The Digital Spork

18/05/2026

Are you a local business owner or professional who wants to build more local connections?

A new TNG business networking group is launching in New Lynn, Auckland on Wednesday 22 July at 7:30am, and I’m helping get the group started.

It’s for business owners and professionals who want to meet other people in business, build strong connections, share referrals, and help each other grow.

TNG is a New Zealand-owned networking group where members meet fortnightly. It’s networking without the pushy sales tactics, with a focus on word-of-mouth referrals, real relationships, and local connections.

There is one seat per profession, so if you think New Lynn could be right for you, we’d love to hear from you.

Send me a DM or email me at [email protected] if you’d like to know more or visit the launch meeting.

You can also contact Melanie at TNG on [email protected] or 021 209 3210.

12/05/2026

Charlotte is already over winter in New Zealand and it hasn’t even arrived yet.

So she does what a lot of us do now. She opens ChatGPT.

She’s thinking about a holiday in Rarotonga and has a pretty clear idea of what she wants.

So she asks something like:

“We’re a family of four planning a holiday to Rarotonga in July. We want somewhere with a pool, good Wi-Fi, two bedrooms, close to the beach, with good snorkelling nearby and places to eat that will work for the kids. What are the best areas to stay, and what accommodation should we look at?”

And within seconds, she has ideas, areas to compare, questions to ask, and places to check next.

Not the whole decision made for her, because let’s not pretend anyone books a family holiday without checking 47 other things first.

But it gives her a starting point.

So why does that matter for your business?

Because people, Google and AI tools all need clear information to understand what your business does.

If your website is vague, your Google Business Profile is out of date, or your services are unclear, people have to work harder to decide whether you’re the right fit.

Same goes if your reviews don’t mention what you actually helped with.

It doesn’t mean you need to panic about AI or rewrite everything overnight.

But it does mean your website, Google profile, reviews and content need to be clear, current and useful.

If someone looked you up today, would they have enough to help them choose you?

Send a message to learn more

08/05/2026

Being busy is great. Until things go quiet.

When you’re flat out, your focus is on client work. That makes sense. But that’s usually when your own stuff starts slipping.

Website sits there, Google Business Profile gets out of date, and posting becomes a bit random.

At the time, it’s not an issue.

But people are still checking you out. After a referral or from a networking event a while back, just trying to work out what you do.

If it’s not clear, yep, they move on.

That’s when things start to drop off.

If you’re not sure what’s working, what’s not, and what needs attention first, my Marketing Check-In will help you figure that out.

Not sure what’s working in your marketing? This free check-in helps you spot what needs attention so you know where to focus next.

28/04/2026

I totally get why your own marketing gets pushed to the bottom of the list.

Client work has to be the priority, right?

Then there are invoices to send, quotes to follow up, emails to reply to, and all the other “stuff” that comes with running a business.

By the time you get to your own marketing, you’re trying to decide whether to update the website, post on LinkedIn, sort Google Business Profile, send an email, rewrite the offer, or try whatever everyone is suddenly talking about.

No wonder it all becomes too much.

Most business owners I talk to are doing bits and pieces when they can.
Randomly posting, tweaking their website, running an ad, starting something in Canva, or using ChatGPT but still feeling like the draft doesn’t sound quite right.

It’s obvious there’s work to be done, but the hard part is knowing what to look at first.

Is your website unclear or your Google Business Profile out of date?

Is your offer too vague, or too full-on and hard to understand?

Does your content match what you actually do?

Is the next step obvious enough?

It’s unlikely you need a complicated plan.

You probably just need a clearer view of what’s working, what’s getting in the way, and what to sort first.

That’s why I created the Marketing Check-In.

It’s a simple way to look at the marketing you’re already doing and spot what might need your attention first.

You can grab it here:

Not sure what’s working in your marketing? This free check-in helps you spot what needs attention so you know where to focus next.

12/04/2026

Ever feel like you’re on a roller coaster and want to get off?

As a business owner, I’ve definitely had moments like that too, and I actually hate roller coasters. I turn green just looking at them.

There’s so much advice out there about what you should be doing.

• Post more
• Do video
• Fix your website
• Sort your SEO
• Update LinkedIn
• Start posting on Threads
• Use Google Business Profile
• Start an email list
• Show up on Instagram
• Be active in Facebook groups
• Go networking
• Run a webinar or masterclass
• Create a lead magnet

And that’s only some of what we’re told we should be doing.

At some point, more advice stops being helpful because there is just too much of it and not enough direction around what to focus on first.

That’s when it can start to feel like a roller coaster. You’re up, down, all over the place, trying different things, then ending up back where you started.

Or you avoid it altogether because it feels too big.

Maybe the answer isn’t doing more. It’s figuring out what actually needs your attention right now.

06/04/2026

Want to know why you’re not getting leads?

You’ve updated your website, been posting on LinkedIn, even sending a monthly newsletter.

But you’re still not clear what’s working and what’s not.
What’s actually making a difference.

So you keep going, hoping enquiries will start coming in.

I’ve put together a Marketing Check-In to help you figure out what’s worth your attention before you spend more time or money.

Check it out here:

This check-in takes you through a small set of focused questions to help you look at your marketing as a whole, instead of reacting to individual issues.

24/03/2026

You’re not everyone’s cup of tea.

Some people will like you, some won’t.

And that’s actually okay.

But it matters more than people think when it comes to how you show up online.

These days it’s very easy to skip the thinking part. You open a blank screen and instead of pausing for even a minute, you go straight to AI.

It gives you something quickly and it sounds fine.

But it also sounds like everyone else.

And if your content sounds the same, people are rolling their eyes and scrolling past. So you’re not building any connection or being remembered when they need what you offer.

When you take a bit of time to think it through (and actually use your brain!), even if it takes longer, that’s when your real voice comes through.

It might be the difference between saying something like

“We help businesses optimise their online presence”
Or
“I help you get found online and actually get enquiries from it.”

Same idea but a very different tone.

That’s what people connect with. And it can be the difference between someone choosing you… or not.

Most people won’t take that extra time to think it through. That’s why it stands out when you do.

23/03/2026

Don’t for one minute think that once you have your website, socials and Google Business Profile, you’re sorted.

If only…

I looked up my own business the other day (something I’d actually recommend doing every now and then), and it made me realise something.

What I see, and what Shona running a local physio clinic sees, can be two very different things.

When I look at my business, I see everything. The work I’ve done, what I offer, how it all fits together.

But when someone else looks you up, they’re seeing what shows up on that first page of Google.

Your website.
Your Google Business Profile.
LinkedIn.
Maybe a directory listing.

Maybe a travel blog you wrote back in 2013 and has absolutely nothing to do with what you do now.

Google isn’t showing your business the way you see it. It’s showing what it can find and pull together about you.

A bit like a 1000-piece jigsaw with no picture on the box.

And that becomes someone’s first impression.

They’re trying to work out what you do from that.

And that’s what often will influence whether they get in touch… or keep looking.

Send a message to learn more

11/03/2026

One thing I hear from a lot of business owners is that online marketing just feels overwhelming.

There are so many moving parts - websites, content, SEO, different platforms - and it’s hard to know where to start.

It often leaves business owners feeling fed up and frustrated and sometimes reaching for the Panadol.

Helping my clients make sense of what is going on in their business, improve their messaging and getting everything working together is something I really enjoy doing.

Always grateful when clients take the time to share Google reviews like this one.

11/03/2026

Three seconds.

That’s about how long someone spends deciding whether to stay on your website or leave.

And the first thing they see is the section at the top of your homepage before they scroll.

Do they know straight away what you do and how you can help them?

It’s one of the most valuable spaces on your website, yet it’s often wasted.

I’ve been on a lot of websites where the first thing I see is a nice image or a vague brand message that doesn’t actually explain what the business does.

And sometimes it’s even worse, with just a large image and no headline at all.

If someone has clicked through to your website, they shouldn’t have to figure it out. And let’s face it, they won’t bother. They’ll move on and check out your competitors.

That top section should quickly answer three things:
· What you do
· Who it’s for
· What the visitor should do next

Having a clear headline, a subheading and an action button (CTA) can do that in seconds.

For example, the headline on my own website says:

“Digital marketing that gets your business seen in the right places.”

So when someone lands there, straight away they know what I do.

If that message isn’t clear, people leave. And it’s not because you’re bad at what you do. They leave because they couldn’t work it out quickly.

And it’s not just visitors.

Clear headlines also help Google and AI understand what your business does, which improves your chances of being found when someone searches for those services.

It’s one of the first things I look at when reviewing a website.

Take a minute and look at the top of your own homepage.

Is it immediately obvious what you do?

15/01/2026

We don’t always speak up when it’s good. But we’re quick to whinge when it’s not.

We’re usually fast to point out when something goes wrong. And yep we go round sharing how bad it really was.

A delay or a bad experience. Someone makes a mistake or is actually just rude. We notice it and talk about it.

But what about when things go right?

Like the café that nails your strawberry matcha and hands it over with a smile.

It’s a small thing, but it can turn your whole day around.

As a small business owner, I know how much those little moments matter.

A thank you or compliment in person is always appreciated.

But taking the next step and leaving a 5-star review helps more than most people realise.

It only takes a few minutes and it can have a real impact.

Especially for local businesses that are doing all they can to deliver and make their customers happy.

If you’ve had a great experience lately, why not tell them - tell the world!

It makes a difference and you just might make someone’s day.

Send a message to learn more