More and more small businesses are growing their brands using online platforms and building presence, following and revenue.
The power of social media was something not missed by these three small businesses in Victoria, who have been capitalising on the commercial opportunities that Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and other social media platforms provide.
Bendigo Brittle, Peggy and Finn and Windella Farms are three shining examples of how social media can be used as a means to do business. These small businesses, very different from one another in their product offering, are all reaping the benefits of online content and generating strong interest in their products from their social media audiences.
Bendigo Brittle, established 18 months ago by Melbourne publicity dynamo turned confectioner Greta Donaldson, handmakes peanut-packed sweet toffee treats. The company tag line “Gold for your gob” is becoming well-known throughout Central Victoria as the brand continues to go from strength to strength since its inception.
Facebook has been and is one of the main drivers of Greta’s business, which she uses primarily to run promotions and competitions that have a local focus. She has also used the platforms to direct customers to local stockists in the area which has helped not only grow her orders each month, but her customer pool. Greta says, “Facebook allows me to connect directly and share my stories with hundreds of people each week”.
Also originating from Victoria is Peggy and Finn, a unique and creative clothing brand, which was started by duo Oliver Parsons and Jarrod Craven who share a passion for creating high quality handcrafted pieces.
Oliver and Jarrod established the brand after searching for their own perfect groom & groomsmen attire and consequently identifying a gap in the market for unique men’s accessories.
Online platforms have been instrumental to the growth of the Peggy and Finn brand; it’s an opportunity to showcase their products to likeminded people. According to Oliver and Jarrod, using the platforms has allowed them to grow a reasonable large following with minimal capital outlay.
A month after investing in targeted advertising on Facebook, they had managed triple their online sales and achieve a Return On Ad Spend (ROAS) of 6 times their ad spend.
The third Victoria based small business seeing the opportunity in social media is Windella Farms. The Windella Farm journey began in 2012 when owner, Sarah Mostyn, left behind a lifetime of city living for a tree change to Cohuna, North Central Victoria. Seven years later and Windella Farm is a fully-fledged boutique goat dairy producing a range of luxury handmade soap, bath & body products all crafted on-farm under the philosophy that ‘natural is best’.
Sarah uses online platforms to help connect with her followers who are located all over Australia, giving her business a nation-wide presence rather than just local. Through these platforms she updates her followers in real time on new product launches, events and where to find her at markets. The reach that social media platforms have provided has propelled the business into a well-known brand.
