Regional SMEs lag behind online trend
SMEs in regional Australia are missing out on the opportunities provided by the online world, with research finding very few implement digital strategies or engage with their customers on social media.
According to Sensis research, 54 percent of small businesses in regional Australia have a website, and only 13 percent have a digital strategy. Sensis also found that as few as 15 percent use social media to market their business.
Yellow Pages Driving Your Business Ambassador Martin Dench said the internet opens small businesses up to customer bases around the country, and internationally.
“…And with consumers using the web for everything – from finding information to sharing opinions – it is crucial that SMEs all around the country invest in a digital strategy.”
“Businesses that already have a digital strategy report that it has had a positive impact on their efficiency, profits and cash flow – so it really can help businesses get a competitive advantage,” he added.
To assist regional SMEs to familiarise themselves with the digital world, Sensis and Yellow Pages’ digital expert team are kicking off a tour to 21 regional towns in September and October.
The Driving Your Business Series will offer free digital marketing seminars to the country’s small businesses, to help equip them with practical tips and insights on how they can make the most of digital marketing and drive their businesses’ success.
In each location, the Sensis experts will be joined by a local SME who has used online channels to market and grow their business.
For more information about the seminars, and to register, visit www.yellowadvertising.com.au.
This all looks great until you see where the workshops are being held – love the Sensis/YP team definition of “regional” NSW!!! – Wollongong, Newcastle, Central Coast, Penrith, Ballina??? what about the rest of the real regional NSW – Central West, South West, North West – or are the SME’s in these areas classed as remote and therefore not worth the effort?????
Agree with Leanne. Series really geared to East Coast and nothing inland. However, it is not surprising they would concentrate on the “easy sell” areas.
We have clients in real regional areas and I’m flat out trying to get them to download the latest version of our product and as for a website – I don’t need one of those, everyone knows who I am is a common cry….. And wait there’s more – social media – don’t need that – we have a beer and a BBQ and a chat with all our clients – that’s enough!
So is regional Australia worth it – Ask Sensis and the answer is probably not on a cost benefit basis
Hi Leanne and Maralyn, thanks for your comments.
This is Round 2 of the Yellow Pages Driving Your Business series, we commenced the first series in May and June this year when we toured 6 metro cities around the country and rolled out 15 events. We visited Brisbane (including a session in Ipswich), Perth, Adelaide, Hobart, Melbourne and Sydney. It was a big 6 weeks!
On the back of the success of the first tour (attendee numbers were high and, of those who attended, all had very positive feedback about the content and said they’d use the helpful hints and insights to help run their marketing more effectively) we decided to take the tour out to more markets, with a focus on visiting some of the regional areas of Australia.
Although we’d love to be in every town and suburb across the country, it’s not possible to do it all at once. The good news is we plan to take the Driving Your Business seminars to even more places around the country next year, so stayed tuned as we roll out Round 2 and start working on Round 3!
Sensis and Yellow Pages have a strong commitment to supporting our customers and SMEs – the Driving Your Business series is one way we do this and we look forward to getting out and speaking with as many SMEs as we possibly can via the Driving Your Business series.
If we haven’t been able to get to an area near you, we do make the handbook available on our website http://www.yellowadvertising.com.au and I’d also encourage SMEs to follow our Twitter account (Yellowpages_au) and ‘like’ our Facebook page – Yellow Pages Australia – for loads of helpful marketing tips and insights on a daily basis!
If anyone/any business would like to contact me directly to discuss in more detail or find out more about the seminars I can be contacted at Danielle.Horan@sensis.com.au or on 0409 861 645.
Danielle