By Geraldine Eve 

There are basic questions that you need to answer before you embark on your digital marketing journey, and in this article we shall go through them. You may need a pen and paper or better still just open your notes app on your device and answer the questions.

WHY?

Many people want to put their business in the digital space, yet they have not asked themselves why they want to be there. So I am asking you, why do you want your business in the digital space? Answering this question helps you decide on the next step. This question will help you map out your roadmap and set your objectives. So many people think that you just into the digital space with no reason or direction. Some people put their business in the digital space because they see their competitors there and they do not want to look like they have been left behind. Some people put their business in the digital space because they think that it’s a cheap way of marketing their business (a myth I will soon dispel). Some people put their business in the digital space because they read articles like these ones and see videos on YouTube on how the digital space is the place to be. One thing I have to emphasize is that digital marketing has to be embedded in your already existing marketing strategy or plan. You also need a plan about where you want to take your business in general. So if you do not have a plan for your business, maybe that is the place we need to start with. Because if you do not have a plan on how you are going to grow your business, then we are not doing anything. They say failing to plan is planning to fail.  Digital marketing is not just something you dream and wake up doing, it has to be a well-executed plan. So my question to you is, why do you want to take your business digital?

WHO? 

Now that you know why you want to have your business in the digital space, the second question is who? Who do you want to talk to? Who is your target audience? This can only be answered if you have answered the first question correctly. It can also be answered if you have a plan. Often when we ask this question to clients, they say, “Oh our clients are everybody, anybody can buy our product or make use of our service.” That is not an answer… like my semi-literate grandma would say, there is no answer like “hapana, zvese,” which is a local Zimbabwean Bantu language which means there is no answer like “nothing, everything,”  meaning, all questions have specific answers. I know some of you are rolling their eyes at this very moment and saying this person does not know what they are talking about. We want to experiment with you (if you keep records, which definitely you should to run a  successful business) of your customers especially the repeat ones, you will find out you have a specific age range that buys from you more than the others; you have a specific gender that buys from you more than the other; you have a specific location from where most of your clients come from; your customers have specific habits or preferences. Yes you might have all ages, races, gender buying from you, but there is a variant that is more than the other and that is your target market. So your digital efforts should be targeted there. Imagine planning a whole conference and hiring the National Sports Stadium then you get there only to realize you are the only person there and there is no one to listen to you.  So the question is, who do you want to reach with your digital efforts?

WHERE?

Now we know why we are in the digital space, we know who we are going for there, let’s explore where to find them. The digital space is broad, and if you do not streamline your efforts you might not really get your return on investment (ROI). Yes, just being in the digital space is investment – your data, your time that you take, your expertise, all that is investment that you are putting into your digital efforts, so there is supposed to be a return on investment.  So where is your target audience found? This will determine whether you need a website, search engine optimization, social media. Even on social media you need to know if your target audience is mostly found on WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube etc. This will determine whether or not to invest in Google Ads. For example, most teens, celebrities are found on Instagram, and lately TikTok has been taking their market share as well. Professionals are found on LinkedIn, Late 20’s to early 40s on Facebook, and almost everybody on WhatsApp. But remember WhatsApp is limited to people in your contacts, who have your contacts saved if it’s statuses, and also limited to the groups that you are in. So the question remains, where is your audience found? If you were using traditional media, imagine advertising in the Sunday News that is mostly distributed in Bulawayo, yet the people who want your product are found in Gokwe, it would be a waste of money and time. So where is your target audience found?

WHEN?

When is the best time to get in touch with your target audience. This seems silly but very important. Your target audience may be like me, and burn the midnight oil. There is no way I am really going to pay much attention to your ads or posts unless I am on a tea break. Knowing your audience to me is laughably like having a stalker. You need to know what time to get to them. It’s like dating a girl who stays with her parents and has to be home by six. If you do not make time to see her during the day then you will hardly see her, and your relationship might be doomed to video calls and audio calls. Or you are dating a farmer, and you want to see him all the time during the planting season, you will be one frustrated chic/guy. So when you get to the audience is equally important. When you use social media platforms, and view your insights you will see what time your audience have viewed your page. But that’s an advanced stage, when you know your audience, just basic knowledge of people you want to get to, this will help you get the best out of your digital efforts. For example, if your target market is over 65 retired people, you know the best time is probably during the day maybe from 10am – 1pm, because they probably take an afternoon nap then sleep early soon after their 6pm supper. That is an indication of how we can use behaviour to determine the best time to get to your audience. This just does not look at time, when also covers days of the week, times of the month. When do they spend? When do they make buying decisions?  Looking at your own audience, when is the best time to get their attention?

WHAT?

We are one step closer to creating an awesome Digital Marketing strategy… Everything is almost in place, now you know all you know, what are you going to be sharing with your audience? They say ‘Content is King’. You need to capture the attention of your audience. The author’s choice of poison these days is WhatsApp. They enjoy capturing the audience on their status. Those that have my personal number and can view my status know that my status is fire, it’s awesome and it’s funny, when you are having a bad day and you really want a good laugh you go to this status. However, in those laughing moments I sneak in my adverts and they always get responses, even if they do not get the business,  I know someone has seen our work. And I am guaranteed that I always have an audience. Recently I did a survey and the response was awesome. There are statuses that the author personally skips because the people are always advertising. We always give this example, imagine when you meet someone and they say, “I’m selling this pen, they do not even say hi, next time you met them they say, Oh yeah I’m selling this pen, no hi, nothing else, then you bump into them at the shops and they say you see these pens going for $20 here I’ve got them for $5.. No hi, and that’s their conversation, will you keep willingly looking for them or you will really avoid them unless you need a pen? We are not saying do not market your goods and services, just do not tire your audience, always trying to sell to them. Content has many aspects, your content needs to be eye catching and interesting. Your content needs to be relevant, creative and simply not boring or exhausting. Your content also needs to be planned. As a team we are always saying that content needs to show that there’s been some thought put into it. That someone actually sat down, thought, planned and researched. 

What also includes questions like what will it cost you to have a successful digital presence? Depending on how you have answered all the above questions, your budget will depend on your needs but for a successful budget nothing less than $100 USD. Remember, the more you invest in your digital presence the better the returns. Of course you can try with organic reach (that is using social media without paying for advertising space). We always laugh with our clients and say to them that these social media platforms are not investing millions into their platforms so that they can give people for free, they are in it to make money, and their money comes from two things, selling of data (information) and paid advertising. Therefore if you are not parting with money you should not expect much ROI from these platforms.

What does your company do?: 

Touchbyasoebigirl is a female fashion brand (parent company Asoebigirl Limited) created to meet the fashion needs of women through affordable but stylish clothing. We fondly refer to our customers as “Touch Woman”. A Touch Woman is a woman that stays stylish regardless of what time or day or occasion it is, and to this end, Touchbyasoebigirl caters to different events; corporate look, casual, events and weddings, swim wear, lounge wear etc. A Touch Woman is bold and confident in her own skin. Regardless of her size, body measurements or type. Our pieces are tailored uniquely to meet individual style and personality. Our customer base currently extends beyond Nigeria into other African countries (Ghana, Kenya, South Africa, Botswana, Cameroon), UK, Europe and the US/Canada. We had in the past years released collections for the UK and the US markets respectively in collaboration with Fashion aggregators and sold out our pieces. We are also going to be releasing a collection for the Kenyan Market in April 2021. We have recently launched a collection called the Touch Executive Woman which offers finely tailored pants suits that show the sexy, confident and powerful sides of the women that wear them.

What inspired you to start your company?

My mum is a fashion designer and has been in the business for almost 3 decades. I discovered my love for sketching designs quite young (less than age 10). As I navigated through my work life (post University), I picked up sketching again as an escape from the work stress. At some point I decided to make it into a proper business as I was already providing these services to my friends for free. Honestly, I am most at peace when I am designing (with a glass of wine of course).

Why should anyone use your service or product?

We strive to make every product personal to the customer. There is a lot of thinking that goes into making an outfit (especially bespoke) for a person. I think about the personality of the customer (I actually enjoy getting to know my customers on a personal level in the best way that I can), and this plays a huge role as I recommend fabrics and/or design pieces for them.

What makes Takora different is that it understands the importance of having a professional, interview winning CV and why it is a necessity in any job search. Founder Kabwe Gondo says, “Your CV is your tool of achievement. It is your sales pitch and potentially your only opportunity to sell yourself to an employer. TAKORA is bringing a new perspective on CV Writing and our quest is to retain applicant’s dignity by offering a service (CV) that reflects who they are and allowing them through the process of CV Writing in order to understand their career goal and ensuring that information reflects on their CV.”

Even though Takora is an online platform, it has a trusted designated team of professionals with decades of experience in CV Writing content to ensure a smooth process. So what makes it different is that the team members are all content writers, they focus on keywords that are compatible to ATS, and they are constantly up to date with new ways of CV Writing.  In addition, Kabwe believes that their prices are highly competitive, accompanied by monthly promotional drives to accommodate applicants who cannot afford to pay the full amount.

Kabwe says that the aspiration for Takora is to assist more than 100 applicants by the end of 2021. She believes that if people invest in themselves, the rewards will be immeasurable. 

Those interested in the Takora CV writing service can visit the company website which is safe, secure, and with an easy payment gateway https://www.takora.co.za/

To find out more, contact founder Kabwe Gondo via email: info@takora.co.za or visit the  Takora social media platforms:

FACEBOOK | TWITTER | INSTAGRAM | LINKEDIN

Impact Partner Content – Absa

Exciting things are happening in South Africa’s winelands with a new generation of entrepreneurs making great wines for the local and global market place and building new brands to watch. Ses’fikile Wines, founded by Nondumiso Pikashe, is one brand making a name for itself and winning fans both locally and abroad.

Ses’fikile Wines is one of the 117 companies showcased at the Absa Lionesses Xpo. Lioness Weekender chatted to its founder, Nondumiso Pikashe, a passionate wine brand creator about her entrepreneurial journey and vision for the future.

What does your company do?

Ses’fikile is an IsiXhosa concept which means “we have arrived.” This celebratory phrase narrates a journey which is continuous. It is a story characterized by trials and tribulations yet looks positively to the future. This is a story of a teacher who got into the wine industry with her entrepreneurial spirit. Ses’fikile wines borrows from this background. We produce wines under the Ses’fikile and Matriarch labels. Our wines are for both the domestic and export markets. We collaborate with distributors for ease of access to markets. Our target market is LSM 6-10 with channels being hotels chains, restaurants and event management companies. We also cater for intimate groups for private wine tastings and food pairings. We are looking for partners to expose young people from the townships to career paths in the obscure wine industry and inversely educate them about alcohol abuse.

What inspired you to start your company?

My Grandfather raised my mother and her siblings through his struggling business in the early 30s in Langa, Cape Town. I was drawn to the wine business in particular because of its mystery. My curiosity and what I discovered made me not look back.

By the Lionesses of Africa Operations Dept 

The world famous free solo (alone and with no rope!) climber Alex Honnold as pictured above (whilst climbing the face of the world’s most famous rock, the 3,200ft El Capitan in Yosemite National Park) yes, we’ll just say that again – with no rope, says that often his most dangerous moment on any climb is just before the end when the climb starts to level off towards the top of the mountain and he starts to relax. That is when he is far more likely to slip and fall than when he is vertical, clinging to a crack a thousand metres above the ground. See the terrifying trailer from National Geographic here of the film by Jimmy Chin of this amazing assent. The film, “Free Solo” even won an Oscar for best documentary.

This is often true in business. One of the most dangerous times in a business’ life is when you have been through the tough times, perhaps even to the brink of bankruptcy. The sun starts to shine once more, business returns, customers wake up, we relax and the sales staff act like they are a child alone in a sweet factory, and customers having been so good while you pushed them to pay during the dark times, now forget where the cheque book is… We have all been there (perhaps without even realizing it), as the light we see at the end of the tunnel suddenly becomes not the exit, not the spring of a new dawn, but yet another train hurtling towards us.

Alex has been quoted as saying that climbing and especially free solo is very much like the entrepreneurial life, mainly because in climbing you have to make a conscious decision to move up. To fight against gravity. To move one hand and one foot higher. Nothing (good) happens in climbing without a conscious decision. Likewise building a business, there are very few who just left things to their own devices and then woke one morning to find they were successful. As Alex says, skiing is different, gravity takes you down hill, so conscious or not, down is where you are going, but climbing and entrepreneurship is a conscious effort of will-power, skill, preparation, training (anyone thinking skiing also takes a lot of skill, preparation and training has not seen our Head of Finance (‘HoF’) on the slopes – gravity rules…) and inner strength.

So why this warning of the dangers of relaxation at this time?

One of the main fears of any business is uncertainty and volatility. We have often quoted the Arabian curse in the last 12 months: “May you live in interesting times” and a curse it is, especially for businesses. Business leaders need consistency, calm markets and security of supply in order to plan, grow and thrive, and anything ‘interesting’, anything ‘out of the ordinary’, often throws a spanner in the works.

So where are we still seeing issues?

1. Covid is not over. 

Africa as a whole seemed to weather the first wave surprisingly well, but the second wave is a different story. As the Lancet says (here): “Our analysis showed that the African continent had a more severe second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic than the first…”. In some parts of the world and with the new variants some countries are slipping into a third wave such as Germany, report here…It is not over.

The vaccine rollout is going well in some ‘western’ countries such as the UK, and indeed in the USA, President Biden has just announced that having promised 100 million jabs in his first 100 days, they will in fact do 200 million jabs in his first 100 days. But behind this good news, vaccine wars are breaking out amongst the rich countries creating a disjoin between them and the developing world –  the less well off countries are now left with the realization that they are expected on the whole to wait and hope.

The cheapest vaccine on the market, the Oxford/Astra Zeneca, which is being sold at ‘cost’ for humanity and especially aimed at the developing world given the lower cost and zero profit for the company, has sadly become part of a serious EU vs UK spat. This has  resulted in millions of these vaccines being hoarded, not being used with a public unsure and unwilling to use , yet with the governments themselves refusing to export them to other countries… 

Covid continues to change and adapt. We have had the English variant, the South African variant, the Brazilian variant, and now in India we are seeing a variation on a variant. As each of these come out the nervousness increases as companies and governments wait to see if the current vaccines will still work.

2. Banks are still unwilling to lend.

As we have discussed before, lending from banks into SME’s in Africa continues to be highly restrictive (if you can even get a loan of course) and often with 200% personal collateral. When we wrote last about this (here), according to The World Bank, the average amount of collateral required was 213%, and that’s an average across all firms, not just SME’s and certainly not amongst Lioness businesses!

Determined to control their non-performing loan ratio and to keep it below certain levels, Banks are protecting their loans by concentrating on those companies to which they have already lent (historically a male dominated list). If you are not already a borrower, then you have to join a very long queue…

3. World trade is disjointed. 

What do we mean by that?

One of the biggest costs in trade is the return journey. If you ever spend time talking to logistics companies, it is not your trip they worry about. Dar es Salaam to Nairobi is easy, but they will spend the next week desperately finding the ‘return trip’. Nothing is worse than taking an empty truck back. What a waste of time and cost. 

When Covid struck and the world closed, this problem became real across the globe. Ships were stuck in huge ports around the world, but as the world reopened (with China first), ships in Los Angeles or Long Beach still idle, the USA closed, quiet or sluggish, there were no natural return journeys. Meanwhile in China ships were filling up fast and heading to the USA. It was as if all trucks had stopped in Nairobi having run out of Diesel, yet the Diesel was sitting in Dar es Salaam…This added and still adds to shipping costs.

Containers also were affected. In our example above, the USA was full of empty containers, yet these were needed by the factories in China. This added and still adds to shipping costs.

Certain of our members will have noticed recently that the cost of plastic has risen – same issue, plastics are either in the wrong port looking for a container and then searching for a ship, or the factories themselves have issues. This is especially true in the USA one of the world’s largest manufacturers of Plastic resins. Unplanned outages due to a huge winter storm called ‘Uri’, on the back of the pandemic, coupled with planned outages left the plastics market gasping for supply across the globe.

As reported on Bloomberg (here): “At the root of the problem lie a series of factors ranging from plants being shut down, the winter storm in Texas and the global shortage of shipping containers — which got thrown off their usual routes due to the pandemic. Add to that the strong economic recovery in Asia and demand for consumer goods in the U.S., and companies are at pains to secure supplies…”

As if that wasn’t bad enough (although will at last prove the British correct in their automatic panic buying of Toilet Roll whenever there is a global issue) – yes, Toilet Roll could be the next hit by the lack of containers, see here, again from Bloomberg… There is a company in Brazil that supplies about a third of the hardwood pulp that goes into Toilet Paper, but are unable to find the necessary ‘break-bulk’ cargo vessels. You have been warned!

How can you plan for these events?

Answer is you simply cannot, but if 2020 has taught us anything, increased uncertainty, increased volatility of prices and increased nervousness means you as a business leader have to be extremely careful at this moment. We are not out of the woods yet, there is light at the end of the tunnel, but it is so far away that it could very certainly be another train coming towards us.

So what can you do? Expect the unexpected, keep your company as cash rich as possible. Twelve months ago, seeing the huge terror in Italy we gave you the same instructions – put ‘she who will not be moved’ onto debt collection FAST, ‘fair but firm’ being the instructions she must have from you – now is not the time to tell her to relax. You won’t go bust with cash in your bank, but going bust with a nice full warehouse, now surely that’s just daft!

For your sales staff, selling is great, but they must avoid stuffing the now empty warehouse that you worked so hard to empty, with gleaming new goods, keep a strong hold on the inventory. Allow it to grow with a plan, any ‘straight in, straight out’ sales should be celebrated. Banks are not your friend, they are there for their shareholders and because of this low NPL ratios.

But seriously what else could possibly go wrong? Surely we are at the end of the tunnel?… and then this happens: