Business Hour is held every Thursday from 8-9pm, in the Mums of the Shire Community Facebook group. During the dedicated hour, members who partner with us are able to post an ad about their business in the group. It’s an excellent opportunity to get extra exposure and help create awareness with our thousands of members!
BUSINESS HOUR
Mums of the Shire Business Hour is only available to those businesses which have a current Premium Directory Listing or have purchased an advertising package in the last month (e.g. Feature/Highlight/Event package). Standard Directory Listing Plans do not include access to Business Hour.
Members are also welcome to post during this hour if they run a local not-for-profit organisation (e.g. charity or playgroup). Please note admin approval is required before posting.
These members are entitled to publish one post during Business Hour – every Thursday 8pm – 9pm (sharp) in our closed Facebook group of 13k+ local mums.
CAN ANYONE JOIN THE GROUP?
Our Facebook group was created for mums living in the Sutherland Shire to connect with other local mums and local businesses.
Female business owners or representatives of businesses operating in the Sutherland Shire, and/or providing services for local families are welcome to join the group, however males are not permitted in the group. Females wanting to join the group must do so from their personal profile, business profiles will not be accepted. Our community members want to connect with real people.
We often receive requests from males wanting to join the group or from females wanting to add their male partner. Due to the personal nature of some of the topics discussed, our members have indicated their preference for Mums of the Shire to remain a female-only group.
You are welcome to join the group or nominate a female colleague, friend or family member who can post in the group on your behalf. Request to join the group here.
HOW TO POST YOUR BUSINESS HOUR AD
Businesses eligible to post in Business Hour may submit their posts to the group between 12 noon and 9pm every Thursday. All posts will be reviewed by our admin team, and published during Business Hour, between 8pm – 9pm. You can access the Mums of the Shire Facebook Group here.
BEST FORMAT TO POST YOUR AD
Only personal profiles are accepted into the group (see Who Can Join The Group? above), however, you are welcome to share a post from your business page or tag your business in the post.
Wherever possible we recommend creating an original post, with a clear image accompanied by up to 70 words of text. To connect with group members, be sure to tag your business in the post and add a clear call to action. Make sure you let people know how to contact you by adding your phone number, email address, website etc.
BENEFITS TO POSTING IN THE GROUP
Business Hour provides an opportunity to reach a highly targeted audience of more than 13,000 local mums, providing a great way to build trust and awareness, and forge valuable relationships with members of our community.
While business posts may not necessarily create immediate sales conversions, it is beneficial to your business to take advantage of these weekly posts, as they work to remove barriers to purchase and put your business in the consideration set when mums are in the market for your particular product or service.
The more business owners engage and post in the group, the more their brand becomes trusted in our community resulting in a gradual increase in following and sales. While there may not be an immediate or direct return on investment, the brand awareness helps build online presence which is ultimately an important element in an online marketing strategy.