business or consumer when they agree to a standard contract which is subsequently deemed as unfair. For example, terms change, you agree to a price but the price is changed without notice.
  • Consumer Guarantees – applies to a consumer or business that purchases a product for less than $40,000. The guarantee is that a good or service will meet certain minimum standards. For example, a consumer buys a washing machine for $2000 with a 1-year warranty.  After 2 years the product fails.  Under ACL the consumer can claim that this product should have lasted more than 2 years and as such should be repaired or replaced.
  • Consumer product safety – As a business owner who sells a product you must be aware of mandatory standards or voluntary rules that exist around the safety of your product.  You will also have obligations around bans or recalls. For example, you cannot sell children’s toys that have small detachable parts that could be swallowed.
  • Sales practices – The ACL prohibits businesses from using unconscionable conduct when selling, unsolicited supply of goods, unsolicited consumer agreements, harassment  and coercion, or refusing to provide proof of a transaction when dealing with their customers. For example, you cannot try to trick someone into buying your service nor threaten them or refuse to give them a receipt if they ask for one.
  • Avoiding unfair business practices – The ACL prohibits businesses from engaging in unconscionable conduct including misleading or deceptive conduct and representations. For example, you cannot do an advertisement with disclaimers that are too small to read. Nor can those disclaimers change the main meaning of that advertisement, for instance, when the ad implies the item costs $50 but a condition in fine print means the real cost is $75
Australian Consumer & Competition Commission (ACCC)
  • Treating customers fairly
    • Offering warranties. A product or service must do what it says. For example, if it has a speed of 10 it must reach a speed of 10.  If you provide a warranty against defects you must comply with that warranty. A warranty against defects is provided in addition to consumer guarantees under ACL and does not limit or replace them.
    • Unfair business practices. It is illegal to engage in referral selling, pyramid selling, unfair contract terms, and accepting payment without intent to supply
    • Rules for gift cards. Cards must be redeemable for 3 years after the date of purchase and clearly show the expiry date.
    • Debt collection. It is illegal to mislead, hassle, or use physical force on someone who owes you money.
    • Selling parallel imports or grey marketing is when you directly import a product outside of a formal manufacturer distribution network. If you do you must
      •  be aware of, and comply with, product safety and labelling requirements
      • provide accurate information to consumers about the products you sell
      • ensure that you do not mislead consumers about their refund, return and warranty rights, and
      • understand your general obligations under the ACL.
  • Advertising & promoting your business
    • False or misleading statements.  It is illegal for a business to make statements that are incorrect or likely to create a false impression. This includes advertisements or statements in any media (print, radio, television, social media, and online) or on product packaging, and any statement made by a person representing your business.
    • Managing online reviews. You will be breaching the law if you do not remove fake reviews. You must disclose commercial arrangements. It is also considered misleading if you remove or edit negative reviews.
    • Door-to-door & telemarketing sales. If selling door to door you may not approach if a do not knock sticker is present and you must leave if asked. Telemarketing must fall under the Do Not Call Register Act and specified hours.  These types of sales are bound by a 10 business day cooling-off period allowing customers to cancel for any reason.
    • Country of origin claims – It is illegal to misrepresent country of origin.  Some food products must display country of origin. Businesses wishing to display Australian-made can find more details here. https://www.australianmade.com.au/
  • Pricing & surcharging
    • Setting prices is at your discretion but cannot be done in collaboration with a competing business. You may not set a minimum price which a product or service can be sold by your retailers. Selling below cost is illegal if it is found it was done so to damage a competitor.
    • Displaying prices must be clear and accurate and display the total price.
    • Payment surcharges for EFTPOS should not be excessive.
  • Anti-competitive behavior
    Business practices that limit or prevent competition are illegal.  
    • Anti-competitive conduct. Prohibits contracts, arrangements, understandings or concerted practices that have the purpose, effect or likely effect of substantially lessening competition in a market. 
    • Cartels. Agreements made with competitors to fix pricing, share tender information, or agree to restrict production is illegal. For example, two competing businesses agree to sell their product for the same price.
    • Collective bargaining & boycotts. It is illegal to agree with a competitor to negotiate with a single supplier on terms as it is to agree to boycott a supplier.
    • Exclusive dealing.  It is illegal to force another business to comply with your conditions under the threat you will withhold supply or pricing.  This could include ceasing supply if they deal with a competitor or if they keep discounting your product.
    • Imposing minimum resale prices. Suppliers may suggest a retail price that a reseller charges but cannot stop resellers charging or advertising below that price.
    • Refusal to supply products or services. Suppliers have the right to choose who they do business with however it is breaking the law if that refusal is based on one of the above anti-competitive points.

HOW can I learn more about Australian competition and consumer law?

You must understand the rules and follow the rules. Additional details can be found:

ACL – See our Small Business Answers guide here

ACCC

For more details on how these laws are admistrated see Fair trading – The Competition and Consumer Act of 2010 is a national law administered by ACCC nationally and state and territory regulators https://www.business.gov.au/products-and-services/fair-trading/fair-trading-laws

SUMMARY – protect you and your customers

Australian competition and consumer law is designed to protect both consumers and businesses from practices that misrepresent, disadvantage, deceive, or reduce competition.  The government has large departments to police the associated laws and you should ensure you and your staff are familiar with those laws that will affect your business.

The following guide published by the ACCC explains Australian competition and consumer law in more detail. https://www.accc.gov.au/publications/small-business-the-competition-and-consumer-act

Mental health top concern for owners

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Nearly half (46%) of small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) owners agree that running their own business has directly contributed to feelings of anxiety or depression. According to the latest MYOB Business Monitor, for a quarter (26%) of respondents, mental health is their most immediate concern.

The research of 1000+ small business owners and operators found that running their business over the last 12 months caused more than half (52%) of respondents stress, up seven percentage points from this time last year (45% in June 2020). Forty-five per cent experienced anxiety in this latest survey, and a quarter (26%) felt depression, up from the 20% who experienced it 12 months ago.

The retail and hospitality sectors have been hit particularly hard, with more than two thirds (68%) reporting their business has caused them stress. Fifty-seven per cent in the sector felt anxiety and 45% experienced feelings of depression.

MYOB Chief Employee Experience Officer, Helen Lea, said as the economy starts to recover it’s important that the country’s 2.29 million small businesses acknowledge the mental health impacts of the past 18 months.

“As rewarding as it can be, running a small business brings with it a range of stressors and challenges at the best of times, let alone in the midst of a pandemic. Last year was trying for small businesses and the data shows owners and operators may be feeling its effects for some time to come.

“As some businesses come out the other side of the pandemic and move from recovery to growth, we want to remind small businesses of the tools available to them to help manage their mental health.”

MYOB has partnered with Smiling Mind, a leading mental health prevention not-for-profit, to create mindfulness activities specifically for small business owners. These focus on key areas such as stress management, relationships and resilience.

“As the lifeblood of the Australian economy, small businesses need environments in which they can thrive, eliminating points of stress where possible,” Ms Lea said.

“This might include scheduling proper downtime or incorporating time to exercise or meditate into your day.” 

Resources available to small business owners include NewAccess developed by Beyond Blue, Smiling Mind Small Business Program and Lifeline.

Luxury car ownership 75% OFF THE PRICE

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A new Australian start-up has today launched to smash the boundaries of luxury car ownership, usually
reserved for the world’s elite, by making them more affordable to everyday Australian car lovers.
Launched by a team of successful car-loving entrepreneurs*, CARTEL Motors will make buying
supercars like Lamborghinis up to 75% cheaper.
As a world-first in automotive ownership, the move marks a unique turning point in the luxury car market to
establish a democratised model.
“It’s the new, more financially realistic way to own the car you’ve been dreaming of, at a fraction of the price.
CARTEL has the potential to shake up the luxury car market forever,” explains co-founder Stuart Mak.
Using a unique fractional ownership model, CARTEL will allow Australians to own meaningful shares in their
dream cars, whether it be a convertible supercar or a Sunday cruiser.
“The platform allows Australians to hold equity in a car and share it with up to 3 other owners. The equity is
yours and you are free to trade it in and out of the market as you see fit at a price you set. The platform
allows owners to enjoy sales, delivery, maintenance, upkeep and secure storage, but more than anything it
allows owners to drive their dream cars at a fraction of the cost of outright ownership,” explains Mak.
“Owning a luxury or sports car isn’t about your daily commute. It’s about owning something truly special,
where the drive itself is the experience,” added Mak.
Co-founder of CARTEL, Marcus Liew explains; “The reality of luxury and sports car ownership is that most of
the time, the vehicles end up staying parked in a garage for most of their lives. So owning one via a fractional
model makes not only both financial and economic sense but practical value also.
“Through our research, we also found that storage of luxury and sports cars is another major barrier to
ownership; lots of Australians would love to own a sports car but don’t have the space to have it sitting
around all year,” added Liew.
With the first syndicated cars expected to be released at the beginning of July 2021, CARTEL is now taking
expressions of interest from those based in Sydney initially with Perth, Brisbane and Melbourne to follow
shortly.
Register your interest.

For something completely different see Small Business Answers Guide to buying a van.

Diversity and inclusion in a small workplace

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Regardless of size, organisations need to demonstrate their commitment to maintaining a high standard of company culture with a strong focus on creating an environment that promotes diversity and inclusion. Fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace and supporting employees both professionally and personally should be a priority for business leaders.

Ross Wetherbee, Diversity & Inclusion Senior Manager at leading life insurer TAL, shares his top tips.

How small businesses and start-ups can encourage diversity and inclusion in the workplace.

Ensure the small business is genuine and authentic about its work in this space

Finding an authentic and genuine approach to diversity and inclusion allows small businesses to access the benefits of bringing diverse people together.

Authentic leadership emphasises self-awareness, open communication, and different perspectives. Equally as important, initiatives and programs designed to foster diversity and inclusion must be meaningful and considered. They must also be relevant to the organisation, its employees, its customers, and the community it operates in.

Small businesses need to consider what diversity and inclusion actually mean to exceed employees’ expectations. Why they want to be a leader in the space, and how they will get there. You can demonstrate the purpose of your start-up through a diversity and inclusion statement and stick this on a wall in the office for everyone to see.

Foster a small business culture where everyone is respected, welcomed, and has a sense of belonging

Company culture matters. Company culture connects employees to a small business’ values, mission, beliefs, and behaviours. It drives the way employees engage with their colleagues, which can then impact the quality of work produced.

Research from Great Place to Work[1] revealed that when employees trust that they will be treated with fairness and respect and that their unique perspective is valued, they are close to ten times more likely to look forward to going to work and six times more likely to have pride in what they are working on.

Creating a work environment where all employees can be themselves and feel that they are in a safe and affirming space can help people perform their roles to the absolute best of their ability. There are enormous benefits to creating a workplace where different perspectives are valued and embraced. It provides employees with great opportunities for personal growth.

Make sure diversity and inclusion is a continuous process, that progress is measured, and reporting is transparent

Creating change and momentum in diversity and inclusion is a process that requires conscious thought and investment. Small businesses need to encourage people to be themselves by celebrating people for who they are. This is an ongoing process and one that requires constant support. Measurement is a critical marker of success, and clear measures to track efforts regarding diversity and inclusion can help organisations stay on track. 

Diversity and inclusion is not something that can be implemented overnight, and it takes time to get it right. It took a long time to get to this conversation, so it’s no surprise that it will take a bit of time to manifest real change in the space.

Ensure that HR policies and programs support the small businesses aspirations but aren’t the first and last action

HR policies and programs provide structure and consistency in small businesses. More than that, they recognise the needs of employees to help maintain the wellness of the organisation. The experiences employees share can be influenced and shaped by the actions and decisions of their business leaders. Reviewing existing workplace policies and programs with a diversity lens is crucial.

While many small businesses and start-ups have been bringing diversity and inclusion into greater focus over the last few years, there is still significant room for improvement. There are countless steps small businesses can take to cultivate diversity and inclusion in the workplace. If chosen and acted on authentically, employees will feel supported to thrive both personally and professionally.

Get the delivery experience right

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eCommerce in Australia continues to go from strength to strength, with more than five million households shopping online each month. Growth for the 12 months to April 2021 up more than 45 per cent compared to the previous year.  

With this increased participation comes increased demand from online shoppers that retailers get the delivery experience right. New research from Australia Post explores five data-based recommendations such as reducing signature on delivery, offering more collection points, and using best-fit packaging, to help retailers with that experience.

The research features in the report titled, The Delivery Experience. Getting it right. Why it matters. And how data can help and draw on Australia Post data and insights gained from over 400 million parcel deliveries to 12.3 million addresses each year.  

Australia Post General Manager Data Science Silvio Giorgio said this inaugural report was an opportunity to share what Australia Post has learned from its millions of daily customer interactions with online retailers across the county.

“eCommerce experienced a phenomenal rise last year, but when it comes to online’s share of total retail, Australia lags behind its international peers; there is a lot of growth still to come presenting an incredible opportunity for Australian retailers.

“We know a great online retail experience culminates in a great delivery experience, and with more Australians shopping online more often, it’s never been more important that retailers get it right.

“We have created this report to help illustrate what getting it right looks like, share the investments Australia Post is making, and provide some simple adjustments retailers can make that can have a significant impact on the overall customer experience.

“By way of example, we’ve found reducing signature on delivery can lead to a drop in carding (missed delivery) rates of up to 89 per cent, while allowing customers to choose an alternative collection point can significantly boost net promoter scores (NPS). For apartment dwellers, this increase in NPS can be as much as 37 points.

“As the delivery partner for many online retailers getting this right is our priority too, which is why we continue to invest in our infrastructure and automation, tracking and scanning capabilities, delivery predictions and customer notifications,” Mr Giorgio concluded.

The Delivery Experience Report is available for download at: www.auspost.com.au/delivery-experience.

Epson EcoTank Photo Multi-Function printers

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Epson has launched two new heat-free, cartridge-free premium EcoTank Photo models for creative enthusiasts. Perfect for keen amateur photographers, the wireless, multi-function EcoTank Photo ET-8500 and ET-8550 use 6 colour Epson Claria ET Premium inks, can print up to 2,300 high-quality photos or 6,700 pages in black and white or 6,200 pages in colour with one set of ink bottles1 at incredibly low running costs.

As these printers feature Epson’s patented Micro Piezo Heat-Free Technology, you can now enjoy consistent high-speed photo printing, with greatly reduced energy consumption and less need for replacement parts, helping to save time, money and the planet too.

Both new printers come with the new 6 colour Epson Claria ET Premium ink set to produce high-quality, long-lasting, borderless photos of up to A4 size with the ET-8500 and to A3+ with the ET-8550. The photo black and new photo grey ink make it easy to achieve detailed, high-contrast black and white photos with beautiful toning. The pigment black ink ensures sharp text when printing double-sided documents on plain paper. This makes these printers a fantastic choice for every task in your home.

Epson Australia MD, Craig Heckenberg, said, “These printers are great news for photographers, creative enthusiasts and the environment. They are our first heat-free, multi-function, EcoTank Photo printers to feature 6 colour Claria ET Premium Ink for delivering high-quality photos, arts and crafts on a wide range of media. The low running costs and flexible convenience of cartridge-free printing make it ideal for everyday document printing the whole family can enjoy. The fact that they are heat-free means they use far less power than laser printers and are far better for the planet as a result.”

Filling the EcoTank Photo ET-8550’s ink tanks

Amateur photographers and creative hobbyists will appreciate the highly flexible media handling capabilities of the two new printers. With five paper feeds, there is no end to the creative projects these printers can deliver. You can print directly onto suitable CDs and DVDs. You can also store photo size and A4 paper in the two front trays, ensuring your printer is always loaded and ready to go. The rear tray allows you to print on media such as craft papers and card, even up to A3+ size with the ET-8550. Finally, the rear straight pass paper feed means you can print on cardstock and other speciality media up to 1.3 mm thick.


These new premium EcoTank Photo printers join Epson’s award-winning lineup of cartridge-free refillable ink tank printers, which saw global sales reach 50 million units. They deliver ultra-low-cost per page thanks to the EcoTank’s innovative cartridge-free filling system with easy-to-use, mess-free bottles.

The ET-8500 and ET-8550 allow you to print thousands of high-quality photos and documents with one set of included ink bottles1 – equivalent to about 185 individual cartridges2 – and these prints can last up to 300 years when stored in an album³.

EcoTank Photo ET-8550

The ET-8500 and ET-8550 also enable printing from SD cards, and USB flash drives through the large 4.3″ colour touchscreen. With full Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi Direct, and Ethernet connectivity, integrating either of these printers with your existing home set-up is simple and straightforward.


The EcoTank ET-8500 and ET-8550 are available immediately from www.epson.com.au with an RRP of $999.00 and $1149.00, respectively.

For more on EcoTank printers, go to: https://www.epson.com.au/v2/ecotank/

For more on Epson’s Heat-Free Technology, go to: https://www.epson.com.au/heat-free-technology/

For more information on buying a printer see small Business Answers guide.

Influence shoppers on social

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Pinterest provides a great opportunity for businesses of all sizes to influence shoppers on social at just the right moment. Insights show that people on Pinterest are looking for inspiration to get ahead of the upcoming season with the right trends, which is an opportunity for businesses to adapt to more relevant purchases. Pinterest recently introduced Idea Pins and expanded their Shopify partnership to boost social commerce globally.

Here are seven easy ways to help businesses Influence Australian shoppers on social shopping for Winter essentials on Pinterest:

1. Find out what your audience wants

The Audience Insights tool (accessible with a business profile) helps businesses find out what their audience is searching and saving. They’ll also be able to find data on the audience’s age, gender, location and device usage to help them decide what products to feature with their content.

2. Start early

Since Winter shoppers primarily use Pinterest to discover new ideas, it’s important to share related content on Pinterest earlier than on other platforms. Businesses can reach people as they start planning. Before they’ve decided on a brand or product, so they are more likely to pop back into their mind when they’re ready to make a purchase. As a general rule of thumb, seasonal content should be shared on Pinterest 2–3 months before the event.

3. Feature seasonal content

Businesses can make their Pins feel more relevant by featuring seasonal content or showing how your product fits into a shopper’s everyday lives during the Winter season. Here is an example of a great seasonal Pin.

4. Build vertical Pins

When building their Winter creative content, businesses should keep mobile in mind and tailor the font size to phone rendering to make sure that the Pin is legible on small screens. The ideal dimension is 1,000 pixels x 1,500 pixels or 2:3 aspect ratio.

5. Use text overlays

Fact: Pins that include descriptive text over an image tend to see a 6% increase in sales over Pins that simply contain a standard stock image.* Using text overlay this season will make it easier for Pinners to understand a product’s unique features. Adding headers, subheaders, annotations, or a creative approach to typeface and image will make Pins more interesting. It’s important to keep text clear, concise and focused.

6. Make Pins useful and informative

Want a sure way to make brands and products see immediate results? Feature informational, creative content. Images on a Pin should help people understand why a product or brand is right for them. 

7. Stay consistent 

Pinterest has found that consistency improves performance: Pins that go to landing pages with similar imagery tend to result in 13% higher online sales. Businesses should make sure that when people land on their page after clicking on a Pin on Pinterest, the look and feel of the website matches that of their Pins.

Check out Small Business Answers guide to social media to engage customers.