So why am I talking about the desert in the title of this article? Good question. I was talking to our Art Director Tyler earlier this week about a new client coming on board. During the discovery process we realised that the blame for a lack of leads had been placed on the website that was admittedly due for a bit of a refresh. From our analytics audit however we realised the bigger problem, their current site was averaging 200 visitors per month. Now it would be easy to place the blame on the website and dive into creating a new one for the client.

The problem however is the internet is the desert. Despite the fact that 3.7 billion people use the internet every day it can be an isolated place for a brand new website. You are competing against every other brand, news source and cat video.  Building a new website without the supporting distribution channels is like having a beautiful office building in the middle of the desert without any roads. It doesn’t matter what facilities you have, or how great it looks, if no one can get there it isn’t going to be a successful venture.

It would be really easy to say to this client, yes you need a website. We get paid, they get a shiny new website to show their family, friends, CEO or board. The problem is, after the the launch and the excitement, nothing much is going to change. We can’t urge strongly enough that before you jump into a website build, learn from your current situation. We recommend to every client to perform a digital audit before approving any new project. Look at your current site, what traffic do you have? How do they engage with your content? Where are you losing them in the sales funnel?  By learning from your existing data you can truly know the scope of what is needed to achieve your goals. Quite often the effective use of Social Media, PPC and branded content can drive the traffic you require.

We use this chart which we call the Digital Marketing Universe (DMU). This isn’t everything you can do in the digital space but as far as we are concerned this is what you should be looking at first. We are happy to share it, there are no secrets. It is something we go through with every client in the early stages to work out where their business currently sits in the DMU. Have a look at it, use it as a checklist to see what you are currently doing and what areas hold new opportunities. I can guarantee if your business isn’t looking and assessing digital marketing, your opposition is.

If you need a hand going through your audit or simply want to chat about an upcoming project we would love to hear from you.

We believe that when you visit a Page or see an ad on Facebook it should be clear who it’s coming from. We also think it’s important for people to be able to see the other ads a Page is running, even if they’re not directed at you. That’s why today we’re announcing important changes to the way we manage ads and Pages on Facebook as well as Instagram. These are designed to increase transparency and accountability, as well as prevent election interference. – Facebook

This however has much bigger implications. For any savvy digital marketer this now means you can view, analyse and compare ads from any of your competitors, industry leaders or just a quicker way to review your own ads across pages. We at AusGarage knew this was coming but had picked that like a lot of functionality it may have only been rolled out in the US initially.

What does this mean for your business?

• These changes give you one of the best opportunities you have had to do effective market research. Being able to see current ads will show you market trends, current sales priorities etc
• All of your ads will be completely visible. This shouldn’t worry you though, if you are attacking social ads correctly they should be changing constantly and be personalised to your brand tone.
• Consumers will have greater control on what they see in their news feed. This isn’t TV or Print. You can’t pay just to hammer your message at consumers. Now, more than ever there is a pressure on nailing engaging content and genuinely interacting with your audience.
• Retargeting with follow up discounts will be more obvious to the more tech savvy consumers.

What you can’t do

• You cannot currently see engagement on the ads
• You also cannot access budgets or precise targeting of these ads.

How do I see this?

Simply go to any Facebook Business Page. Hit the new menu item which is called “Info and Ads” and start scrolling.

This page will also show you extra details such as page creation date, whether it has changed names etc.

Struggling with how to make sense of these updates?

Get in touch and we can walk you through it and how it may affect your business.

Bernard Raffaut – Account Director

For those of you who know me, you understand what drives (pun intended) me. I’m happiest when I’m helping people…and more specifically, helping people in their business. When I started working with the AusGarage team, I knew it presented a very real opportunity for me to expand my client base and delve even deeper into an incredibly innovative industry; and when I say industry, I mean both the digital marketing industry and the automotive industry.

So far, my transition from print publishing to content creation and digital marketing has been exceptionally rewarding; presenting me with a new breed of clientele eager to create their own content and show it to the world using digital marketing tactics; tactics that many businesses still find difficult to embrace let alone understand.

Recently, AusGarage was appointed the retained content marketing agency for ASV Euro Car Parts; Australia’s largest seller of new and used European spare car parts! As part of this relationship, we will be managing the content marketing for ASV P-free; a revolutionary puncture free tyre technology available for the first time in Australia! Over the next 12-months, AusGarage will create a number of video content deliverables promoting ASV P-free as well as educating the Australian market on the innovation and technology behind the remarkable tyre!

Furthermore, we will work closely with the ASV team to launch their first eCommerce website – www.asvpfree.com.au. We are excited to be part of such a significant milestone in the companies history.

ASV Euro Car Parts has been in operation for over 30 years; starting out as a small, family owned mechanical workshop on Sydney’s northern beaches. The business expanded into dismantling vehicles to meet the ever increasing demand for quality used European vehicle parts. With a national network spanning Australia and New Zealand and a supply chain that includes Europe, Japan and the Asian continent, ASV offer customers a broad range of parts and a customer service stand that is second to none!

AusGarage will be responsible for video content creation, Google AdWords management and website development for ASV Headlights and ASV P-free. Major areas of focus when considering production and strategy will be brand building, generating awareness, educating the market, and increasing engagement.

ASV P-free was born based on ASV’s years of industry experience, product knowledge and commitment to quality. The first-to-market to Australia with a puncture free tyre; the innovative technology behind the ASV P-free tyre ensures consumers enjoy a comfortable, safe and uninterrupted journey to their destination…every time.

The tyres contain a self-sealing gel comprising of three essential ingredients – a thermoplastic elastomer, resin and rubber processing/extender oil. In the instance of a puncture by a nail or sharp foreign object, the gel application (which has an Australian Patent) immediately self-seals around the object that penetrating the tyre.

Chatting with AusGarage Director and Founder James Payne, he commented with; “We’re pleased to be selected as the retained content marketing agency for ASV. We see immense opportunity to work creatively with the brand and we’re looking forward to creating some key content to help raise awareness of their unique offering to the Australian market.”

ASV Euro Car Parts have expressed their excitement to be partnering with the team at AusGarage and helping them take their digital and eCommerce platforms to the next level.

As for my take on the new partnership; I really look forward to working together with the ASV team and seeking new and innovative (and of course creative) ways to showcase their amazing product. Might even buy a set for my car…if they do me a good deal ;).

I truly believe ASV and AusGarage are the perfect fit; with one major thing in common – automotive…and ASV expresses it perfectly on their website…”we know our cars, we understand car parts and we respect our customers”…so do we ASV…so do we.

World-class, industry leading, state of the art, high performance…all words synonymous with a brand that AusGarage is excited to be working with.

PWR is a leading provider of cooling solutions for race categories around the world; including V8 Supercars, Formula1, NASCAR and INDYCAR. Sounds exciting hey? Well it is.

PWR manufacture high performance aluminium radiators, intercoolers, oil coolers and supply them to both professional Motorsport teams and the general public.

Before PWR decided to turn up the heat on their content marketing strategy with AusGarage, I was fortunate enough to be given a personal tour of their state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Ormeau, Queensland. To say that I was blown away is an understatement. What I witnessed was nothing short of amazing. So much technology, research, engineering and innovation goes into the manufacturing of their product, not to mention leading quality-control measures! The facility includes a controlled atmosphere brazing furnace, a CNC machine shop, an R&D and design department and an in-house wind tunnel.

I toured the facility with PWR Head of Marketing Dave Mawson and AusGarage Founder James Payne. What I will say is James was definitively in his element and right at home.

What’s encouraging about partnering with businesses such as PWR is how much it excites the AusGarage team as they set forward on a creative journey to bring engaging, educational and valuable content to a business that sees value in creating, owning and distributing video. A business that began some 30 years ago; well before Facebook, content marketing and the like had any place in the marketing stable.

Dave Mawson from PWR said:

“We have a well-recognised brand in PWR and people know we are the best at what we do, but it is one of the best kept secrets. We have a great story and product, however we needed to better engage with our potential consumer-base; communicating our range and expertise in performance cooling. Given the work that we have done with AusGarage in the past, we knew we had to continue with that partnership.

James and his team make what is a complex process easy, it is as simple as that. We don’t know what the best angle is or how to get the most from our images and digital content, but the AusGarage crew are so professional and flexible in what they do, they just make it happen. They are the best at what they do hands down, which makes my job just so much easier.”

This is not the first time we have worked with the PWR team. In 2016 and earlier this year we created a number of videos with Power Torque Performance Tuning in partnership with PWR. You can check out some of the videos on the AusGarage Vimeo channel.

This time around, we are working exclusively with PWR; creating a series of videos to help the business display various aspects of their offering.

The first two videos will be 4WD focused and feature PWR’s intercooler products. The aim of each of these videos is to show the strain placed on both engine and gearbox when towing a caravan and; the need for engine cooling and issues with stress loads when heading off-road through puddles, sand and rough terrain.

I’m really looking forward to what the team create based on the brief and I’m sure PWR are just as excited.

If you’re an automotive business seeking to take your business to the next level, you seriously can’t look past automotive content specialists AusGarage. You may think I’m bias, but, I knew AusGarage well before I started working directly with them and I rate them just as high now as I did then when it comes to creating engaging and quality automotive content. Get in touch if you’re keen to drive your business to greater success with AusGarage!

Let’s say I am looking for a new car. If my local dealership doesn’t meet my requirements I am no longer limited to dealing with them. Within minutes I can have pages of dealers across the country in which I can deal with via phone and email as well as view videos and pictures of the car. Sight unseen online sales of cars have increased dramatically in recent years and there is no signs of slowing. More broadly across the automotive industry however there is a shift back to the local business. The increase in online sales does not mean the end of customer service and branding, in fact it is more important then ever. A consumer will travel longer distances and go to more effort just to deal with a business that they have a connection with.

What does this have to do with how professional your business is?

With so much choice on offer and the ability to shop around, your business needs to stand out. Consumers are sold on personality. Your personality (for sole traders) or your team/business personality (larger companies) needs to show through in everything you do. Every day when I drive into our office I drive past a mechanic that has now stepped into second hand car sales. They spent a small fortune building an extension, updating their showroom and installing new signage. This is great for building long term trust in the business however I wouldn’t have even noticed them if it wasn’t for one clever move. They have an old sign board out the front. Every week or so it is updated with a new saying, quote, or joke. It is always done in a tasteful way and is more often than not cleverly linked back to a product or service they have for sale. This is obviously not for everyone, you need to have the inspiration to continue updating and entertaining the passing traffic. What this simple sign board does is command attention. I would pass 50 mechanics each day, however it is this one that every day I look at as I drive past. It drives me to know more about the business but more importantly instantly gives me the confidence that I am going to be greeted by happy creative people when I enter. It sounds like a lot to draw from a simple sign board out the front of a shop but this is what clever affective marketing does.

Personality is the key! You still need to have the quality branding, the uniforms and all the typical items associated with a professional business. The trick is, you can’t be afraid to stand out. Learn more about your target demographic, add the personality of you and your employees and you are on the right track. There is no point running a Bentley style commercial if you are selling $20 000 cars and vice versa.

If you want to discuss how your business can stand out and build its own personality contact us today.