Aug 23

eXpertLocal at Social Media Women

Our Marketing Manager Bek was asked to speak at the August Social Media Women gathering.

While Open Shed’s amazing co-founder Lisa Fox took her years of experience with collaborative consumption and distilled the scene before launching into how Open Shed works for people, Bek focussed on the parallel between social media and collaborative consumption.

This is based on Bek’s notes (so may be a little more details than her talk), but you’ll get the idea!

This is the first half of the proceedings where Bek went through the finer points on eXpertLocal.

Why is there a space for eXpertLocal?

eXpertLocal has a space in the market through its ability to help individuals and businesses make sideline projects and efforts more effective. By bringing people together to share their version of a city or experience, and placing a platform behind it so people can easily find everything in one place, you create the ability for people to experiment with offering things they think may work without making a massive investment. Businesses and individuals can take their ideas for events, tours or experiences from the “will this work?” to practical trial stage via the platform.

In my previous job, I spent time flying in and out of different cities, often spending over night in places I didn’t know. After a while, it becomes a bit of a drag to sit in the hotel night after night, or to eat by yourself in a restaurant, or try and find things to do in a city going on the ads in the street press or local paper. There were so many times where I would have simply loved to go see a band or find a small bar that suited my mood. Or found something to eat that wasn’t at the hotel but wasn’t very pricey- or simply not eat alone. Or even take a walk in the entertainment district without looking or feeling like a tourist, or vulnerable and without someone to share it with.

That’s why something like eXpertLocal makes sense because I have been that person who was new, stuck for something to do, and tired of my own company in a different city.

eXpertLocal is not simply about tourism

Think about how big a city the size of Sydney is and how many things are on offer at any given time. Think about too, how nice it would be to catch a wave with someone who’s right into their surfing and who’ll show you the local side. Or to find that off the beaten track cafe that won’t get a write up in the paper that all the locals love.

eXpertLocal gives people the ability to try something different in terms of venue, experience or food without leaving the city or area you know, or paying top dollar for it. It gives you the chance to fall in love with your own city all over again.

And you get that added bonus of hearing the story behind why someone else goes back to that surf break, chooses that cafe or enjoys that experience.

Why does Sydney need eXpertLocal?

As I came here tonight from Bronte on the bus, I went past so many empty shops with for sale or for lease signs on Oxford street and in the city, it was heartbreaking. You see something like that and start wondering “what if that cafe could have offered a cooking class on Monday nights to offset the slow part of the week?” or “would things be different if someone ran a shopping tour?”

My partner has been an active musician in the Sydney live music scene since the mid 90′s. While he and the bands he plays in and on the bill with are of high quality, there is the sad fact people want the live music scene more in theory than they are willing to participate. But the barriers to taking a punt on a venue or a band are more about “how will I know I will have a good time?” or “How do I know the bands are any good or something I’d like?” – These are questions other music lovers could easily answer. They could use their knowledge of the local scene to inspire others to take that leap.

The other reason is even I, who regularly catches buses and admires the city in which I live, had no idea this very venue existed. That it was this beautiful. And seeing the bridge at night is something I often don’t seek out, yet it takes my breath away each time I see it. So I need someone to provide me an excuse to see that bridge more often!

Business needs eXpertLocal too

Being the same old business simply doesn’t cut it anymore with so much competition, online and off. But what if you could find something that people talked about that made you unique? What if instead of simply serving customers your wares you gave them the chance to find out how they were made or meet the staff or participate in some way?

It’s these moments, whether they are community or commercially based ventures that create something your customers will remember and walk away talking about.

Not only that but instead of investing a lot of effort behind self promotion, marketing, adding new features to your existing website or taking time out from other activities to take bookings on the phone or via email, eXpertLocal is already set up to book that event for you- plus promote it through our network of fans and followers. And we’re happy to give you marketing advice and assistance because the more successful your booking with us, the more likely you are to use eXpertLocal again.

eXpertLocal is personal recommendation in action

We’ve all got that friend who knows when all the sales are on, where to find the best Sunday roast at a pub, the best plays to see in a season or takes those photos of the most amazing views and moments- so why not use that knowledge to its best advantage? But it’s more than sharing these passions and that knowledge, too.

When we started the eXpertLocal journey, we knew that there were people that were doing it a little tougher than others for a whole variety of reasons. From international students struggling with a new culture to people living in social housing trying to figure out how they could stretch their dollars. To community groups offering services to people but without even a basic budget to market what they offered. And small businesses sitting precariously on a lot of outgoings, hoping that the trade would become more consist than a booked out Saturday morning and no traffic any other time.

These groups plus people wanting to test the waters for their new idea of walking tours, bar crawls, suburb discovery or simply to meet like minded people who shared the same interests without it being a high pressure situation all have a need for eXpertLocal.

We just need to find inspire and help them to succeed.
Rebekah’s talk continues in the next blog “The trouble with collaborative consumption is…”

To join Social Media Women, follow the official Social Media Women blog.

To find out more about eXpertLocal, or to workshop your idea for a tour with Bek, email rebekah@expertlocal.com