Digital Solutions Business Feature: Yarra Valley Gourmet Foods

Jacqui Harvey from Yarra Valley Gourmet Foods became a member of the Digital Solutions program in early 2019.

“It’s a fabulous initiative and I’m thrilled to see it through to the end.”

Jacqui has worked in fast moving consumer goods for the past 25 years. After deciding she wanted to do something on her own, she purchased an existing condiments business based under a winery in the Yarra Valley.

Yarra Valley Gourmet Foods sell nationally, with a little bit of export. “The condiments market is competitive,” Jacqui shared with Melbourne Innovation Centre. The company’s unique value proposition is in locally produced products that are hand-made.

Jacqui developed a website with an online store in 2010 but had no digital strategy for its promotion or social media marketing. She hadn’t previously been aware of hashtags for marketing Instagram posts. She admits, “The social media side had been pretty random.”

Her participation in the Digital Solutions program has seen her attendance at group workshops, covering the topics SEO Foundations for Small Business, Boost Business with Facebook Advertising, Social Media Marketing 101, and Create Video Using a Mobile Phone.

Jacqui has also attended a one-on-one mentoring appointment with a digital business expert and has been busy improving her online business activities.

“I’ve learned about SEO for the website, found out about keywords, and social media analytics,” Jacqui said. “I’ve done a lot of research on hashtags. I’ve linked Google Reviews to the website, which was great. All of it has been valuable…the knowledge to have to start implementing those changes.”

Jacqui has found great value in the program and is delighted to spread the word. “I’ve got many friends involved. It’s a fabulous initiative and I’m thrilled to see it through to the end.”

 Yarra Valley Gourmet Foods website