In not so many years ago, most businesses were running on brick and mortar. Your business had a physical premise and your clients had to come to your physical location so they can initiate a sale. Or make an inquiry. Also, customers knew about you if probably they happened to pass by your premise, or through word of mouth from other customers.
That was then and it worked then. This is now and most things have since changed. The spread of internet connectivity, the affordability of data and internet enabled devices has led to many people being online on social media platforms and other online spaces.
Welcome to the world of digital marketing, the world which your business needs to migrate to – if you haven’t already. You must tell your stories online. You must reach out to your potential customers online. People are searching things on Google and they need to find you when they search, or else you will soon be out of business.
So why is digital marketing so important? Why can’t it be ignored?
That is where your customers are. 7 million Kenyans are on Facebook. 4 million on Instagram. 1 million on Twitter. Without giving further statistics, you realize that your customers are online! That is where they spend their time; that is where they create their conversations. That is where they are engaging sellers. You need to go there and find them!
Also, your competitors are online. They are already telling their stories there. People are learning about them. People are getting interested in their products and services. If you don’t go for your customers online, your competitors will. And it just follows that that will be the end of you and your business.
Digital marketing has given an equal opportunity to all businesses. Probably, you could not advertise on a billboard like the established businesses because your budget would not allow it. Digital marketing eliminates this barrier and gives all businesses a level playing field. All of you can now put your products on Facebook. You can now all create websites that will appeal to your customers. And it is cost friendly. There is minimal or no capital investments needed – just the ability to get online and tell your story in your best way. And you don’t necessarily have to tell your story yourself – you can hire creative agencies like us, Clinet Online – we have been helping brands speak eloquently online, and we can do that for you too.
With digital marketing, you are able to engage with your potential customers. They can ask questions and you can respond immediately. They can seek clarifications and you can be there to sort the mist out. With this, it gives you the ability to cultivate trust with your customers. You can talk them into liking what you do. You can influence their purchasing decisions your way.
Finally, digital marketing is a 24-hour marketing platform. The content you create, the stories you tell are being read day and night. When you are not online, the stories you told there are persuading customers to consider you. The shop is always on. You are not limited to office hours. They will never be told ‘come tomorrow we have closed for today’. They shall find you – or your content – there, and they shall be engaged.
Reports by Gartner are showing that purchasing inquiries are starting from a Google search or a social media link. When customers search something on Google, they need to find you, because your competitors are already being found. You will need a strategy to know how to go online in a way that will be effective. At Clinet Online, we have been designing winning digital marketing strategies for businesses and companies in Nairobi and other parts of Kenya, and if you get in touch with us, we promise to tell your story, and we promise to tell it beautifully. We are ready!