promoting what is on in town. ▪ Photo contributed
Local businesses who signed up to learn more about social media received some follow-up training in town last week.
Kim Goldsmith of Ochre Media returned to Cobar last week to further assist businesses to maximise their sales through social media.
Cobar Shire Council’s special projects officer and Cobar Business Association secretary Angela Shepherd said the free training for businesses was funded through the State Government Energise Enterprise program.
She said the local business climate had recently slowed down as a result of the downturn of the mining industry.
“We felt it was an opportunity to get businesses to focus on the marketing side of their business,” Ms Shepherd said.
The digital marketing workshops demonstrated to local business owners and staff that there is an opportunity to market their business to customers outside of Cobar.
Ms Shepherd said the association also felt digital marketing was an area under-utilised by many local businesses.
At last week’s workshop Ms Goldmsith went through a check list to look at all the aspects to establishing and using a professional Facebook page.
“Participants received lots of tips, from how to best promote the business through the use of pictures, to information provision and using each other to build sales.
“However, as businesses learnt, its not just about increasing sales and increasing your clientele, it’s about using social media to effectively build relationships with your customers,” Ms Shepherd said.
Ms Goldsmith also visited a number of businesses who attended the workshop to provide free individual one-on-one advice and coaching.
“The Cobar Business Association also took up an offer to further discuss options to use Facebook to promote their events and activities that are on around Cobar,” Ms Shepherd said.
“These ideas will be further explored over the coming weeks.”
