• Zeller for Startups

Top Tips on Marketing for Australian Startups

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Launching a startup without a marketing plan is like putting all the effort into throwing a party and then forgetting to invite anyone.

For founders juggling a million things, nailing your early-stage marketing can mean the difference between gaining traction and burning through your budget. The good news is you don’t need piles of cash to make an impact, you just need to employ some smart tactics. Here’s our best practice guide on early stage startup marketing.

Find your people, then speak their language.

Start by understanding who you're targeting. The more specific, the better. Research their needs, pain points, habits and where they spend time online. Are they scrolling Instagram on their lunch break, or browsing LinkedIn late at night? The more you know, the sharper your messaging can be.

Use Linkedin surveys, Facebook polls, or informal chats to gather insights from potential customers, stakeholders, and decision makers. You can even create profiles of your ideal customers to guide your marketing. Then, define your value proposition – why your startup exists, how you’re different, and what problem you solve.

Once your positioning is clear, build a consistent brand identity. This includes your values, visual style and tone of voice. A strong, consistent brand builds recognition and trust. Stay true to it across all touchpoints, from your website and socials to your email footers and packaging.

Create relevant content people actually want.

Content marketing is one of the most cost-effective ways to bring in leads, and begin to establish your startup’s brand. Instead of just selling, create blog posts, videos, or guides that help your audience solve problems or learn something new. For example, If you’re launching a fintech app, create content that explains industry trends or compliance tips. If you’re in e-commerce logistics, share posts about optimising delivery times or inventory management.

Good content is helpful, entertaining, or both. Think about what your ideal customer is Googling, and become the answer to that question. Share real experiences from your journey. Founder stories, customer Q&As, and “how we built this” blogs can humanise your brand and boost engagement.

Keep it simple. You don’t need perfectly polished production – even casual videos posted to Linkedin, or blog posts can work if they’re genuinely helpful. Focus on quality and consistency. A post every two weeks or short weekly videos can build trust and improve your visibility over time.

Pick your platforms wisely.

You don’t need to be everywhere, just where your customers are. For example, Instagram and TikTok are great for building awareness through visual storytelling, especially for consumer brands. LinkedIn suits B2B and tech startups looking to attract talent, connect with early adopters, or raise capital. Facebook can work well for building communities or reaching local audiences with targeted groups and events.

Post regularly and respond to comments and messages promptly to show you care. Show behind-the-scenes moments, customer stories, quick tips, or team updates. Early supporters want to see the people behind the product. Use platform analytics to learn what works and tweak your content accordingly. Test different formats, like polls, carousels, reels and live Q&As, then double down on the ones that get traction.

Pay attention to what your audience finds engaging. A simple reel or story can often get more traction than a polished campaign. Don’t be afraid to experiment. It’s about connection more than perfection.

Avoid paying for every click.

If your business has a physical location or serves a specific region, be sure to set up a free Google Business Profile. This boosts your visibility in local search results and maps. It also allows customers to find your contact info, hours, reviews, and photos quickly. Plus, you can post updates and respond to reviews directly, building trust and credibility with minimal effort.

Start by thinking about what your customers might be Googling, and build a keyword list around those terms. For example, if you're building a music collaboration platform, you might target phrases like “real-time DAW for remote bands” or “how to record music online with others”. Use these naturally in your landing page headlines, subheadings, and meta descriptions – and make sure your copy actually delivers on what the searcher expects. Google's algorithms are smart enough to spot keyword stuffing or clickbait, so relevance and clarity matter more than cleverness.

Use tools like Google Search Console to track your performance, and make sure your site loads quickly and looks good on mobile since most users now browse on their phones. Use free tools like Google’s PageSpeed Insights to see how your site stacks up.

Add internal links between blog posts and product pages, and earn backlinks by guest posting or getting listed in directories. SEO is a slow burn, but the return on investment is massive.

Slide into inboxes the right way.

Email remains one of the most effective marketing tools for startups. Start building a list early by offering something in return, like a discount, free guide, or early access. Add sign-up forms to your site and social media profiles.

Keep your emails simple and relevant. Share updates, tips, or offers that add value. Sharing behind-the-scenes stories or offering early access to new products helps build loyalty and keep your audience engaged. Don’t flood inboxes – one or two emails a month is plenty. Use tools like Mailchimp or ConvertKit to manage your list and send automated messages.

Try to segment your list if you can. For example, send different messages to potential customers vs. returning ones. It helps improve open rates and keeps your emails feeling personal. Over time, your email list becomes an owned audience, one you can speak to directly without relying on algorithms.

Say howdy to a partnership.

Collaborations can help you expand your reach without having to spend much. Partner with complementary businesses to run joint giveaways, events, or content.

Look for partners whose audiences overlap with yours but aren’t direct competitors. You can also trade shoutouts on social media or guest blog posts – it’s a great way to reach new people and build credibility. Bonus points if your partner has a loyal audience and strong brand alignment.

Build your fanbase.

Your early supporters can become powerful advocates. Create spaces for them to engage, like a private Facebook or WhatsApp group, or even physical meetups.

Encourage user-generated content, like photos or stories featuring your product. Repost and celebrate your community. It makes people feel part of your journey and builds word-of-mouth.

Ask for testimonials, reviews, and feedback. The more invested your early users feel, the more likely they’ll be to stick around and spread the word. Community-building takes time, but it pays off. Loyal fans are more likely to recommend you, and support your future initiatives.

Consider micro-influencers.

You don’t need big-name celebrities to get noticed. Micro-influencers (with 1,000 to 20,000 followers) often have higher engagement and charge far less. Find people whose audience aligns with yours and who genuinely like your product.

Offer to send them your product for free. If they like it, they may post about it. You can also collaborate on content, like live chats, takeovers, or co-hosted events. Keep it authentic. Influencer content works best when it feels natural, not scripted.

Work smarter with automation and AI.

Gone are the days of needing a massive team to market like a pro. AI tools can help you move faster, make better decisions, and scale your marketing without blowing your budget. Use platforms like ChatGPT or Claude to brainstorm ideas or refine copy. For design, apps like Canva’s Magic Studio, Adobe Firefly and Google Veo can help you quickly create high-quality graphics, social posts and even video content without needing a full creative team. If you’re running email campaigns, AI features in platforms like Mailchimp or ActiveCampaign can recommend send times, subject lines, and automated workflows based on customer behaviour.

Not every tool is worth your time – some are all hype and no real help – but the right stack can reduce the tedious work and free you up to focus on strategy and customer connection.

Test, tweak, repeat.

Use free tools like Google Analytics or social platform insights to track your performance. See what content people engage with, which channels drive traffic, and where conversions come from. Use this data to improve.

Set clear goals for each channel, whether it’s traffic, leads, sales, or awareness, and review your progress monthly. Identify your best-performing posts or campaigns and repurpose them elsewhere.

Not everything will work, and that’s normal. The key is to test small, learn quickly, and double down on what works. Whether it’s an Instagram ad or a blog series, measure its impact and adapt as needed.

Be smart with paid ads.

You don’t need a huge budget to try paid marketing. Start small with Facebook, Instagram or Google Ads – even $10 to $20 a day can work to give you insights. Focus your targeting by picking a location, age range and selecting interests relevant to your audience.

Set clear goals for these ads. For example, are you aiming for sign-ups, purchases or brand awareness? Watch your results and tweak the creative or audience to improve performance. Don’t spend more until you’re confident the channel works.

Test different headlines, visuals, and calls to action. Use A/B testing to refine your ads and improve conversion rates. And always keep an eye on your cost per result, it’ll tell you whether your budget is being spent wisely.

Ready, set, grow!

Effective startup marketing isn’t about doing everything you can, all at once. It’s about doing the right things well. Focus on your customer, create value consistently, and stay open to trying new tactics. Most importantly, let your passion, personality and purpose come through. There’s a well-known saying in marketing attributed to Simon Sinek – “People don't buy what you do, they buy why you do it."

Finally, remember marketing is a marathon, not a sprint. But with persistence and a smart approach, you’ll build a presence that grows with your business.


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Community, Comedy, and Not Commbank: The Winning Mix for this Darwin Bar

When the opportunity came up for husband-and-wife team, Briant and Monica, to take over a bar in Darwin City, they seized it, signing the contracts and opening the doors all within the same week. Discover how fostering a community and creating an efficient tech stack helped them get a stellar start. Holding down full-time government jobs in international marketing and law enforcement, Monica and Briant weren’t exactly planning on the career change that came their way in September, 2023. They were familiar faces at  The Last Supper , a bar and restaurant in Darwin City, where Briant had been running a comedy club on Friday nights. Monica had also become known for her  Pasta Parties  — a side hustle teaching people how to make fresh pasta. So, when the owner of The Last Supper decided it was time to sell, the couple were the perfect prospects. “When the owner approached us, our first thought was, why would we want a bar? That's a terrible idea,” laughs Monica. But, buoyed by the fact that their comedy and pasta class events were already attracting good numbers, they decided to take up the challenge. “We signed the paperwork on Monday, paid the money on Tuesday, got the keys on Wednesday and opened on Thursday,” explains Monica, “We hit the ground running,” says Briant. In just three days, Monica and Briant needed to get set up with a solution for taking payments and managing their money. Their natural first step was to open a  business bank account  with Commbank. “They really messed us around,” says Monica, “We had to go into a branch, we waited an hour for an interview, and then they wanted all this paperwork,” she continues, “We were already customers of theirs, and we simply wanted an account to deposit money into. They just couldn’t make it happen in time.” That’s when they researched their options and found  Zeller . “Monica literally just jumped online, and opened a  Zeller Transaction Account ,” says Briant. They bought  Zeller Terminals , and set themselves up with virtual  debit cards  on their phones straight away. “Setting up Zeller was very easy. We were able to provide all the company paperwork once we were already up and running. It was just so easy. So then we thought, well, why change?” Since then, they have continued to use Zeller as their primary financial management tool, incorporating a  Zeller Savings Account  to earn interest on idle funds,  Zeller App  to monitor sales when they’re not on site, and  Zeller Virtual Terminal  to take deposits for large bookings. The benefit of launching a business in today’s age means being able to build a tech stack with all the latest innovations, rather than dealing with incumbent solutions. From day one, Monica and Briant have sought to “work smarter not harder”, integrating a number of other platforms into the business. “As well as Zeller, we use  TryBooking  for our events,  Wix , for our website and to manage reservations,  Swift POS  is our point-of-sale, and soon I’ll use it for managing our takeaway orders too. Plus we use  Harvest  for time tracking,  Deputy  for rostering, and  Xero  for accounting,” explains Monica. Using technology to keep their operations efficient, has given Monica and Briant more time back in their day to work on the strategic aspects of the business. “A lot of what we do is about building community and connection,” Briant says, “Events are a big part of our business.” Indeed,  The Last Supper’s ‘What’s On ’ page offers an impressive line up, with no less than 46 events running over the last three months of the year: from comedy and karaoke nights to painting and cooking classes, gastronomic-themed parties, reading clubs, concerts, and more. “At the events, we walk around and talk to our customers. It’s quirky, it’s inviting. People love coming here and hanging out,” Briant says, “Some people who came in on the weekend for one of our Pasta Parties ended up making friends and stayed here for eight hours!” Briant laughs. By building a strong local following, Monica and Briant have avoided being reliant on the seasonal tourist trade that dictates the success of many hospitality venues in Darwin. “We thrived through the wet season, when the tourists weren't here,” says Briant. But the popularity of their events didn’t just happen overnight: Monica’s carefully defined marketing strategy has been instrumental in keeping people coming back. “We do a lot of paid socials. We've got an e-mail database that we've built up through events and through our website. We're very active on our Google Business Profile and that helps our SEO. And we’re part of a number of organisations, such as Tourism Top End and Hospitality NT,” explains Monica. While Monica and Briant have harnessed a variety of modern tools to help alleviate their workload and speed up operational tasks, it hasn’t resulted in a hands-off approach. On the contrary, it has enabled them to be even more hands-on in the areas that matter the most: getting to know their customers, building a community, and creating experiences that serve them again and again. Having just celebrated the anniversary of their first year in business, you can rest-assured, their last supper it most certainly isn’t.

Want to Turn Tables 73% Faster? Introducing Zeller Bill at Table.

Picture this. It’s a busy Friday night and you have a growing line of hungry diners waiting to be seated. You look around the restaurant and can see several tables that have finished their meals and are now trying to catch the eye of a waiter to make the inevitable ‘May we please have the bill?’ gesture. From that point on, a series of steps will typically take place. The waiter will: 1. Head to the POS, print the bill and place it in a billholder 2. Take it to the table for the diners to give it a once over 3. Once the diners have signalled their approval, head back to the POS 4. Return to the table with an EFTPOS machine 5. Process the payment at the table That's five lengthy steps in a best case scenario where the restaurant is already taking payment tableside. If not, it’s even lengthier. This bill-time bottleneck has been slowing table turnover down for years, but thankfully our newest feature Bill at Table is here to change the restaurant payment process for good. What is Bill at Table? Zeller Bill at Table enables you to present your diners with digital, itemised bills displayed on Zeller Terminal's large-format screen, and then accept payment tableside instantly. It helps you to turn tables up to 73% faster from bill request to out-the-door, provide a streamlined diner experience and ultimately increase revenue by seating more tables. Bill at Table works seamlessly with Impos and Tevalis point-of-sale, and makes the checkout process smoother and more rewarding for everyone involved. How does Zeller Bill at Table work? Once enabled, using Bill at Table is simple: Choose a table: On your Zeller Terminal , select the table in your venue from the list. Present the digital bill: Show the itemised bill to your diners on-screen. Process the payment: Diners can pay with their card or mobile device, and even add a tip or split the bill amongst their group. Offer a receipt: If requested, provide the diner with a printed or digital receipt. The diner can also scan the QR code on-screen to download the receipt to their device. This straightforward process combines billing and payment into one step, cutting down wait times and improving the overall experience. What are the benefits of Bill at Table? Bill at Table significantly cuts down the time taken to turn tables at the end of the meal . In fact, restaurants who have implemented Zeller Bill at Table have seen table turnover time slashed by as much as 73% , ultimately enabling them to serve up to three additional tables in every sitting. Take tips tableside with Pay at Table. By using Bill at Table and Pay at Table , patrons are more likely to leave a tip than if they head up to the counter to pay, because as Ben Hickey from The Roosevelt in Potts Point said, “When they get up to pay, the magic is gone”. With the tipping prompt built seamlessly into Zeller Terminal, wait staff don't have to ask the awkward question, ‘Would you like to leave a tip?’ – the system prompts it instead. How to get started with Zeller Bill at Table. Bringing Zeller Bill at Table into your restaurant is easy: Check compatibility: Make sure your venue uses Impos or Tevalis point-of-sale, and that it’s integrated with Zeller. We’ll be bringing Bill at Table to many other POS very soon. If you’d like to see it integrated with yours, please let us know at feedback@myzeller.com Chat with our sales team: They’ll guide you through the steps to getting Bill at Table up and running in your business. Train your staff: Guide your team through the simple process to ensure a smooth implementation. By enabling Bill at Table, your restaurant can improve efficiency and enhance the billing experience for both staff and diners. It’s one of those little things that add up to make a big difference. Say goodbye to frustrated diners and sub-optimal table turnover. Say hello to Zeller Bill at Table.

How Pay at Table with Zeller Terminal Can Boost Your Restaurant Revenue

Our latest payments feature is here and it’s revolutionising the hospitality experience. The payment process is often the Achilles’ heel of many restaurant experiences. How many times have you received the bill, placed your credit card down, and then had to wait another fifteen minutes before being able to finally pay for your meal? Countless. This is because, until now, many restaurants have been hamstrung by a disconnection between their point-of-sale machine and their EFTPOS terminal. The time it takes for a waiter to deliver the bill to the diners, retrieve the payment terminal, return to the table, then round off the table in the POS system , is considerable. Multiply this by the number of tables in the venue and you can easily understand the aforementioned delay. Pay at Table technology is changing that. By centralising the POS and payment process into one device, Pay at Table bridges the gap between tapping or swiping a card, and settling the bill in the system. Read on to understand how this technology works and how it can help turn over tables faster, and ultimately drive revenue for your restaurant. If your restaurant is currently not using a POS system and you value efficiency and improving customer experience, consider exploring the best POS systems for restaurants in Australia . These systems can further streamline your payment process, helping you turn over tables faster and ultimately drive revenue. How does Pay at Table work? Pay at Table is effectively an extension of your POS machine, on your EFTPOS terminal. Waiters pick up Zeller Terminal , view open tables, see total outstanding bills, take payments and close tables — all on one device. Rather than the customer paying at the counter or finalising the bill in the traditional, time-consuming manner, waitstaff can deliver the bill and the mobile payment device, all at the same time. The status of a table is updated in real time and synced across all machines, reducing human error and optimising the whole operation. Benefits of Pay at Table technology 1. Increased efficiency Being able to close a table independently of the POS machine means that the latter isn’t blocked by taking payments, it can instead be used to open and manage tables. Naturally, this reduces foot traffic throughout the venue, eliminates queues, and turns tables over more quickly. Staff are freed up to process orders faster, leading to improved service and ultimately, higher sales. 2. Improved customer satisfaction Leaving customers waiting to pay for their bill can leave a bad taste in the mouth — pun not intended. Zeller Terminal’s Pay at Table functionality makes for a smoother process and offers the added benefit of allowing customers to split the cost by the number of people or by a custom amount . 3. Encourages generous tipping Zeller Terminal comes with a built-in tool which can easily calculate the fair amount for a gratuity and will provide the customer with various tipping options to choose from. Displayed clearly for your customers to review, this feature can increase your server’s tip earnings and erase confusion surrounding tipping protocol. Zeller Terminal makes it as easy as possible to prompt your customers to leave a tip, either as a percentage of the purchase amount or a custom amount. Or, you can switch the functionality off altogether. 4. Helps build a customer relationship When wait staff use Pay at Table, an opportunity is provided to spend more time interacting with the customers, ensuring they’ve had a great dining experience in your establishment. The technology also means you can email digital receipts on the spot. Not only is this handy for your customer’s record-keeping and to reduce costs and waste associated with paper receipts, but it’s a great way to expand your customer database by capturing email addresses. You may be able to use these details to keep in touch with your diners, providing them with up-to-date news and special offers that will keep them coming back to your restaurant. 5. Safer transactions Payment security is front of mind for most consumers these days. By having a mobile payment device available, your customer’s card remains in their possession at all times. This offers them security knowing that no one else has had access to their card details or identity. It can also mean fewer chargebacks for your business to handle. The next generation of payment processing Pay at Table is just one example of the many ways that traditional payments are evolving to keep up with the times. New technology is affording us more flexibility to create industry-specific solutions while emerging trends are changing the way we pay. Get started with Pay at Table today Pay at Table is currently available to use with selected POS systems. Contact our Sales Team to learn more about installing Pay at Table on your Zeller Terminals today. 

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