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India is the second-largest base of MSMEs in the world; some of them are about to reach the moon. Chandaryaan, one of the most ambitious missions of India was launched in July 2019. Some of the most innovative MSMEs have made their contribution to the making of the “yaan.”
Reaching the Moon v/s Reaching Masses
Today there is no doubt that MSMEs in India have been working as silent catalysts to push growth in various industries and at multiple levels. Reaching the moon is one such example. However, when we talk about marketing and promotions, only a few MSMEs are doing it. So, what stops them from reaching the masses?
As per various surveys, budget constraints are the foremost reason for the majority of MSMEs. Perceiving marketing as a costly affair, and therefore, MSMEs either go for selected outreach or don’t do marketing at all.
However, with changing times and popularity of digital platforms, marketing your business can be more comfortable, measurable and flexible (in terms of cost).
Let us talk about some of the best digital marketing strategies that work for MSMEs in today’s era!
WhatsApp Marketing
Given the ease of usage and widespread reach of WhatsApp, any business (especially MSME) can effectively leverage the power of WhatsApp. You can either create your business group, become part of the various business groups that help you connect with a full set of audience.
Due to decreasing data cost and availability of low-cost Smartphone’s, the set up for WhatsApp marketing is cheap. Some points to keep in mind for this kind of marketing are that it is a cluttered space, and therefore, one needs to plan things accordingly.
You can set a specific time to send out communication basis the response pattern of your target audience. You can also indulge in sharing short videos that directly or indirectly connect with your business or products to generate interest. With the latest updates in WhatsApp, one can also choose a language other than English to correlate strongly with a particular set of audience.
Shortly, WhatsApp is expected to introduce its payment system. An advantage of being a one-stop destination for all customers. (Source)
Social Media Marketing
Social Media have become an essential part of everybody’s life. From small children to aged citizens, everyone is well versed with how to use social media. Irrespective of whether you are well known or not, anything that the audience likes goes viral in no time.
In today’s era, we have seen many people, trends and especially #challenges (Kiki, ALS, Fitness, more) going viral overnight. It is highly recommended to MSMEs, to establish social media pages as their part of brand strategy.
Offering the audience with whatever you are best at and packages its distinct competitive advantage and collaborate it interestingly with videos, images, engaging content and more.
For best results, MSMEs should consult a professionally skilled branding agency that can create a buzz on social media using various Strategies.
YouTube Marketing
What started as an experiment is today’s largest platform for entertainment and other Business-oriented engagements. YouTube is a creative platform where many talented professionals are now living their dreams of earning money.
The demand for content on the YouTube channel is mammoth, and if you have something interesting to offer, you will have a readymade audience to feed your message. It is recommended to choose your distinct feature portraying topics. Then elaborate it and once well accepted by the audience, and then you can start your own YouTube channel.
For example, if you are a manufacturer of fashion wear – jeans, tops, etc., you can start a YouTube channel on Fashion Trends to cover broad topics like tips and tricks, how to dress like Bollywood star, summer fashion, winter fashion, etc.
The platforms mentioned above have a large set of readymade audience. Offering a low-cost setup and has the potential to scale high. They enable the internet and mostly fuelled by ‘sharable’ content. It’s highly recommended to share the content of one platform on the other platforms with a motive to gain maximum interest.
Enhance Google Ads
This program generates around 97% of Google’s revenue, and this portrays that thousands of businesses are already taking productive advantage of Google Ads in various industries.
In any business, make sure you target your audiences and then build SEO-friendly Webpages and Ads. Small businesses should always approach their business campaigns from customers’ point of view.
Using the right keywords is the primary route for successful Google Ads SME should focus and be more relevant locally and strategies plans. There are around 40,000 search queries on Google every second, which is a massive opportunity for any business to present them efficiently on this platform.
For example, – If Andrew conducts Zumba dance classes in Los Angeles. Then he should think like a customer and add keywords such as “best Zumba dance classes in Los Angeles” or “Personal trainer for Zumba classes in Los Angeles.”
Tip -Check Google’s Keyword Planner to find new keywords according to your industry type.
Encourage Webinars
I am sure many are familiar with Seminars and wondering what Webinars are. It’s a Seminar which is conducted online. It can be for demonstration, presentation or any discussions on trending topics.
Webinars can enhance lead magnets for email marketing, which will barely cost you. If discussions or presentations are done at the right time and on the right topic, can easily add new subscribers on your list and building credibility with an existing client list.
Any small scale industry can use this recorded version of demonstration during training sessions. You are saving your human effort as well as time and cost.
You can conduct live polls, which will help you to get instant feedback from customers. Doing communication two ways is very productive. Q & A sessions will help customers to gain value instead of just watching a video with enormous questions running in their minds.
Conclusion
Digital marketing creates a massive potential for brands to explore beyond the walls of the office. SME’s can utilize its benefits. When you have an online presence, then your business is open even when your office is closed.
Prospects can write emails, ask questions, browse and also purchase if required online, reducing cost and time for the customer. Sometimes customers are hesitant to discuss their pain points, which could be budget, time any constraint.
So for such people, the digital medium acts as a comfortable zone to discuss whatever they feel and want to express.
If Digital marketing strategies are correctly integrated, then the reach and visibility of the brand will increase significantly.
Author Bio:
[thrive_testimonial name=”” company=”” image=”https://dsim.in/blog/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/megha_f.png”]Megha Malik started her journey as an entrepreneur a decade back and co-founded DesignerPeople. Her vision is to transform the way product packaging, designing and positioning are looked at by young brands. As Creative Director @DesignerPeople, Megha’s responsibility is to provide proactive practical and contemporary brand advertising solutions, support a futuristic brand presentation in tune with global trends.[/thrive_testimonial]
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