Mac&Ernie Marketing Strategy & Training

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Warragul, VIC
Mac&Ernie Marketing Strategy & Training

"The gap between expectation and experience is where disappointment is most likely to occur".
(2)

Marketing & Customer Experience Strategy & Coaching for small biz owners & NFPs who want to stop 'performing' marketing & get results with less effort & more ease. I help you close that gap👇

I teach small businesses, community organisations, and professionals how to show up successfully and sustainably using people-powered marketing and customer experience to develop remarkable, impactful brands.

With 30 years in marketing, advertising, and CX strategy, I know that great marketing isn’t just about getting attention - it’s about what happens after. Every touchpoint, from your social media to your website to your follow-up email, shapes how people feel about your brand. That’s why I teach practical, human-focused strategies that combine storytelling, smart marketing, and genuine care - helping you create experiences customers remember, talk about, and return for.

👉 For small businesses: I’ll help you simplify your marketing, improve your customer journey, and develop strategies that make the most of your time and resources.

👉 For Boards, Councillors, academics & public figures: I help you amplify your voice online, build community, and share your story with confidence.

👉 For Business Groups, Chambers of Commerce, local Councils and Community Organisations: I'll develop customised training to give you and your members the skills, knowledge and strategies to move in the right direction. Through workshops, masterclasses, consulting, and coaching, I make marketing and customer experience feel achievable, not overwhelming. Follow me for practical insights, honest conversations, and strategies that put people at the centre of your marketing and service design.

🫶 Let’s connect. I’d love to learn about your work and explore how we can create something meaningful together.

04/12/2025

Can I take a moment to realise I’ll be ‘on trend’ next year 😆

Not only that, my theme for 2026 is ‘ease’ and I feel like Pantone describes my thoughts on that but like…if ChatGPT wrote it 😜

“Cloud Dancer, a lofty white that serves as a symbol of calming influence in a society rediscovering the value of quiet reflection. A billowy white imbued with serenity, PANTONE 11-4201 Cloud Dancer encourages true relaxation and focus, allowing the mind to wander and creativity to breathe, making room for innovation.”

I haven’t finished my ‘ease’ description yet but at least I know to not use the words ’lofty’ or ‘imbued’ 🤓✌️

Thanks

Cheers to more ease and being imbued with a calm serenity in 2026 🥂⛅️

_

03/12/2025

If you’ve just wrapped up a big sale, here’s a gentle little reminder to do this ASAP 👇

Archive your sale posts. Yep - even the ones that did really well. 
Because social posts have a long life, and people will keep seeing them long after the sale ends.

And if someone gets excited about a bargain, taps through… and suddenly it’s full price? That’s a pretty quick way to lose a sale and their trust.

While you’re at it, take a moment to: ✨ Update your website banners ✨ Remove any sale pop-ups or homepage promos ✨ Check for any leftover mentions in your link in bio or pinned posts.

A tiny tidy-up, but it makes your customer experience feel so much smoother - and so much kinder.

✌️ Erika

_

02/12/2025

Feeling the pressure to plan all your 2026 marketing already?

If the “new year, new strategy” noise is feeling loud… you’re not alone.

But you don’t need a full strategy to start 2026 strong. You just need a few simple foundations that make everything else easier.

Here are 5 things to do before you even think about building your 2026 plan:

1. Clarify your core offer.

Make it obvious what you do and how people can work with you. Clear > clever.

2. Improve ONE high-impact touchpoint.

Your homepage, booking process, contact page, social bios or email welcome. Choose one. Fix it. It makes a bigger difference than you think.

3. Create a content rhythm you can actually keep.

Not daily posting. Not “always on.”
A realistic rhythm you can sustain.

4. Set up (or refresh) your email basics.

A simple signup form + a warm welcome email = a huge head start for the year.

5. Choose ONE promotional moment for early 2026.

A seasonal offer, a launch, a collaboration, or even a “January refresh.” Planning it now = less stress later.

You don’t need a 30-page strategy. You don’t need a trend forecast. You just need clarity and a few focused moves.

Start small. Start simple. Start now.
Which one are you doing first? 👇

01/12/2025

✨Snapchat is using your data to train its AI✨

Snapchat turned on this for you so they could use your data to train their AI. If you or your kids use this app, head into your privacy settings and toggle this switch off.

Yuck.

Also I suggest you go into all your apps and find something that looks like this in settings as they are all doing it.

✌️

25/11/2025

Big knowledge upload today 👩‍🏫

As part of my certification with the I access some incredible learning opportunities - and for the next two weeks, that means a deep dive into Behavioural Science for Customer Journeys.

I couldn’t make the live session today, but I’ve just finished the replay and my brain is buzzing.

Stick with me here because this is relevant to you if you’re working on or haven’t yet completed a customer journey for your business (hint ☺️).

Insight: Even the most rational, practical decision-maker is influenced by emotion, which means your customer journey needs emotional triggers alongside the logical ones.

An accessible way of approaching this is through System 1 and System 2 thinking (you can google if you’re interested):

System 1 is fast, intuitive and emotional - the part of our brain that makes snap judgements like “This feels right” or “I trust this.”

System 2 is slower, analytical and deliberate - the part that compares prices, reads the fine print and weighs up the details.

Most customer decisions start in System 1 and get justified by System 2.

For example - people might feel drawn to your business because your brand, tone or story feels familiar or human (System 1)…and then they check your pricing or reviews to confirm their decision (System 2).

If your marketing only speaks to logic, you’re missing the part of the brain that decides first.

I hope I didn’t lose you there, give me a hi in the comment 😁

This course is already giving me so much to think about and I can’t wait to bring more of these insights into the strategies I build for small businesses and community organisations.

Thanks TRA for today, I’m looking forward to next week’s session.

🤓

Ps. I’ve got some new resources launching this week that will help you build a more sustainable business through journey mapping.

_

06/11/2025

Captions aren’t just for accessibility - they’re essential for communication.
 If you’ve taken the time to make a video, please add captions and check them. 🙏🏻

Most people watch with the sound off (every platform confirms this), so if your talking-head video has no captions, chances are it’ll be skipped.

What you say, how you say it, and how easy you make it to understand should be your number one priority.

If you’re low on time (like I usually am), keep it simple. You don’t need fancy caption apps - just be practical, clear, quick, and correct.

Remember, your words matter most. You can skip the branded fonts and colour blocks. If you’ve got extra time, record a second video instead ✌️

To edit captions in Instagram: Add them → Read them → Tap to edit → Fix any mistakes. Easy.

30/10/2025

A little bit of fun 🎃 with a more serious message. If your marketing activities are feeling scary, there’s a better way.

The truth is, most of these ‘marketing monsters’ live in our heads. Created by years of conditioning on these platforms. Once you see things clearly and start playing to your strengths and focusing on your own stories, the monsters aren’t scary at all - they simply don’t exist.

You don’t need garlic, silver bullets or daily posts to keep the monsters at bay - just clarity, rhythm and a little confidence.

👻 What marketing monster haunts you the most and what are you doing to keep it out of your business dreams?

Address

PO Box 124
Warragul, VIC
3820

Website

https://www.macandernie.com.au/, https://www.smalltownbusinesspodcast.au/

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What is Mac&Ernie all about?

Social media.

Everyone is talking about what it can do for businesses, but you’re not feeling it. Or maybe you’ve had some early social media success that has levelled off. And anyway, you’ve got another late night ahead of you doing the accounts, or ordering stock, or

… sound familiar?

Help is here! I can teach you how to make social media work for your business. Better than that, I can teach YOU how to make social media work for your business. Believe it or not you ARE the best person to be responsible for this stuff but maybe you need some convincing?!

Firstly though...HI! My name is Erika

I'm the founder of Mac&Ernie, and I love providing clients with 'oh wow!' moments. You know the ones - you learn something new, and immediately wonder how your business ever lived without it. My social media workshops, webinars, seminars and coaching sessions are full of those moments.

With over 25 years of marketing and advertising experience, and a proven track record of putting social media to work for business, I'm well placed to help you navigate the sometimes-confusing world of digital and social marketing.

Mac&Ernie workshops provide practical, accessible and customised advice that you can act on immediately. I hate jargon and I hate BS so there’s none of that happening here. If you don’t understand what I’m saying, I simply find another way to say it.

So, what’s my point of difference? Why choose Mac&Ernie? Because I specialise in helping businesses in regional areas. I know how to make social media work for your business, in your local community. My own training is grounded in the experience of local businesses, and an understanding of what makes regional communities tick. There’s not much point showing you the latest million-dollar social media campaign for Coca Cola unless there are lessons you can easily apply to your business.

If you want local, relevant and qualified help then please get in touch. I also share heaps of advice and tips on Instagram as well as here so pop over and get amongst it.