During the former times the only way to get known by the market and the customers for micro, small and medium sized enterprises (MSMEs) was to conduct direct marketing physically. This practically stands on two pillars:
If the company grows to some extent, then comes some structured conventional marketing activities such as giving advertisements, attending fairs, printing and distributing catalogs/brochures, etc.
These two main types of marketing ecoles were more than enough when executed effectively for any MSME until the digital era emerges suddenly in the 21st century. Even though their sphere of influence is narrow it was enough for a small business to survive or even to grow. But this growth or development would never offer to an MSME the opportunity to become a leading brand nationwide or worldwide since besides the know-how, it needs a high financial invest on conventional marketing, advertisement and promotion which is apparently out of the power of an MSME.
The biggest opportunity of the digital universe on behalf of MSMEs is that it brings the possibility of becoming a highly known brand with the financial power of such a small company. In addition to the brand building, digital era takes the change that comes MSMEs way another opportunity that is reaching out to customer segments or end user otherwise would not be possible if not used the digital marketing channels. When these two opportunities come together in an MSME then the only struggle remaining is the management of growth. There will be no challenge arising from being small but being not advanced to fulfill the requirements to manage it in a sustainable manner for the long term.
The first and the simplest tool for MSMEs in the digital world is having an effective WEB site for the company. The impression of the WEB site should be well beyond the expected from an MSME in the market. The most commonly mistake done on this way is hiring a WEB site designer and leaving the rest totally on it. The object of having a WEB site and the contents and their order of appearance should be discussed by the MSME prior to (at least with the WEB site designer) starting to developing it.
There are practically no boundaries anymore for e-commerce or online sales after the pandemics. The potential of “online” on the demand side of the global market has witnessed an enormous increase. MSMEs are thankful for this fact since it brought the chance of reaching to the customers that, otherwise would be out of the physical boundaries of a small company. There are different opportunities in this regard, having a dedicated online sales web site for the business or taking part in national or global digital marketplaces (such as gjirafamall.com or amazon.com) by opening a store in them.
There is a sub-division in the digital world which might be emphasized even separately and not count under the overall title of digital channels. It is the social media. The first thing to remind for an MSME owner is switching from a social media account owner individual to a corporate social media account manager. The potential opportunities presented by the social media is endless and it is there for the benefit of MSMEs more than the bigger or strong brand companies. When it is used effectively, the extent of and the time required to get the results on social media is providing a great opportunity for small companies and the benefits of this opportunity may be even beyond the financial power of a bigger or international company.
Video streaming media is another opportunity for MSMEs. The true and effective content design and the simple tools to create a video gives the ability of having millions of “clicks” for a small company. And the smartest thing in this occasion is a small company needs no one else but the time and dedication of itself.
We are at the gate of another era with a full potential if the digital world is used smartly by MSMEs. The only need is the curiosity and commitment on using digital marketing tools for the benefit of the business. The rest will be opened up for your company.
