Author: Ndimbumi Msongole, Digital Marketing Consultant
There are 15 Million internet users in Tanzania. For a population of close to 60 Million, this translates to a 25% internet penetration. This number is growing at a rapid rate of about 3% every year meaning all businesses/ brands need to establish a digital presence or perish with the analog world.
But how exactly does a brand steps into the vast world of digital space and stand out against the competition?
The Good News, many of the Tanzania businesses have not fully embraced digital marketing, making it an open battlefield where anyone can win and thrive. Here is a quick guide to establishing your brand online.
Set your goals
There have to be reasons why you would want to take your business online. The most common reasons you may want to be online is to generate more leads for your business, create brand awareness and provide customer services.
Set your goals according to the most pressing issues in your business, if you are short on leads then your primary goal should be on developing content that will attract more customers to your business. Put plans into place on how and when this content is going to be distributed to reach relevant people.
Be where your customers are.
The most common mistake many businesses make when establishing brands online is to want to be in all places at all times. Your clients have preferences, find out where they spend their time online and establish your presence there. You may be in all places digital say Facebook, Twitter, Website, Instagram, LinkedIn, etc. but always focus your energy on that one space where your clients love to visit. Research your target audience and your competitors to gain valuable insights.
If you are completely new here is what you should know about social media and how to use each one of them
Facebook- Is friendly, shares stories, articles, and videos. Good for B2C
Instagram- Is more visual, share your product in fun engaging ways. Good for B2C
Twitter- Share news, opinions, and quick responses. Good for B2B
LinkedIn- The social Media for Professionals, share powerful insights. Good for B2B
Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
Optimization is the act of making the best or most effective use of a situation or resource. By optimizing your online pages and websites you put yourself in the position of being found. If you are selling shoes in Dar es Salaam, optimizing your page will make your business come up when someone in the city is looking for shoes online. A quick start to SEO is to select keywords that your customers use while searching for a product such as yours and then create and publish as much content as possible using those same keywords. The customs will find you.
Brand yourself appropriately
From the colors, you use in every piece of content you publish, to the type of language and tone you need to give your brand a memorable personality and stick with it. All your digital spaces should carry your brand colors, logo on the bio and your posts should reflect the true values of the business. Hire professionals to set up your online pages and create a guide for your team on how to run the page. This will not only set you aside from your competitors it will also attract the right kinds of people into your pages.
Build you Digital Marketing Strategy
World wide the only businesses thriving on digital marketing are those with an actual battle plan. The more clear you are about your goals, where your clients are, and how they like to be approached the better your chances of survival in the digital era. Do your research, set goals, decide on the metrics and plan all your online actions beforehand.
There are a lot of digital marketing strategists in Tanzania now, set up an appointment with one and get to work. This will save you both time and money as you do not want to go blindly into the unknown.
Create a content calendar
Consistency is the key to growing your brand online. Create a content calendar with at least 7 posts a week. Share images with engaging captions share short videos and blog about things related to your brand. The more often you post the more your potential clients will see you, trust, and buy from you. Your calendar should balance the content to include clients' stories, useful information, national holidays, and final product promotion.
Notice the product promotion came last? It's because people will avoid your content if it only talks about the product. It is important that you find a professional digital marketing professional to help you build an effective calendar for yourself.
Track and Measure Your Growth
When you have a well-established online presence it is time to see the results. Look back on your goals and decide on the kind of growth you want to see. For websites, one of the best tools you can use is Google Analytics and use third-party platforms such as HootSuite to track your social media pages.
According to Business.com if your goal is brand awareness then the metrics you should keep an eye on your Website Traffic, Search Volume, Reviews, and Social mentions. Whereas if you wanted to gain leads, your metrics will include click-through rates, leads per channel, and costs per lead.
Your Next Steps
If you are ready to take on the online market and claim your share here is what you can do today.
Do a small research on your clients and understand their online habits
Create an online marketing strategy for the next 1 Year
Create content and follow up on the insights.
Open your pages and set up your websites, there are many affordable ways to do so simply find the right professionals for the job.
Enjoy the process and be flexible to change as the online space changes every day.
This article also appears on the Tanzania ICT Magazine pages 30-32- Click to View
About the Writer
Ndimbumi is a Digital Marketing Consultant with 9 years of experience building strategies, Events Management and Video Production for NGOs and Small and medium-sized enterprises
She can be reached through Email: mbumita@gmail.com Phone: +255 752 769 976