I attended the Social Media Training Course in Oudtshoorn last week (24 and 25 June) and just want to say thank you for facilitating this fantastic opportunity.
Until last week I was one of those people who did not use Social Media at all - in fact, I've never even seen a Tweet in real life and wasn't too sure about how to get onto my own FaceBook page. You should see me now, I am completely hooked on this fun and effective way of marketing my business. Next on the list is starting a blog - I would not have imagined this to be a real possibility only a very short while ago!
Tamzin Martin and her team did an amazing job of teaching a roomful of people, many of us complete strangers to the world of Social Media, how to start using this powerful tool to promote our businesses. I especially value the combination of technical knowledge and support we received, together with some very sound marketing advice. There is little point in knowing how to set up your Twitter account and send out fb updates but with no real marketing strategy to back it up - and I think this is where the BizXnet course really shows its strength. Tamzin's enthusiasm for her subject also stands out - the way she presented her course definitely smoothed the somewhat daunting technical journey many of us had to embark upon.
It is so easy to just sit back and complain about every little thing that is wrong with a country, and about how the powers that be never "do anything," but in this instance I really want to thank and congratulate Western Cape Government for a brilliant initiative. I hope there will be many more opportunities in the future and that we will be able to welcome Tamzin and her team back to the Klein Karoo before too long!
I thought of a few titles for this message: 'While the City Sleeps', 'The Silly Season Returns' and 'The Slumber City'. I don't like the fact that Cape Town is recognised and labelled by ourselves and others as the City who prides itself more on the holidays than on work. It is a general trend for business to slow down radically, for some it comes to a grinding halt over December and January and even during April in Cape Town.
Every trend presents an opportunity. Have you thought about your competitive advantage in business over these seasons? Have you considered a strategy that would capture your audience's attention over these periods? Or will you join the masses with voicemail and out of office replies leaving that special potential client only to use the services of the very few who do actually deliverĀ 24/7/365. Don't get me wrong, I am not saying you shouldn't take leave for your well deserved breaks. I am suggesting you have contingency plans in place, I am suggesting a carefully planned strategy that still makes a client feel that you have his/her best interests at heart.
For those of you who have booked your leave during April, I wish you a safe, pleasant and well rested holiday. You deserve this time with your family and friends.
To the worker bees, you are not alone. Many people will be working during April, keeping the wheels turning.
To the rest of South Africa and the world, Cape Town is not on complete shutdown. :)