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Social media boosts sales for small businesses
Patrick Wanyoko, a jua kali artisan works on charcoal burners at the weekend. He says that customers are opting to buy modernised charcoal burners because they cook faster than the old versions. He sells them for between Sh400 and Sh2,000 a piece depending on type and quality. JOSEPH KURIA
Posted Monday, January 23 2012 at 19:55
When Samuel Kiragu thought it was time to give Bowling Green a make-over, he turned to a small company to help him market his establishment online with the aim of hooking more upmarket customers to patronise his bar and restaurant on Limuru Road, Nairobi.
His target was expatriates and the well-to-do clientele.
That is how he came up with the idea of introducing paintball, a game that is popular with the rich. It is played in teams or individually and involves hitting opponents with pellets containing soluble dyes.
But because Bowling Green was not known for paintball, Mr Kiragu had to find away of informing his target clients about it.
He started by changing the name of his establishment from Bowling Green to Jungle Paintball. Then he turned to Ken Kariuki, the executive director of Search Engine Optimisation Consulting Kenya.
Mr Kariuki was the man to do the marketing through social media.
Boasting one year experience in social marketing, he took up the challenge. Eight months later, the Jungle Paintball is overflowing with customers with 5,600 clicks on its website a month. “I have moved from waiting for clients to having a full house,” says Mr Kiragu.
“Some of my clients include British Airways, KPMG and CMC.” However, he also has walk-in clients although most book in advance.
Guaranteeing millions of Internet users, many budding entrepreneurs are turning to e-marketing in search of customers.
Social media marketing is a new way of reaching out to old customers, building business relationships and winning new clients.
The approach has come in handy for home-based small businesses and start-ups whose owners have no office equipment other than a laptop.
Inadequate experience and weak financial muscle to hire marketers among business start-ups has added to the rising popularity of social media marketing.
Business websites and social media including Facebook, Twitter and blogs are some of the channels that young entrepreneurs are embracing in marketing their products. Think of any small enterprise in your neighbourhood and you are likely to find it online.
Experts say that small businesses are likely to find qualified leads in this form of marketing than other types of ventures.
This helps them to improve sales.
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