Many small businesses that cannot afford traditional forms of marketing have opted for social media to reach more customers.
However, for this to work, an SMME needed a clear objective and dedication, according to Dr Beate Stiehler-Mulder, who is a senior lecturer, marketing specialist, researcher and marketing coordinator for the University of Johannesburg’s Marketing Management Department.
She told Vutivi News that it was essential for small businesses to be knowledgeable and up to speed to use social media as an effective marketing tool. “Social media is a great tool for creating awareness, and the fact that it is affordable makes it incredibly attractive for small businesses,” Stiehler-Mulder said. She said there were a couple of challenges using social media.
“If you want to use it efficiently, you have to dedicate the time to post and create posts.
“In terms of spending money, if you can build an audience and attract an audience there is that cost-saving factor because you can spend as little as R100 per day to advertise. One just has to be dedicated and post often,” she said. Also, businesses tended to be too promotional and sale driven and do not understand how to use different social media platforms to advertise their products or services, Stiehler-Mulder. “You need to fit with the voice of the platform in question,” she said.
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“If you are too promotional people are not going to engage with you because we often go to social media to relax, so the last thing you want to see is a sales post in your face.” Stiehler-Mulder offered a few tips that SMMEs could follow to maximise social media for marketing purposes. “Respect that there is a time commitment, have a strategy in place and have an objective and be clear on why you are there,” she said.
Siphelele Zekani, who is the founder of 043 Sweet Garlic Sauce, told Vutivi News that social media had helped him grow a solid client base. “It helped me in many ways, especially with creating brand awareness. When people see it on the shelves, they relate to the posts they have seen on Facebook, making it easier for them to buy the sauce,” he said.
“The brand is known nationwide because of the power of social media. I recently got an offer to supply a wholesaler in Centurion because they saw a post on Twitter. ”Bottle décor designer Tseko Monyamane agreed with Zekani, saying that thanks to social media, he was able to attract customers from around the world. “Initially my customers were only based in my area, but when my work was shared on Twitter, it was like finding gold,” he said.
