Do you want to attract more customers and increase your brand visibility?

Are you ready to take your online presence to the next level? Do you want to attract more customers and increase your brand visibility? Then it’s time to invest in SEO. With a solid SEO strategy, you can climb the ladders of your industry and get your business on top.

What is SEO?

SEO, or Search Engine Optimisation, is the process of improving your website’s visibility and ranking on search engines like Google. A solid SEO strategy can do wonders for your online presence, driving more traffic to your site, increasing your brand awareness, and ultimately boosting your bottom line.

Why Should You Care?

One of the most significant benefits of SEO is that it allows you to connect with an unlimited amount of potential customers who are actively searching for your products or services without having to pay a cent for each and every click. SEO improves your chances of appearing at the top of search results, making it easier for potential customers to find you.But SEO is much more than just keyword optimisation.

It involves a wide range of tactics and strategies, including website design and structure, content creation, link building, press releases and more. A comprehensive SEO strategy can help you establish your brand as an authority in your industry, not just another “X” just like the next company.

How Can AiiMS Help?

At AiiMS Group, we understand the power of SEO, which is why we’ve created Halo Marketing – our all-in-one marketing platform that incorporates all marketing channels under one roof. With Halo, you can streamline your SEO efforts and track your progress with ease, so you can focus on what really matters – growing your business. At AiiMS Group, we recognize the immense potential of SEO.

That’s why we’ve developed Halo Marketing, our comprehensive marketing platform that brings together all marketing channels under one roof. With Halo, you can streamline your SEO efforts and track your progress with ease, so you can focus on what really matters – growing your business.

What is the Small Business Technology Investment Boost?

As part of our commitment to ensuring you’re always informed about opportunities that could benefit your business, we’re thrilled to bring to your attention the Small Business Technology Investment Boost recently announced by the ATO.

The ATO has recognised the essential role of digital operations in modern business. To support small businesses in enhancing their digital footprint and operations, they’re offering a tax incentive.

Here’s what you need to know:

1. Who’s Eligible? If your business has an aggregated annual turnover of less than $50 million, you’re in!
2. What’s the Deal? Get an additional 20% tax deduction on eligible expenditure related to supporting and digitizing your business operations.
3. Time Frame: The boost applies to expenses incurred from 7:30 pm AEDT on 29 March 2022 through to 30 June 2023.
4. Cap on Expenditure: There’s a cap of $100,000 on eligible expenditure per income year, which means you can secure a maximum bonus deduction of $20,000 annually.

What can you claim?

Eligible expenditure may include, but is not limited to, business expenditure on:
• digital enabling items – computer and telecommunications hardware and equipment, software, internet costs, systems and services that form and facilitate the use of computer networks
• digital media and marketing – audio and visual content that can be created, accessed, stored or viewed on digital devices, including web page design

Why This Matters For You

As a client of AiiMS, leveraging this boost could supercharge your digital marketing strategies and infrastructure. Whether you’re thinking of revamping your website, investing in new digital tools, or expanding your online advertising campaigns, this is the optimal time to make those moves. Not only do you receive the direct benefits of these investments, but you also enjoy a substantial tax deduction!

What’s the Next Step?

Review Your Plans: Assess your current and upcoming digital needs. It might be the perfect time to plan or accelerate certain initiatives.

Consult with Your Accountant: Ensure you understand how to best utilize this tax boost and stay within the eligibility criteria.

Reach Out to Us: Let’s discuss how we can align your digital marketing strategy with these opportunities. We’re here to help maximize the return on your investments.

Contact the AiiMS Team

Getting listed on GMB means you’re visible. When potential customers search your business name, your GMB is plastered on the right side of the search page.

Google My Business puts your business on the map–literally! As long as your business interacts with customers.

GMB profile, but not everyone knows how to set up a great one. Many think it’s good enough to simply be listed, and neglect That’s where AiiMS comes in. Our GMB experts elevate your profile with a comprehensive package of services. After getting to know you better and setting a few goals and expectations, we go straight to work.

Your shiny new GMB profile is set up with all your business categories, services and operating locations filled in to maximise your chances of appearing in related searches. Logos and photos, which our in-house designers and photographers can create for you, are uploaded onto the profile, leaving a better impression on potential customers.

Once the page is properly set up, our GMB experts continue to update it. Every month, a number of posts are put up on the profile in a similar vein to social media posts. These updates let Google know that your business is active, giving it a better rating in searches.

So what’s the big deal?

Still not convinced you need our GMB packages? Let’s explore how GMB links back to the rest of your online campaign.

If you have a website that you rely on for your online presence, then GMB directly helps that. For many common services, Google tries to show consumers websites of businesses in the immediate area. A strong GMB page that is linked back to your website drives local SEO by establishing your business as reputable in its operating areas, which in turn improves Google’s rating of your website.

GMB also greatly assists in building a brand. Aside from being able to project a professional appearance with a competent profile, satisfied customers can leave reviews that boost your business’ reputation, and provide a valuable resource in the form of testimonials. Not to mention, having a positive rating makes Google more likely to recommend you in searches.

Accelerated: The Next Level GMB 

While our standard Local package includes all aforementioned services, AiiMS’ Accelerated Google My Business package is a recent addition for those who would like quicker results.

With the Accelerated package, we help you commit to loftier goals, such as getting your GMB into the “Google Pack”–the top 3 listings for relevant and competitive search keywords. To achieve this, we place a heavier emphasis on SEO work. Not only do we double the monthly posts on your GMB profile, we work twice as hard on implementing backlinks to your main website in them. This improves offsite SEO for your website, which in turn synergises and boosts your GMB rankings as well.

The Accelerated GMB package is perfect for those with ambitious online campaigns, who want to take things to the next level sooner than later.

Don’t underestimate the impact of Google My Business–talk to us today and learn more about being more than just a blip on the radar.

Shocking 2022 Google My Business statistics you need to know

1. 93% of consumers search Google Maps to find a business.

Google users are searching Maps every single day to find local businesses.

With a businesses Google business profile being the only way they can appear within Maps, it is integral to ensure you have claimed your profile to appear within the Maps local search feature.

2. 91% of people read Google My Business reviews prior to contacting a local business.

Business reviews are integral to build trust with customers. With online reviews being such an important trust signal for Google users, it is paramount for companies to ensure they are getting business reviews on their Google profile.

While negative reviews can have a trust impact within the Google algorithm, negative reviews are natural and to be expected. It is highly recommended that you respond to negative reviews as well as positive reviews.

Google reviews show local customers that your business is trusted and active within the local community, and with 91% of users reading Google reviews, it is important your business receives them.

3. 51% of Google My Business profiles receive more than 1,000 views per month.

When it comes to small businesses, our metrics show that 51% of Google My Business accounts receive more than 1,000 views per month.

A Google Business profile breaks down its insights into two parts. There are search listings and maps listings. Search listings refers to when your business appears in the local pack, while Maps listing refers to when your business appears in the Maps section.

Google My Business will often have more reach than a businesses website within search engines, since Google is always looking to display geographically relevant companies.

A small businesses website will often deliver around 15-25% of the total traffic a Google My Business listing will, so this goes to show just how integral a Google My Business page can be for a small business struggling to obtain market share in their industry.

4. 60% of interactions on Google My Business are a website click.

When a Google My Business profile is viewed, 60% of the interactions completed are a website click.

With the average views of a Google business profile being 1,000 monthly views, this goes to show just how much more website traffic a website can receive off the back of a well optimised Google business profile.

When checking your Google Analytics metrics, you may see a portion of your overall website traffic coming from ‘Direct’ sources. When reviewing hundreds of different client profiles, we have found a strong correlation between a Google business profile listing being the main driver for ‘Direct’ website traffic.

There are additional ways to track the traffic coming through from your Google My Business profile, such as specific set-ups within the Google Analytics and Google Search Console to connect the data sets.

5. 45% of businesses receive appointment requests through Google My Business.

When establishing a Google Business Profile, you may be prompted (depending on the nature of your business and the nature of your business listing) to add an Appointments section.

When we complete Google Business Profile configuration for a client’s Google My Business profile we will either divert this to a calendar link or to the website’s contact form.

With 45% of businesses receiving appointment requests, generally for an initial consultation or a quote, it is integral for businesses to ensure they have completed the appointment section within their Google business listing properly.

Some Google consumers and users prefer to contact a number of businesses online before making a decision to jump on a phone call, so by having the appointment request functionality, you can be sure that your business is a contender for these ‘shyer’ local searchers.

6. 91% of a local businesses weekday calls can be attributed to their Google My Business page.

This is one of the most important statistics within our Google My Business statistics. A whopping 91% of weekday calls to a business can be attributed to their Google My Business page.

While some of these calls can be traced down to a simple Google search of customers trying to find contact details for a business they already know, a large number of these calls are from customers to small businesses that they are discovering for the first time.

Ensuring that the information in your Google My Business profile is up to date is now more important than ever.

By having up to date information in your Google My Business listing, businesses can expect a significant upward swing in phone calls through their Google business profile.

7. Negative Google reviews impact 45% of local consumers contacting a business.

A word of warning about negative feedback. It is crucial that small businesses ensure that their customers have a positive experience, otherwise this can drastically impact not only their rankings within the local pack, but can also impact customers getting in touch with them.

8. 66% of Google users contacted a business based on its Google business profile.

A Google business profile will be one of the major marketing components for a small business. Through your Google business listing, businesses have the capacity to market themselves to 66% of Google users who specifically contact businesses based on their Google business profile.

With the Google search engine clearly favouring companies with a Google My Business presence, it is integral for direct searches to maintain your Google listing.

Google searches are clearly swaying towards finding a local company online and Google business accounts now contribute to 66% of the Google market share getting in touch with businesses.

With the ability to view all of the key data of a business in one place, such as reviews, contact information, photos and the address, it is really no surprise that a Google My Business profile is the preferred method for most Google users.

9. Accomodation and hotels are the highest viewed Google My Business profiles.

The travel industry has long been a titan when it comes to search engine market share. People search for accomodation and hotels everyday, typically in areas that aren’t within their own physical location.

Over the past 2 years, accomodation and hotels have been the highest viewed Google My Business accounts. This is across both discovery searches and the Google Maps app itself.

Car dealerships receive a large number as well, interestingly, and come in second across our agencies data when comparing them to the average business.

10. 59% of customers view Google My Business images before making a purchase.

While a website click may be the largest interaction on Google Business profiles, 59% of customers will view a Google My Business page’s photos before making a purchase.

Many businesses simply focus on ensuring their Google My Business profile has accurate up to date information, and while accurate information is definitely important, so are images.

11. 51% of Google My Business profiles remain unclaimed.

This is quite a scary statistics within the Google My Business sphere, and further shows just how many businesses aren’t optimised for local search.

With 51% of Google My Business profiles remaining unclaimed, the average local business is missing out on a lot of potential customers. These unclaimed Google My Business profiles often don’t include the correct business location, operating hours, or even business name.

With Google My Business being completely free for all businesses, there is no reason why a local company should be missing out on this opportunity to increase their online visibility.

It is a simple and straightforward process to optimise a Google My Business page for local intent and just as easy to input a business description, accurate information and a correct business name to appear within local searches.

By inputting your business address, you can be rest assured knowing that Google has accurate business information within your Google My Business account.

12. 87% of users perform a daily Google search for local businesses.

More than ever, potential customers are combing Google to find local businesses. Google is the most trusted search engine in the market and users know that they can safely trust the recommendations that Google makes to them.

As we have covered above, local searches contribute a substantial amount of organic traffic to a local business. With 87% of Google users performing a search for a business, small businesses are exposed to a highly concentrated amount of potential customers.

The business listings section of Google is integral, and search results favour business listings to deliver the most relevant results for direct search.

It doesn’t matter if the search is coming from mobile devices or desktop computers, a whopping 87% of users are now looking for a local business in their area everyday.

13. 72% of Google users will prefer a business that is closer to their location on Google Maps.

A business’s location has a big impact on whether or not a potential customer will get in touch. Convenience and location are two integral factors in today’s world.

Most consumers prefer businesses that are closer to them for local services. This is why it is so important to include a physical address and accurate business information (including up to date business hours), since it can increase the amount of customers that get in touch with you.

14. 65% of Google users will leave a Google My Business review if they have a positive experience.

As we have already outlined, customer satisfaction is crucial for business success. Some business owners think receiving positive reviews is difficult, but it doesn’t have to be.

Our Google My Business statistics show that 65% of Google users will leave a review if they have had a positive experience. These reviews don’t always come naturally, and we always recommend business owners have their processes in place to obtain these reviews.

While obtaining positive reviews isn’t necessarily under the banner of web fundamental best practices, it certainly is good for business, organic rankings and should never be skipped by business owners.

Business owners can view their Google My Business reviews from inside the Dashboard itself. Simply select the drop down menu on the left hand side of your Google My Business profile from the Dashboard and you can check all of your reviews. You are also able to flag, respond to and manage all of your Google reviews from this one place.

15. “Near Me” Google Maps searches have increased 900% in the past 24 months.

Not only have “Near Me” searches grown exponentially within the past 24 months in the search results, they have become one of the biggest overall contributors to website visits.

By having a properly optimised Google My Business profile, businesses can appear in the “Near Me” searches for local searches occurring near their businesses address. This captive market within close proximity to your business address can astronomically increase your overall conversions.

16. Google My Business views and metrics contribute to 75% of a local businesses monthly exposure online.

With the overall cost of Google Ads becoming more and more expensive, and social media marketing becoming oversaturated, Google My Business is now responsible for 75% of a businesses monthly exposure.

Since a Google My Business profile ties directly in with search marketing efforts and overall search engine optimisation, it can be expected that a Google My Business listing has this effect on a business.

Increasingly popular due to the high demand, low barrier to entry and completely free set-up – a Google My Business is a must for any business and these statistics just go to show how powerful a Google My Business listing is.

Google My Business Is Critical For Business
Hopefully we’ve been helpful in providing you insight into just how important Google My Business has become in the online marketing space.

These statistics have been interesting for us to analyse ourselves and go to show just how important a Google My Business profile is for marketing not only a business, but any website that wants local traffic.

As we move through 2022, it is clear that Google My Business is now more important than ever for businesses of all shapes and sizes.

From being one of the leading website traffic contributors to businesses to being the most highly engaged business marketing site, Google My Business should not be skipped by any business owner.

Working With The GMB Specialists
Since we work with businesses everyday, we understand the impact Google My Business can have on the overall digital marketing campaign for our clients.

Our local SEO services focus on ensuring a company’s Google My Business profile ties in seamlessly to their overall digital marketing and SEO campaign, to deliver the most relevant traffic.

It is not uncommon for our clients to receive tens of thousands of monthly views through their Google My Business listing. At AiiMS, we love working with small businesses to ensure their Google My Business listing delivers them the results they need to push their business forward.

In Q1 2022, TikTok was the most downloaded app worldwide across all categories.

TikTok topped Google as the most popular domain. In Q1 2022, TikTok was the most downloaded app worldwide across all categories.

Google is facing stiff competition these days – from a new search engine quickly gaining users. TikTok has already overtaken Google as the number-one app in several countries, and it doesn’t show any signs of slowing down. What is behind this meteoric rise? And can Google do anything to stop it?

Why has Tik Tok succeeded?

User experience: The app has been built for optimal mobile use through user experience and interfaces e.g. the positioning of the button near the thumb, full-screen vertical video easy swipe up and down to the next video, etc.

Catering to short-form ‘visual’ content demands: Younger audiences prefer short form content. What was once Youtube’s forte (now Tik Tok’s) for hacks, recipes, tips and tricks. They are proving to be a trailblazer in search, social, and ads.

Favorable Demographic Of Creators : To suggest another example. Young people searching ‘What to do in London’ on Google, will often land on pages suggesting sites such as the ‘London dungeons’ or ‘Buckingham Palace’. These tourist areas, although popular, are not the fun fresh ideas that younger audiences may be searching for. Conversely, audiences can search on TikTok and be greeted with a number of videos showing a range of newly opened cool experiences available in London. These can include fun exhibitions or pop-ups. Relatability: The videos are more relatable as they are often made by other young people, rather than official pages which can come across as ‘try-hard’. Also, the fact that anyone can become a creator on TikTok gives it an edge over Google, which is still perceived as the big corporate machine.

What does this mean for small business?

According to a recent report, among all of the major social media sites, the platform with the best word-of-mouth from fellow small business owners was TikTok.

If you’re already posting short-form videos on other platforms then get them in TikTok!

Tip: It helps to run small budget ads on your videos to increase awareness and build your niche community.

Want to get your business noticed on Tik Tok?
Reach out to the team at AiiMS 1300 367 603 or reply back to info@aiims.com.au

The algorithm is key

The CSSDA crew are announced that the iecc.com.au website has been voted by the public to win Best UI Design, Best UX Design and Best Innovation!

The collaborative efforts between each department has proudly given AiiMS Group the lead with an award leading in User Interface, User Experience and Innovation.

How would you like to claim back 120% on your Google Ads and service fees or website? The government has announced a deduction of 20 per cent of the cost .

Have you wanted to amp up your online presence but haven’t had the budget for it? Well, the Australian Government is offering a pretty tempting rebate for any business earning below $50m a 120% rebate on technology. 

Small Business Technology Investment Boost

Small businesses (with an aggregated annual turnover of less than $50 million) will be able to deduct an additional 20 per cent of the cost incurred on business expenses and depreciating assets that support their digital adoption, such as portable payment devices, cyber security systems or subscriptions to cloud-based services…

Businesses may continue to deduct expenditure that is ineligible for the bonus deduction under the existing tax law. We will provide further details on eligible expenses once the law has passed.

An annual $100,000 cap will apply to each qualifying income year. Businesses can continue to deduct expenditures over $100,000 under existing law.

What you can claim back

Digital Marketing Products & Services such as:

• Websites and landing pages
• Branding
• Social Media Marketing
• Social Media Management
• Video Production
• SEO
• PPC (Pay per click advertising)
• Offline Marketing
• Software Development
• App Development

AiiMS is a full-service digital production and marketing agency that assists in the online presence and growth of SMEs. If what you’re after is not on the list reach out to see if you’re eligible! info@aiims.com.au or 1300 397 603

AiiMS knew to achieve such desired goals they had to ensure CashPal had a solid foundation from day one

A unique challenge, the goal was to achieve a strong online presence across ALL digital platforms while Google organic search being at the top of that list. Now, they’re achieving 10,000 + personal loan applications each and every month! Here’s how…

The Challenge

CashPal approached AiiMS (The Australian Institute of Internet Marketing Services) with a unique challenge, building a custom website that is 100% online however, more challenging the goal of achieving a strong online presence across all digital platforms while Google organic search being at the top of that list.

The Objective

CashPal was determined to enter the market of online loans, a space that is ultra-competitive with many competitors that have cemented their dominance both from a brand perspective and a digital presence perspective. CashPal knew very well this was going to be a long journey that would consist of both AiiMS and CashPal having to be committed on all levels to have any chance of achieving the goals.

Importance of Digital Assets:

AiiMS knew to achieve such desired goals they had to ensure CashPal had a solid foundation from day one, ensuring the website was built to not only achieve rankings but to be able to convert and convert really well for CashPal’s model to be profitable. AiiMS commenced with the branding which then led into the website design and development all being custom built with purpose, the custom website was built alongside the SEO team at AiiMS guaranteeing all SEO fundamentals were put in place prior to launching the website.

The Journey Begins

Once the custom website was set live, a tailored and custom SEO plan and strategy rolled out with clear direction on where CashPal needed to be over the next 12, 24, 36 month period. CashPal understanding that there are no quick wins in the world of SEO had clearly expectations of the harsh but yet reality. Within the first 12 months of SEO AiiMS was able to secure top positioning for one of the most competitive keywords “Quick Cash Loans”  ranking CashPal’s home page for one of the highest searched keywords was a substantial milestone that CashPal thought would only be achieved post 36 months.

Adapting Based On “Actual” Results

Having overachieved in the first 12 months, AiiMS and CashPal agreed on a slightly different strategy for the following 12-24 month period. Expanded the website to target keywords that had increased in search volume. Below were the targeted keywords AiiMS SEO team focused to achieve for CashPal.

• Same Day Loans
• Fast Cash Loans
• Short Term Loans

Cash loans

Having set the targets and goals for the next year AiiMS SEO team went to work, all while working extremely close to the team at CashPal they were able to collaborate and build out the website to start ranking the above keywords. Before the year-end, AiiMS were able to secure front page positioning on Google for all keywords set out to achieve, most of those being in position 1 to 3.

It’s Time To Take Off The Blinkers

CashPal now having asserted itself as a leading medium-sized online lender finder in the personal loan industry across Australia and processing thousands of personal loan applications each week it was now time to start considering gaining dominance on other platforms such as paid ads on search along with social media platforms.

Social Media Matters..   

The team at CashPal were like most small to medium business owners when it came to social media, knowing it is important but convincing themselves they don’t need it.  Once coming to the realisation that social media really does matter and they need it, CashPal started working closely with the growing and talented social media team at AiiMS starting their social media journey. The social media team at AiiMS prepared a recommended action plan that was implemented across all social media platforms ensuring CashPal had consistent branding and messaging as that was the team at CashPal’s main objective from social media before commencing any paid social ads to generate leads.

Online Real Estate… It’s a real thing.

The team at CashPal knew very well they had secured amazing positioning on Google for not only high traffic but high converting keywords along with having a very strong social media presence it was then time to look at what we call at AiiMS “online real estate” and what better than gaining a spot on the top of Google? Exploring the world of paid ads on Google (Google Ads) CashPal saw this opportunity to open more doors to their website increasing the chance of capturing more potential clients. CashPal wanted to dominate the entire search results by having an ad on Google Ads for all keywords that were relevant to their offering while also having top positioning for Google Maps and ranking in the top 1-3 positions for organic results. CashPal knowing their number well was able to set a price they are happy to pay per application via paid ads, within 30 days of running paid ads on Google this was achieved by opening up another funnel of traffic that has high intent and coverts extremely well.

The result……

Without working extremely close with the team at CashPal, these amazing results could not have been achieved in half the time frame that was set out when CashPal approached AiiMS.

• CashPal went from an idea to now achieving 10,000 + personal loan applications each and every month
• CashPal is now an authority in the online personal loan industry
• A digital asset that has over 2000 pages 
• Ranking for over 500 keywords organically
• Paid Ads campaign that has become extremely lucrative
• Strong social presence representing CashPal’s brand, identity and offering

Special Guest and successful business owner Michael Alayan tell us his story with Michael Alayan with Kynan Albassit

There are undoubtedly two sides to every story and that’s no different from the arguments around the merits of formal education vs what you learn outside the classroom. The answer is always going to differ depending on who you speak with, their outlook and of course where they are now.

Two schools of thought shaped who I am today

There’s a fine line between distracted and focused or disinterested and passionate and we’re told that that line separates the successful from the unsuccessful. As is the case with many students, Michael had his favourite subjects at school and those that just seemed to get in the way. Sports was a passion but maths? Not so much.

Regardless, Michael found that there was definitely a difference between “book learning” and the “social” lessons around human interaction, finding your place in the world, learning what you stand for and what you most certainly will not stand for. In some schools, these social lessons are taught gently, the rules are hinted at and missteps are overlooked. In others, mistakes like failing to set boundaries and standing firm on your principles and codes of behaviour do not go unnoticed and are vigorously addressed. From an early age, Michael knew that he had been thrust into the latter in Sydney’s inner and southwest and learned hard lessons that shaped him to be the man he is today.

That’s not where the duality ended though and the question remained: Should you try to pour all your energy into all of your classes or, if you recognise a pathway that you strongly feel you should follow, do you put your focus and energy into that? Again, Michael chose the latter… or vice versa.

Having spent time after school, working at Hungry Jacks, KFC and McDonalds from the age of 14, it was clear that the world of work beckoned more strongly than the call of ATAR and subsequent university life. With ambitions of gaining a trade and running a business, it was soon time to commit to making it happen.

Perception vs reality and the first steps along a 6-year journey

It’s almost a cliché nowadays. A wide-eyed, wet-behind-the-ears kid quickly goes from floor-mopper/dishwasher/sh*t kicker to successful business owner. The movies usually cover this story arc are about 90-120 minutes. Michael’s reality was very different – as you’d expect, after all, this is real life.

So what was real life for Michael like back then?

Basically, a year spent carrying things as a plumber’s apprentice on construction sites coupled with a day a week at TAFE as a formal introduction to the trade, codes and regulations. Year two was spent with a new employer trying to catch up on skills and knowledge that should have been trained in during year one which, again, was spent, essentially labouring. From there, mandatory Cert III and then Cert IV qualifications were worked for and achieved over the following years.

But this was by no means a spartan, one-dimensional existence. Remember, those extracurricular “social” lessons during the school years? Those, coupled with the memories of a childhood home life filled with love and the essentials, even while scarred by the death of his father, the crippling disability of his sister and held together by a tireless mother, Michael had the seeds of true leadership, persistence and drive planted within him. Seeds that would bear fruit as he took the reins of what is now an established and successful plumbing business entering its 11th year, servicing the needs of residents and businesses in and around Sydney.

But as a newly, fully accredited plumber in his early 20s, Michael only knew that he wanted to work for himself. Surely, he had stamped his ticket to financial independence, good times and reaping the rewards of hard work while being his own boss. Yes, Michael had left formal education in the school system far behind him but, as he would find out, there was still a lot to learn.

The tough transition from the back of the van to the front office

Making the transition from driving the van to driving the business is not an easy one and definitely involves more than simply counting the money. Michael was always driven by the desire to help others, solve their problems and make life easier using the skills acquired over years of dedication, focus and application. As many business owners find out, there’s more to running a successful business than that.

Michael said that moving away from the personal contact and communication with clients and customers and into brand/reputation management, logistics and project management was not something he readily embraced at first. But he had to get over that, fast, because there were yet more obstacles to overcome and milestones to surpass:

• lifting the eyes and considering the broader leadership roles and tasks
• establishing how to get the most out of people
• setting operational procedure
• “finding your business’s place in the world, learning what it stands for and what you most certainly will not stand for…”

And then there’s competing in a free market with other suppliers, reputations and the customers’ perceptions across the commercial landscape.

Leading the charge from serviceable reputation to supplier of (first) choice

They say that the only constant is change. You hear that a lot across a number of industries and with the advances in technology and an increasingly complex, knowledgeable and demanding consumer – it comes as no surprise. However, not all changes are good for consumers and one change that caught Michael’s attention a number of years ago was around “Trade Recognition”. As he tells it, most likely due to housing/property booms across both residential and commercial, the demand for trades resulted in players in the plumbing industry being rushed through the licensing process. Some were able to cover Michael’s 6-year journey to become a licensed plumber with just $5k and the completion of a single course.

Michael’s feeling is that you probably only learn 30% of what you need to at TAFE and that does not equip you to handle and solve the myriad problems, issues and challenges that are awaiting you and your client base in the real world. Now, as a result of botched jobs, overpricing for underwhelming results and a general lack of experience, customers and clients are understandably cautious and wary – which makes things tougher for legitimate and highly experienced service providers. Michael sums up by suggesting that it’s up to business owners like him to ensure that:

• Confidence is openly backed up by experience and expertise – so talk about your successes and how your skills helped deliver a superior result
• Social proof is on your side – therefore, pay attention to the reviews you are earning and make sure your social platforms are working harder for you by asking for feedback
• Trust is nurtured at every opportunity – so remember to be transparent and open

As always, looking after your digital footprint can be a demanding task and a difficult one to get right. But it’s essential you do so. Michael’s advice? Find an expert you can trust that specialises in delivering the results you need.

That works for us. Thanks for stopping by Michael.

By Kynan Albassit & Janty Ayoub

Are you afraid of the dark? No? Good, it’s something most people grow out of but these days, most business owners seem to be more afraid of the light. They are scared that under the harsh commercial glare of their profit and loss (P&L;) sheet, it will come to light that their business is in trouble, or heading for trouble, or… that a change needs to happen.

Unfortunately, or fortunately, change is one of the few constants in today’s world and yes, that includes the business world. Change absolutely is going to happen but understanding how your business may need to adapt in step or ahead of market forces, will determine how your business thrives in this environment. But again, at the heart of it all, is the need to know where exactly you are, which means… knowing your numbers.

Running from reality is easier to do in the dark
Have you ever seen something shocking or disturbing or gross that you simply couldn’t unsee, or perhaps heard something you wish you could unhear? It can shake you up and stay with you for quite some time. We actively try to avoid those scenarios, don’t we?

Now, what if your accountant or a business partner revealed to you that your business was losing $100k a month, or a week, or depending on the size of the entity, a day! How much worse is that than a clip on a social channel? I’m guessing you would immediately, call a meeting, call a halt to everything, call an accountant, a lawyer, something. And there might be some pretty immediate changes and hard discussions to be had. And from there, there’ll be two distinct impulses:

• Try to stop the bleeding immediately, essentially attempting to go from minus $100k/month or year or week, to plus $50K in the same time frame. That lofty goal requires more upheaval and strain on the commercial infrastructure than most businesses could bear – they’ll be at risk of breaking apart.
• Take a more measured approach and act immediately to reduce the losses by $10k-20k at a time. But to achieve that, you’ll need to know your numbers (and the number behind those numbers).

How much easier would the next days, weeks and months be if you simply didn’t know about any of those shocking financial revelations and could carry on, blissfully ignorant, through the darkness for just a little bit longer? Thousands of businesses, even as you read this sentence are doing exactly that. Are you one of them? You don’t have to answer that but let’s take a quick look at some of the reasons behind the unconscious or conscious preference to keep the lights turned off.

Here’s why some business owners prefer to bask in the darkness
Sure, trying to avoid the horrible truth is definitely a reason for staying in the dark. But there are a couple of other reasons to dig into before we get to the benefits of knowing your numbers:

• It’s all too hard. I mentioned the P&L sheet in the opening paragraph. Yes, to the uninitiated and experienced, the P&L sheet can seem complex and depending on the complexity, there can be an awful lot of numbers. My advice? Stick with it and get help if you don’t understand it – there are a lot of positive and negative indicators in there that can be a warning or… an opportunity!
• Ignorance is bliss. Perhaps for a while, but as demonstrated, ignorance can take you from a bad spot to a disastrous one in no time at all if left unattended. Still, there are those who prefer to stay in the dark, put it off and face the music another time.
• Knowing your numbers means knowing everything – including yourself. Nobody gets into business to get into debt they can’t get out of yet people still get into business without ever looking at the numbers! The mentality is similar to someone that withdraws money from an ATM but never looks at their balance, knowing deep down, that it may affect how they spend that money. Again, it may mean they have to… change: their plans, their spending habits, their expectations.

Whatever the reasons, it’s better to know – it is to your advantage and to the advantage of everyone involved in and with your business.

Okay but exactly why is it better to know your numbers – how does that help?
Put simply, you can’t afford to not know the numbers that count, such as:

• Incoming gross revenue – don’t be fooled by the big numbers though, it’s all about nett profit.
• Expenditure – how much are spending and on what… and when. The more detailed this section, the easier it is to make adjustments if you need/want to.
• Net profit – if it’s sustainability you’re looking for, you will want to keep an eye on the direction your nett profit is heading. Staying the same is a bit like going backwards when your market, the economy and the rest of the world is moving forward. “Staying ahead of the game and your competitors” means more than simply keeping up. You can speak with our experts about ways to ensure you’re not left behind.

This is not an exhaustive list but it is a good place to start.

The advantage of knowing your numbers lays in the advanced notice of the good, the bad and the ugly of your business and where it’s all heading. All crucial to thriving in this environment of change.

3 simple steps you can take immediately to improve your business
At AiiMS we pride ourselves on uncovering the heart of the problem and getting straight to the solutions. So, here are some things you should do right now:

• Wake Up – Face the music, look at your numbers, and know what they mean. You don’t need to make any changes straight away, just know your reality.
• Take ownership of your numbers, don’t palm this task off to someone else, be actively involved, learn, strategy, work with your accountant.
• Do it today, take action now, don’t wait for reality to bite, down the track.

I’m not saying, it will be easy but, having done it, you will realise that it was absolutely necessary.

A final thought. I know some of you will be saying to yourselves, “I’m not a numbers person, it’s not what I’m good at.” The answer is to enlist the services of a “numbers expert” – an accountant, a specialist in this area – that actually cares and understands your business and where you want to take it. Listen, knowing your numbers will help you make the right budgetary calls, minimise poor decisions, help you scale your business and give you some confidence around resourcing which is vital.

In other words, knowing your numbers makes your business better and that’s the truth.

Janty and Kynan are important resources within our brains trust and are on hand to help set your business up for ongoing success with the right type of guidance during these ever changing times.

By Kynan Albassit in collaboration with Microsoft Advertising

Don’t gamble with your reputation, your business or your livelihood. Calculated risks are fine but gambling, as in games of chance? No, don’t do it. Yet that’s what thousands of businesses and commercial entities around Australia are consciously and unconsciously doing every time they decide to place all their eggs in one “search” or “Ad-spend” basket.

That said, I want to urge you, as business owners and commercial decision-makers, to also think long and hard about broadening your reach across audiences that feature a higher percentage of:

• Higher-income earners
• Homeowners
• Tertiary education graduates
• White-collar workers 

In short, find decision-makers ready to make purchasing decisions.

As digital marketing experts, our reputation is built on the collective successes of our clients. One of the pivotal factors in securing, embedding and sustaining that success is understanding the advantages offered by a variety of channels and means by which your brand is amplified. By talking with us, we can help you present your business to the right audience at the right time for maximum ROI.

Back to that thought on putting all your marketing dollars in one “search” basket. Short answer – don’t do it. The slightly longer and better answer: let’s talk about the potential to power more sales through Bing and bust some myths about the network while we’re at it.

Microsoft Advertising myth-busters deliver the numbers that count!

Full disclosure: we believe deeply in the value that Microsoft Advertising brings to the marketing mix of our clients. So much so that we invest heavily, on behalf of the successful businesses we help, in Microsoft Advertising to ensure that their approach to gaining new business through new audiences is complete. And with a 17% market share among search engines, can anyone really afford not to be found on Bing/Microsoft Search?

If you’re surprised that Microsoft enjoys an almost 1 in 5 share of search, you’ll be shocked that:

• 6 out of 7 search engines are powered by Microsoft
• 25 – 54 years old is the primary age bracket of users searching on Bing (the search browser powered by Microsoft), thoroughly disproving the idea that only “old people” who struggle with tech use it. Myth Busted!
• Microsoft 10 is currently installed on over one billion devices throughout the world, with the default engine being Bing, the reach and numbers involved are absolutely worthy of every business owners’ attention, interest and investment.
• Bing is just one part of the owned and operated/syndicated Microsoft network, joined by Verizon (DuckDuckGo and Ecosia), AOL, Yahoo… the point being that Bing is not a lonely search outlier, it is a worldwide search engine powerhouse that is enjoying year on year growth. Myth busted!

To help make an informed decision about where your ad and media spend will serve your business best, glance through our guide to intelligent search to learn more about Bing.

Making an impression is fine but making a sale is even better
Simply presenting your brand, your offer, your business to a broad audience is one thing but it’s rarely enough – certainly not enough to justify your entire marketing/search budget.

If you’re truly looking to broaden your sales funnel (get more users intentionally looking at your business), you need to look at the Microsoft Audience network. There are 3 key reasons why this programmatic, native display offering that presents your ads to 11 million unique Australian users across MSN, Edge, Outlook and other third-party sites impresses us:

• You only pay for clicks. That’s right, you’re not paying money because a searcher may or may not have noticed your ad. There’s intentionality there. You are investing in an action that progresses your audience further along your sales funnel towards a purchase.
• Users are actually redirected to the advertisers’ page, not a third-party destination. This demonstrates a real understanding of sales focus – which is what you need and what we recommend for our clients.
• The “native” ads integrate seamlessly into the look and feel of the site you are visiting so that you’re not yanked from your workflow. This shows confidence in a way of presenting information that speaks to searchers instead of screaming at them.

We are also impressed by the fact that independent research has shown that potential customers on the Microsoft network are:

• 178% more likely to search for the brand they’re focused on
• 378% more likely to consider your product or service once interested
• 238% more likely to purchase your product

Make no mistake, these are the numbers that count and it makes sense given what we know about intent, income and the connection to users that are searching with a buyer’s mindset. In short, the quality of leads from the Microsoft network is measurably superior. That’s not a guess, it’s not a gut feel – these are facts that we would like to discuss with you to help grow your business.

Your business is your business – Microsoft helps keep it that way
When I sat down with Renee Stubbs (enterprise and partner director) and Paul Korber (AUNZ partner development director) from Microsoft Advertising during our recent podcast episode, we enjoyed a far-reaching discussion on the benefits of the Bing network for our clients. But far from being purely a back-slapping exercise, I wanted to be sure, and in turn assure our viewers, that Microsoft had a definitive stance on the hot, hot topic of privacy. Online privacy is one of those pivotal phrases that can sway an audience by association because our right to privacy and our right to conduct our business without fear of security breaches needs to be protected.

I was heartened to hear from both of my guests that privacy and trust are key pillars of the Microsoft business. Both Renee and Paul confirmed what we at AiiMS already suspected – 85% of consumers would only consider a brand if they trusted it and that goes for investment in ads, searches and of course the advice, guidance and services that we provide as well. Happily, the three of us agreed that building trust is, in fact, a long process but it can be destroyed in a moment. But by pledging to protect customer data and refusing to export and sell it, the Microsoft teams across the entire organisation (including Xbox, store, surface, advertising…) actively build and preserve trust.

Diversifying ad and media spend to maximise ROI makes sense
There is more to growing sales, profit and brands than simply being available on the off chance someone looks your business’s way. Being seen by additional audiences, audiences that tend to spend more, actively search for the products and services they want and value trust is a key consideration when investing in growth. Our advice is, and always has been, to cover off as many viable options as possible in terms of reach, connection and opportunity in your chosen market. Relying exclusively on one search engine is a risk you don’t need to take.

Take that first important step towards gaining more qualified leads for growth through smart, informed, diversification and talk with us today.

Kynan Albassit is the Product Director at AiiMS, a digital agency specialising in connecting people, businesses and brands, to power growth and profitability. Renee Stopps is the Enterprise and Partner Director at Microsoft Advertising and Paul Krober is the AUNZ Partner Development Director at Microsoft Advertising – we thank them both for appearing on our podcast.