First, a lot of people debate on the value of a good website and whether it’s a tool for marketing or not. It’s important to note that above 70% of Kenyans have access to internet services. This fact is hugely driven by the level of mobile penetration in Kenya. Now that even women at the vegetables market place have android based phones, then we expect internet access to be enhanced. Therefore, to position well in the market, a serious organisation ought to have a good website.
I am not talking about those dull landing pages that one would think a company sells coffins when it is an eatery. Or extremely multi-colored sites that may easily lead one to assume that the company is a flower farm; yet it is a spare parts firm with only one product! I believe a landing page of a good website should give a clear indication of the kind of product or service offered. Further, huge resemblance to all other company brand assets such as colors should be evident. Most importantly, content should be relevant and precise.
Social media has really changed the perspective of how firms market their products. While there are risks involved in this arena, merits abound. There are two clear functionalities of social media to any company today.
The first is a tool for feedback mechanism. A lot of companies previously avoided having a Facebook or Twitter page on the account that they would receive a backlash. Unfortunately, whether you are on social media or not, you still get compliments or complaints. For those who believe in improvement, then feedback becomes a key tool to attain this. What your customers are saying matters a lot. A local telecommunications company is known to push complaints to its social site. The spirit of Kaizen, continuous improvement, can easily be attained through suggestions and feedback from social media handles.
The second use is as a brand awareness instrument. This requires a lot of creativity to ensure a lot of conversations originate from any post. Sometimes very direct and long messaging is normally ignored. It lacks a reason to engage. This is the hardest part.
Now, considering the fact that use of social media is really affordable, almost accessible to everybody, yet reaching out to so many people, here are three things to consider in your journey to success.
1-Be imaginative
Avoid very direct messaging. Be artistic. This allows your audience to keenly follow and look forward to the next post. This level of creativity keeps your prospective customers desiring to engage and understand what your brand is all about.
2-Be graphical
Long sentences are boring. They say a picture is worth a thousand words. Photos, videos and postcards are not only practical but also interesting. They make your audience expect more and desire to engage. Leave long statements to novelists.
3-Be thematic
Periodically approach engagements from themes. This could be based on products, events or even aspects like feedback that the firm sees as key in delivering company strategy.
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