Living near Timboon, I see it every week. A visitor pulls over in Port Campbell, Cobden or Camperdown, opens their phone and searches for coffee, lunch or somewhere to stay. Within seconds they’ve decided where to go, and most of that decision was made by what they found on Google and Instagram.
I work as a freelance social media manager for businesses along the Great Ocean Road and across Corangamite, and I also look after marketing for brands in Melbourne. The tools are the same in both places, but the way you use them on the coast is quite different. Here’s what I’ve found actually works for local businesses down here.
Why Social Media Matters So Much on the Great Ocean Road
Most of our region’s customers fall into two groups: locals who already know you, and visitors who have never heard of you. Locals keep you going through the quiet months. Visitors are the ones who fill your tables, rooms and tours in the busy season, and they usually find you online before they ever see your sign.
That means your social media isn’t just a nice extra. For a lot of Great Ocean Road businesses, it’s the shop window people look through while they’re still at home in Melbourne or Geelong planning their trip.
1. Get Your Google Business Profile Right First
Before you spend hours on Instagram, make sure your Google Business Profile is complete. When someone searches “café near me” from the side of the road, this is what they see first. Check that your opening hours are current (especially over public holidays and winter), add fresh photos regularly, list your services or menu, and reply to every review. It takes very little time and it’s often the difference between someone choosing you or the place down the road.
2. Post for the Traveller, Not Just the Local
Locals know where you are and what you do. Visitors don’t. A good mix of posts answers the questions a traveller is quietly asking:
- Where exactly are you, and how far is it from the Twelve Apostles or the town they’re staying in?
- Are you open today, and do they need to book?
- Is it family friendly, dog friendly or good for a group?
- What’s the one thing they shouldn’t leave without trying?
Use your location in captions and tag it on every post. Someone scrolling the Port Campbell or Warrnambool location tag is exactly the person you want to reach. And don’t forget the little local moments that make our region special. Wildlife sightings, like Walter, our resident koala, are some of the most loved posts I share.
3. Plan Your Content Around the Seasons
Our region runs on a rhythm: busy summers, school holiday rushes, long weekends and much quieter winters. Your social media should follow the same rhythm. In the lead up to summer and school holidays, focus on bookings and must do experiences for visitors. Through winter, shift towards locals, cosy offers, midweek specials and the things that make your business worth the drive in the off season.
Planning a month or two ahead makes a huge difference. It’s much easier to post consistently when the content is ready to go before the busy weeks hit.
4. Show Real People and Real Products
Polished photos have their place, but the posts that tend to connect best are the real ones: a short video of coffee being poured, the view from your deck at golden hour, a local producer dropping off this week’s cheese. User generated content (UGC) builds trust because it looks like something a friend would share.
I also create realistic product feature content for clients, styled imagery that shows products in real world settings, always with packaging and logos kept clear and accurate. Together, UGC and product feature content give you a feed that feels genuine and still shows off what you sell.
5. Use Small, Targeted Meta Ads
You don’t need a big budget to get results from Facebook and Instagram ads. For a regional business, a small, well targeted campaign often works better than a broad one. A few ideas that suit the Great Ocean Road:
- Target people in Melbourne and Geelong who are interested in road trips and weekends away, a few weeks before peak season.
- Run a tight radius campaign around your town to reach visitors who are already in the area.
- Promote your best performing organic posts instead of creating ads from scratch.
The key is to check results regularly and adjust. A campaign that’s set and forgotten rarely performs as well as one that’s watched and tweaked.
6. Make Sure Your Website Backs It All Up
Social media gets people interested, but your website is where they book, buy or decide to visit. It needs to load quickly on a phone, show your hours and location clearly, and make the next step obvious, whether that’s a booking button, a menu or a contact form. You can see some of the local websites I’ve built, including the Port Campbell Baptist Church website with its event calendar for locals and holidaymakers.
What a Social Media Manager Can Take Off Your Plate
Most of the business owners I talk to know they should be posting more. The problem is time. When you’re running a kitchen, cleaning rooms or guiding tours, social media is usually the first thing to slip. A social media manager can look after:
- Planning a content calendar around your seasons and events
- Creating photos, videos and captions that sound like you
- Scheduling and posting across Instagram and Facebook
- Setting up and monitoring Google and Meta Ads
- Keeping your Google Business Profile and website up to date
You stay in control and approve everything, without having to find the time to do it all yourself.
Working With Businesses From Corangamite to Melbourne
I’m based in the Corangamite Shire and work with businesses right along the Great Ocean Road, from Port Campbell, Timboon and Cobden to Camperdown, Warrnambool, Colac and Geelong. I also work with Melbourne businesses, mostly remotely, and I’m in the city regularly for client meetings, content shoots and events.
If you’d like a hand with your social media, ads or website, I’d love to hear about your business. There are no lock in contracts, just flexible support that fits what you need.
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