Two years ago, I saw a clear gap in the market. Most marketing agencies were geared toward big brands with equally big budgets. Meanwhile, small and medium-sized businesses were left trying to juggle multiple consultants or patching together their own marketing—on top of running their business.
After 15 years in SME marketing, I knew how tough that juggle could be. So I started Shopa Marketing Australia with a single mission: to become the go-to one-stop marketing partner for SMEs.
Since launching in August 2023, we’ve grown from zero to over 1,000 active clients across Australia and New Zealand. We’ve delivered more than 5,000 campaigns across digital, social, and out-of-home platforms. Along the way, we’ve built a strong reputation—reflected in over 150 Google reviews and a 4.6-star rating.
Here’s what the last two years have taught us—what’s worked, what hasn’t, and where we’re heading next.
What Worked: Simplicity, Scale, and Smart Strategy
One of the biggest strengths in our model has been our simplicity. Our clients don’t want to explain their business to five different specialists. They want clarity, speed, and someone who just gets it. Our one-stop-shop model delivers that, with bundled services across SEO, social media marketing, Google Ads, website management, and even local out-of-home campaigns.
The second major lesson: diversification drives results. Clients who see the most success aren’t just investing in one platform. They’re spreading their marketing across the entire customer journey—building brand awareness while also running lead generation and conversion campaigns.
A great example of this is Parkmore Family Dental in Melbourne. They came to us with the goal of increasing their online visibility. In less than two years, their organic search traffic grew by over 800 percent. In April 2025 alone, their website appeared more than 436,000 times in Google search results, and they now rank in the top 10 for over 600 keywords. No paid ads required—just strong local SEO, the right keyword strategy, and consistent content delivery.
Another strong case study is TK Community Care, a national NDIS provider. With a targeted SEO strategy and ongoing technical improvements, they experienced a 905% increase in organic traffic within 15 months. Their keyword visibility grew by over 550 percent, and their conversion rate from organic traffic hit 7.3 percent—proving that high-quality content and optimisation lead not just to traffic, but to real inquiries.
We’ve also consistently seen that when clients engage with multiple platforms—such as combining SEO with out-of-home campaigns in medical centres or shopping precincts—they build far greater awareness and recall in their communities.
What Didn’t Work: The Quick-Fix Mindset
One of the recurring challenges we’ve had to navigate is the tendency for many small businesses to allocate their entire marketing budget to a single, short-term channel. Often it’s something like Facebook ads or Google Ads, with the expectation of instant leads. The problem? Without brand awareness to support those efforts, lead generation campaigns tend to underperform or fizzle out quickly.
Small businesses often underestimate the value of brand awareness. Many expect direct results without laying the groundwork for trust and familiarity. But the truth is, visibility builds trust—and trust drives conversions. Bigger brands know this, and it’s why they invest in omnipresent advertising. For SMEs, the concept is the same, even if the spend is smaller.
We’ve also learned that setting expectations upfront around timelines and ROI is critical. Marketing is not an overnight fix—it’s a long-term investment. And the businesses that understand this are the ones who’ve grown with us.
What Clients Are Saying
Many of our clients have highlighted how easy and stress-free it is to work with our team. Some have noted how responsive and professional we are during campaign setup, even when multiple revisions are needed. Others have appreciated how quickly we turn around high-quality advertising materials and how well we communicate throughout the process.
These reviews reflect what we value most: quality work, reliable service, and genuine care for our clients. Whether we’re helping a dental practice advertise in their local area or building an SEO strategy for a national brand, our team treats every campaign like it matters—because it does.
What’s Next: Smarter Marketing, More Education, and AI Integration
In our third year, our focus is shifting toward education and automation.
We’re building more educational resources to help SMEs understand how to balance awareness and direct marketing, and how to build long-term growth instead of short-term spikes.
We’re also expanding our AI and automation offerings. That includes smart lead follow-up systems, content automation, chatbot support, and AI-driven performance tracking. These tools are designed to help businesses do more with less—saving time while maintaining quality and performance.
While we’re expanding internationally—starting with the U.S.—our heart remains in supporting Australian businesses. The community here built us, and we’ll continue to invest in helping local brands thrive.
Final Thoughts
Running a business is hard. Marketing it shouldn’t be.
What we’ve learned over the past two years is that consistent, strategic marketing always beats chasing the next shiny trend. Clients who understand the value of building a brand—locally and online—see the best results. And when marketing is done with clarity, intention, and care, the results speak for themselves.
To every business that’s trusted us with their brand: thank you. We’re just getting started.
