Interview with Kat
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Shelley Cox: I'm Shelley Cox founder of The Regional Collective. Where we're all about empowering entrepreneurs like you. Our podcast is for anyone navigating the world of small business, especially in regional areas. I'm based in the Barossa in South Australia, a place where I love have three young children and also play community club netball My previous career as a winemaker has taken me all over the world to New Zealand, Japan, the USA, and all around Australia, but there's no place like home. I've started, not one but four businesses from the ground up since 2018.
And I've helped over 50 other small and micro businesses. And I can't wait to help [00:01:00] share my lessons with you. Over the coming weeks and months, you'll hear tales of success, challenges, and community spirit in small and micro businesses. Let's redefine small business with big hearts and determined hustle. And be inspired to thrive. β
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Shelley Cox: Hey everyone. And welcome to the community, your podcast from The Regional Collective. I'm your host, Shelley Cox, founder of The Regional Collective. And I'm excited to kick off this journey with you. Our mission here is simple to support and celebrate small and micro business owners in regional communities like yours. Today we have a special guest joining us. Kat Crane from Crane Creative, [00:02:00] a talented social media expert.
Who's been instrumental in helping small businesses thrive and mine included. So let's dive in.
So today we're excited to have Kat Crane, thank you for joining us of Crane Creative. Kat's journey from marketing to social media management to now business and marketing guru is inspiring. We've worked together for the past five and a bit years. In
one way or another site. So, yeah, I think, you know, great to have, you know, your support for the regional collective as we launch into sharing tales and stories of success and challenges. But can you give us a little bit about your background, how you got into your business and start it up?
Kat Crane: So I actually came from a hospitality background, so I was doing that for 20 years.
Makes you a bit jaded.
Shelley Cox: It's hard work. It's a lot of
later nights and it's a different lifestyle. Isn't it? Yeah.
Kat Crane: But thankfully through that, I was always one of those people that wanted to learn different [00:03:00] aspects of businesses. You know, I didn't want to just be pigeonholed into just being in the restaurant or just being on front desk.
I wanted to learn. Yeah. And I was always like, if I break something, how do I fix it?
Shelley Cox: Yeah.
Kat Crane: So
by being that kind of person actually opened me up to a lot of different opportunities because people were like, oh, she's not just wanting to. Things, yeah. To here to just do a job. She actually wants to know. How the sausage is made essentially. Yeah. Through that I was given an opportunity to go into the sales and marketing department. And they were like, oh, you're young. Why don't you do the social media and I'm like, sure.
sure why not! that's a qualification in itself!
It says that that's how. And sadly though, that is still how people choose their social media marketers.
You're on your phone a lot. You must know what you're doing. Yes. Yeah. You don't know. Through that though
I did find that I had an aptitude for it and I loved it.
And I loved the fact that, you know, you're building a community around a brand. Your having [00:04:00] conversations with people, you're nurturing them in a different way. And you're getting them to come to your business and getting them to buy it from you through posting.
And I had to send the top three of the Oceana for the time that I was running the socials. Then got pregnant. Yes. And went. I don't want hospitality anymore. It's not conducive. It's not really a great family life.
Shelley Cox: No
Kat Crane: And so I was like, okay, I'll take the maternity leave. And then I'll quit, which is what I did And I actually went working with another agency in the rasa. My daughter was. Five months old. I think when the job came up, And I was like, you know what? It's an opportunity. Yep. Because I can then learn some more. And I worked for them for about 18 months and then went out on my own. So crank radio will be at seven years old, this July.
Shelley Cox: And how old's your daughter?
Kat Crane: She is eight
Shelley Cox: Okay.
Kat Crane: Yeah.
Shelley Cox: Yeah. For most of that time, you've been. You know, other subcontracting, so working for someone else or on your own. Yeah. [00:05:00] Yeah. And how do you find that? How do you balance the needs between them? This is another conversation
to have.
But did you, have you been able to go like slowly in parts to build or is it sort of like.
Kat Crane: It is what it is.
Yeah. You follow your own opportunities when they come up. When they come up and you know, my daughter is neuro - spicy. So that is another layer within itself. So yeah, the way that her appointments are structured is that, you know, one week we have, you know, Play therapy, psych. OT and physio while the next week we don't have.
So, you know, generally it's like one week where it's just crazy and I'm jamming as much shit in as I can. And then other weeks I've got you know,. Actual time to. spend on my business you so, and you know, as much as my partner's life, you one day, you just got a real job. New job. Normal job.
That'd be like, oh, so one week. One week or fortnight. You're basically [00:06:00] only here for less than half the time you meant to be . No one would put up with that.
That's hard. Yep.
Yep. So
it's just finding the balance and just trying to you just do your best and being open and transparent about it as well with customers and clients makes it. You know, it is what it is.
We have lives.
We're not just,
Shelley Cox: we're not nine to five. And with your job as well, because you've sort of probably changed as you, when you started out. So what did your business. Look like when you first started, like, what were the tasks that you were doing? Compared to now, like where have you sort of evolve.
Kat Crane: I started off mainly just doing content creation, content.
Account management. When I started, so I was doing, you know, EDMS and social media management. And then yeah, and I was doing a lot of, a lot of that website management, all of those things. So it was like a full suite. Yeah. Minus Google side of things.
Shelley Cox: Cause you did it for us as well. Probably a year and a half I think.
Kat Crane: And yeah, I was making good bank.
Yeah. But it [00:07:00] wasn't conducive, especially as a one man band too. And I actually. I think I was on the precipice of burnout before COVID hit. And I think once COVID hit it, just my body and my brain just went, he goes, See you later.
Yeah.
And
yeah,
Shelley Cox: I think if you're talking four years ago, things like Chat GPT AI, those things weren't around. So In terms of having to do all of that, thinking yourself, like you were.
it's a lot of yeah And, and when you think about it, like, so Facebook Meta, the Business Suite that wasn't as useful and tool as it is now.
So if you think about trying to do. The same job now compared to even like two or three years ago. It's different isn't it Yeah.
Kat Crane: Then I think so through. Through COVID I then decided I wanted to do more group training and coaching. So I started doing some workshops. Before COVID hit. And I think my really first one that I did was actually in Port Lincoln.
Shelley Cox: Yeah.
Kat Crane: And
we did a Canva workshop sold out.
Shelley Cox: [00:08:00] Yep.
Kat Crane: And I'm still dealing with some of the clients that came to that. Brilliant. Yep. And, you know, I love that. I love teaching. I love helping businesses. I love seeing people like doing stuff and then going, having those aha moments.
yeah
Shelley Cox: Oh, And that's what you can bring to it.
I think as well as you've got that outside view and Sometimes when you're in your business, you can't see those opportunities.
Kat Crane: And so through that I then started my bootcamp. Yeah. Which. I'm toying about bringing back
and offering coaching and now I have my membership academy. So this year I launched the Crane Creative. And it is not just social media, it's all the things.
So we've gone through your, how to use Canva. We've gone through going through video editing, how to utilise video for your business. You. What's going to be the best tools for the trade and how are we going to edit it? And, you know, making sure that you have the right dimensions and everything for the right platforms, but how you can [00:09:00] then you know, repurpose it to be for everything else.
So you're not just making it once. And that's just for one thing. Yeah, there's so many different things you can do with the video.
Shelley Cox: That's when you want to get as much out of that content as you can, especially if you're a small business that has limited resources. It's like, oh, I can't post that again.
Cause I posted that three weeks ago although you can you, can do that
Kat Crane: you just do it a different way!
And, you know, you can take the transcript and you can create that into a blog or. So many different things that you can do. Yeah. Yeah. So then we're going through, you know, Instagram. We've got mailing lists, memberships. So it's a full suite of topics that you're going to learn for you and
Shelley Cox: And lucky thing social media,
isn't just Facebook and Instagram it's been social
And it's the meaning that we use to actually connect with customers. Yeah. And part of what you, what I've seen your strength is being, as in your, you know, that tagline of putting the heart back into your social media. [00:10:00] Because I've seen that on your journey as well from that management side of things, where you're doing things for people to then getting out of that and following the flow of actually, I want to empower people. To do it because then the messages that get sent. are so much more authentic. And everyone will end up being stronger as well.
So I think. But going through COVID as well. That's thrown everyone a,curve ball, but then also in your, You've got seven years coming up for Crane Creative. You've always got those sort of the evolution in your business. Anyway. So it's probably like a bit of a cluster storm. Of all things happening because you were a couple of years into your business and worked out, actually, I don't want to be doing this thing and then COVID came and then but that, but I think you feel a lot more aligned.
Is that right?
you got your strengths and what.
Kat Crane: A stream of the coaching clients coming through. And you watching them go from, I've got no idea to now implementing the things that we've talked about and, you know, making those leaps. Yeah. They were afraid to do. [00:11:00] Yeah. Is huge. Yeah. And then you. The academy is growing. I've got over 20 people in there only started it in February. And, you know, And I'm not
Shelley Cox: next month.
And I think the good thing about it is it's breaking it down monthly because otherwise it can be so overwhelming. Oh, either they get a handle on the social media side of it or the figure and there's photography, and that is video capture and getting people confident. And that's the thing, like I've seen some of your clients as well. All right.
Well, Kat I'm doing this, Facebook live. Because you've empowered them to feel more comfortable. About doing it.
Kat Crane: And, you know, you just kind of hit those really good. Good warm, fuzzy. From watching them do the things, but it is. And yeah, the tagline for the academy is Educate, Inspire, and Empower.
And I think it's those three key words that help people propel in their business and even in life and just with confidence within themselves. Like
Shelley Cox: everything can be learned.
Kat Crane: Yeah. And it's the thing is starting and you know, you're not going to be perfect. Just do [00:12:00] what you can do.
Shelley Cox: Cause you started out in hospitality.
Yeah. I started at wine making. I didn't learn, but this is. I got taught at uni or through school. You follow, you know, these are all things. If you've got the passion to be interested in things and the capability to learn. Yeah. The skills can be taught, like yeah.
Kat Crane: Yeah, it's not like. You know, when we're at school. Social media didn't exist. Yes. We're that old. But also good because
Shelley Cox: we were humming the "Smurfs" song.
Kat Crane: Yeah. But also our misspent youth isn't documented online where we can still run for politics.
That's right.
Yep. You up on your soap box? But you did this. I mean, I think that's probably why the 'Cranchor is looking at closing, but it'd be hard cause they don't have all the under-ages coming through. Like they used
Shelley Cox: No.
And that's it, but, you know, and we'd certainly, you know, so. This is part of doing business now these days. And so people can either bury their head in the sand or embrace it and get to understand it. So it's like with any sort of part of [00:13:00] technology.
And I think a lot of, you know, and you still have a lot of businesses that will come kicking and screaming and not wanting, oh, it's. They used to think the internet was going to be a fad. Social media.
Isn't. Yeah. A fad. It is here.
And then it's communications. Yeah. It's advertising, it's marketing, whatever you want to call it
It's value for money as well. Like if you're looking at like, we did a recent comparison for an event that I've marketed. So we're in our second year of me running it. And. We did a massive survey for people so they could win something, but just so we could get some more data. The highest percentages of where they found out about the event was through social media.
Kat Crane: It wasn't through print advertising, it wasn't through radio.
Shelley Cox: Look at the cost per view. When you're looking at those sorts of things, it's so affordable,
Which is, which means a good place to start,
Kat Crane: okay, well, you know what, we're not even going to worry about print. We're just going to put all of that then into yeah. The social media advertising budget and use those ads. [00:14:00] Accordingly.
Shelley Cox: And that's the other part of the, that sort of story as well and where your expertise comes in and where we've used you for our businesses is actually coming in at the higher level and at the back, actually having a look and. Not just going, I'm just gonna throw money at ads or I'm just gonna boost everything that I can is what's the strategy because you know, And money's tight.
We need to make sure it gets spent well, but also where's the engagement. Yeah. And review reflect, adapt, and then go forward.
Kat Crane: And that's what we need today. But sometimes, like I say, like you said, when you're in it, you can't see you. The tree forest for the trees. So it's good to have someone who you can have that. Bird's eye view. Coming in going well, have you thought about, is this actually what you're wanting to achieve or could we do it in a different way?
Shelley Cox: And do you think your exposure to lots of different industries has helped?
Or how has that helped you? To kind of that troubleshoot and give that bit of perspective for people as you [00:15:00] know, advice, like it says. And we come in as a consultant.
Kat Crane: But because I haven't niched. Down. Yeah. I never did. So I've worked
Shelley Cox: with lots of different industries.
Kat Crane: Yeah. I've worked with you know, wine brands.
I've worked with facial brands. I've worked with car repairs and like tourism, tourism. Manufacturing. So like, fishing Yeah.
Shelley Cox: Then we talk, you know, I think. helps to build your toolkit as well. Yeah.
Kat Crane: Yeah. So I think because I have had fingers in so many different pies. I can see things from different perspectives, more so because I have. I guess a greater knowledge of what happens around. In other industries and how they can then be put into your business. So you can be ....
The thing is when you're in business, it's what, you've just got your blinkers on because this is what I'm doing. This is my thing. And, you know, I can come and go. Oh, I did this over this time. Yeah, that could work if you did X, Y, Z. Yeah. [00:16:00] And then you can see their faces. Just go "Ahhh!"
Yeah, I get that. I can see that. But when your. But because they're in it, they don't have those other, what's the word I'm looking for?
Shelley Cox: Like external influence.
Kat Crane: Yeah. Yeah. I can adapt to this. So yeah, I think the fact that I haven't niched. Yeah. Is actually.
Shelley Cox: Oh, it's a, he.
And the strength I think is because then you'd take that to each, you know, whether it's a new you know, part of your course or coaching modules. Like you've got that in there as well. Yeah. And important for people in business also to just every now and then, I always sort of say, stop, have a little look around.
Yeah and say you don't don't want to be comparing yourself to people a lot.
Kat Crane: No,
Shelley Cox: because you do just want to focus on what you want to get out of it. Yeah, and what you do best, but it is important just to have a little look around because you can learn from other people you can, and it's not to copy It's to get inspired,
Kat Crane: So one of the beauties of, [00:17:00] you know, the academy and even the boot camps and workshops that people have come to. I'm one of those people that can go, Hey, have you guys thought or, oh, I know someone, hang on. You too, should.
Shelley Cox: Yeah. That's collaboration
Kat Crane: and collaborate. Yeah. Because I'm definitely a firm believer that if we, rather than working in a siloed mentality, which a lot of people do. You know, you're only there for yourself and if you're in a collaborative way, everyone rises and especially in regional areas. If you work together, then everyone benefits rather than just going, well, this is my thing and skirt her eyes.
Shelley Cox: And let's say that's from, that comes from a fear space. Doesn't it? Actually, if I don't just do this for myself, other people might get better than me or get more successful. And then I won't have this, like actually rather than the
Kat Crane: second. It was from that. Yeah, it comes from that. Your mentality and that's scarcity, I guess.
Yeah. Where, if you have
Shelley Cox: there isn't enough for everyone, but. I mean,
Kat Crane: how many wineries. [00:18:00] How many coffee shops. Yeah, there is space for what you do, because you're doing your way. And that's what brings people to your party.
Shelley Cox: And that's also, and that's what. Yours probably biggest thing is, is about don't try and copy other people.
Do you. Because that's you, you can't actually, no one can.
So use that and, but, you know, and work your way into doing it in a way that you feel comfortable as well, because you want it to be aligned with your brand and your offering.
Kat Crane: Well, there's no point. You know, you're doing. Jumping on a trend, even if it doesn't align, like, you know, just because it's trending doesn't mean you have to do it.
Shelley Cox: Do dances on TikTok.
Well, I need a few drinks for that.
So. As we know that social media, you. Whether it's through COVID but everyone sort of goes, right. This is a game changer for our business. What is the. Misconception, I suppose that you need to be on every platform and to be doing everything. So what would you advise smaller [00:19:00] businesses, especially if they're a startup and if they're just starting out, it can be overwhelming to be on everything everywhere. What would your advice be?
Kat Crane: Know what your customers are. Yeah.
And that comes back to. I say this. I bang on about this.
Know your customer. Who is your ideal customer? Who's your audience? Yeah. Yeah. You know your, and it is astonishing. I did. an. RDA presentation last year about knowing your audience and the amount of people that when I said, is it everyone put their hand up? I wasn't allowed to go around the room and slap them.
Shelley Cox: You would not be asked back! .
Kat Crane: I will not like me to do that. But your audience is not everyone. And I have put up numerous times:. You are not everyone's glass of gin. Yep. Okay. So know. Who is your gin drinkers and who is where they hang? And that's where you should hang out. So if your audience is on TikTok. You're on TikTok. But if they are on [00:20:00] Facebook and Instagram just use Facebook and Instagram.
Yeah. Once you are, you get that groove and you're feeling good and then you're going okay, well now I want to be reaching a new audience. Then what you do once you have that down. You can then diversify and look at maybe is it Pinterest? So you can have some evergreen content.
Shelley Cox: Are you a product-based business will then Pinterest would be great for that. If you're a service-based still good, but still good, but also, but look at LinkedIn. Yeah. They are you trying to be an expert on your on your topic?
Can you be doing some article writing and things like that? There.
Kat Crane: Yeah, but also you in saying all of that and how great social media is, I will use this little segue. Yeah. You still need a website and you still need email marketing. Yeah. Because you know, as much as social media is a great tool, I always say it's your holiday house.
Yeah. So you can do all the things you can do at home. Yeah. But you don't own it. You own your home? Yeah. [00:21:00] And that is your website. And your, your database and your email marketing because yeah. Anything could happen. Yep. Yeah, we've seen it when it's going over, decided to have a little, you know, fight with, with Zuckerberg.
And we saw a lot of accounts. Get closed down for that time.
Shelley Cox: Also what you're seeing at the moment as well is the. The increase in accounts being hacked. Yeah. So if you put all your eggs in that basket,
Or even your Meta has been having a lot of glitches. So Instagram's been down a lot. Facebook's been down a lot, mainly it's, especially in Australia, it's in America the worse
and then when we go wake up, it's all bad. We're fine. But you can't rely on. So, you know, you do need to make sure that you are getting people to sign up to your mailing list, know that you're on a website, so you can be contacted, but haven't. The contact form, any of those things. However social media is still a great tool. Yeah. So, [00:22:00] yeah, it is.
And that hackability stuff is, you know, that could be a whole episode. Yes.
But make sure you've got your two factor authenticator set up on your personal account, which then helps your business account. So, yeah, it's, you've got to safeguard
and strong password.
Kat Crane: and strong passwords. I mean, Literally just smashed the keys together and create something you don't. And just don't use it on any other platform that is that one password for you?
Social media. Yeah. And change it regularly as well. Yeah.
Shelley Cox: And that's yeah, I think we'll go into cybersecurity.
Another time
in a snapshot in a nutshell. Nutshell. And we've also got a member from one of our regional collective members of how do you handle negative feedback on social media?
Kat Crane: I would say, don't go with your first response,
Shelley Cox: which would be?
Kat Crane: fuck off!
Shelley Cox: So we will leave that one.
Kat Crane: You know, cause the thing is you kind of look at it, you roll your [00:23:00] eyes. You just want to go. You fucking numpty. Like you can't say that. So I
Shelley Cox: especially because businesses is not personal yeah. If you put a lot of heart and energy into it, and someone's got something to say, Yes. There's not, it's hard not to take it personally yeah.
Kat Crane: So. Get all of the personal responses out. Just write them out in a word doc. And just go, okay.
I feel good. Yeah. I've said all the stupid shit. Yeah.
And then look at it constructively. So I stepped back. Okay. You know, as you said, it's not personal, you got to feel like you're personally attached. However. Nine times out of 10, most people just want it. They're venting. They just want to be heard. They're probably not attacking you. That is tacky.
How they're feeling. Yeah. So. Take that step back and look at it in a constructive way and respond back in. Yeah, it could be.
You looked at me funny. Yeah. I. [00:24:00]
Shelley Cox: And it could be so any, and you also want to respond as a business. That's the thing you're not responding as you as a personal and going, Hey, well, I've met, you know, I spent time doing this. It's like, it's not about you. It's about, what's the process. I'm sorry. You didn't get the delivery at the time. So you approach it. Respond from a business.
Kat Crane: And it could be you.
My package was lost, blah, blah. It's like, well, you know, I made sure that the tracking number was on or they didn't, you didn't pay for. The extra tracking. As far as we know, I have lodged the, you. Appeal with all his posts, blah, blah, blah. You know, but from my side, I did all I could to protect your parcel. You know, and. And once people read that going, oh, well, they didn't tick the box to pay extra tracking.
That's.
Shelley Cox: The people that need that. No. Cause you mean the thing you went, please, everybody.
Kat Crane: And there's always going to be that person that's like. And it's like, well, yeah. Okay. At the time it's you? It's not that it's [00:25:00] not sorry. It's not, you. Yeah, it's them.
So some of those things, which are not, which, you know, five years ago would have been nutted out in the backend, in emails and back and forth that social media brings them to our attention now.
Yeah.
Shelley Cox: It's not necessarily responding to that person. Then, and now it's the other people watching.
Yeah, isn't it. So it's like, I actually don't care, not that I don't care, but this is all about you. However, for the sake of my other customers and clients who I want to know. I want them to know how, you know, our values and our business behaves. Here's a reflection on that. So it's probably, but like you said, it's hard to get, the personal part out of it, but like you said, if you sit with it for a bit yeah.
Kat Crane: You know don't react. Because if you react straight away, it can escalate to. A very nasty situation, but if you just kind of sit back and go, all right yet, or even if it was you fucked up.
Shelley Cox: Yeah.
Or admitted it.
Kat Crane: But you don't have to always admit it in, you know, you can just say, Hey, thank you for your feedback, but let's talk offline.
I've sent a DM or something like that
[00:26:00] yep.
Yeah, so you don't, so yeah. Hey, you dirty.
And you just want to acknowledge it. Yeah, like you said, they probably just want to be heard.
Yes. And, you know, so it is about some of those things, but you it's. Don't Be Reactive.
Yeah. And I think. You know and that comes a lot of the time and that's a whole of the lesson itself, just within social media. You need to be proactive about your posting. You can't be on a reactive going, oh shit. Sales are down. I've got to do something like plan that stuff out. So you know, the cycles and you have the content, the. Advertising to back it up to keep the flow going.
Yeah. Because if you are going to be reactive, your just going to be on the back.
The whole time
Shelley Cox: the results will
be so all over the place, you won't get what you want out of it. Yeah.
But there's so many levels and so many things, right.
Shelley Cox: 1, 2, 3, 4, and five. But , but thank you for joining us on our first podcast, it's great to [00:27:00] chat.
As always. And I think, you know, helping us to understand the power of social media, but also. You know, take away some of them. Yeah, the myths and the worry and the overwhelm over. I think you, you know,
Kat Crane: and the misconceptions as well. Cause there's a lot of things that people still think. That not true.
Yeah. As well, like, you know, someone was to the other day was saying, oh, but when I post, they can see my name. I might, that's only for you to see no one else sees that. Because it's only people who can manage the page can see who's posted. So, you know, Oh, Wow. Okay. But that's the thing. It's so small little things as well. I want to know you, you don't know what you don't know.
Yeah. And yeah. And that's kind of where I think I come in in that way of being that sounding board on.
Yeah.
Shelley Cox: And asking the you know, and there's not, not every, there's no silly questions.
Kat Crane: Just a silly answer.
Shelley Cox: A silly answer.
It's the Crane Method.
But
no, [00:28:00] but thank you for joining us and we look forward to more inspirational insights in the future.
I look forward to it too.
