The marketing of products and services using digital technology has seen a tremendous rise in Kenya over the last few years. With the digital space filled with numerous brands all angling for consumer attention in the sea of 1’s and 0’s, few have been able to get this math right.
How then do brands stand out amid all this online noise?
For starters, the assumption that digital marketing is as easy as reciting the alphabet is misplaced. There is too much information available across online platforms that few get to see products or services sold online. Brands should adapt to stay on top of the game. Some of the strategies adopted include:
- Enhancing online user experience
It is not enough to put out tons of blogs that no one will ever read. Instead, brands are employing strategic content marketing practices that focus on giving prospective clients value from interacting with their content online. More time is invested to ensure that the content posted online for public consumption is relevant to the needs of the client and will help address a problem they may have. For an Investment Management Firm, articles explaining ‘How to Manage Debt Levels’, ‘Financial Planning Strategies’ etc., address the day to day financial challenges affecting clients across all levels of society.
- Boosting posts and use of Ads
Social Media platforms like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn are amongst the leading brands offering price rates for post boosting. With a predetermined budget, a brand can boost its Facebook and LinkedIn posts for a larger audience reach. Paid Ads are also placed on these platforms, as well as on property listing sites to maximize on available online channels.
Other online marketing platforms like OLX and Jumia are also gaining popularity amongst the Kenyan public with all manner of properties finding their way to end users through these sites. Google Ads which also boost the online search rankings increase the ease with which a brand or product can be accessed online.
- Use of Infographics
The abundance of written content online means that much more is required to prompt a potential customer to click on a link or even share content for friends and family to learn from or purchase. It is easier to respond to visual information as compared to text with the human brain configured to process images simultaneously as opposed to the sequential progression we use for words. A nice flow of well-structured graphic information, therefore, provides a fun and easy way to read and understand the otherwise complicated content.
- Use of Video Content
Just like with infographics, more brands are embracing the use of videos to communicate their products and services in addition to other valuable information for public consumption. It is a common feature to see brands use videos to communicate peace messages and even send messages of goodwill during public holidays. Videos attract huge viewership and especially from millennials already bogged down with too much text information available on the various social media platforms.
- Increased Online Engagement
The advent of social media has made it valuable for brands not only to create valuable content for their online platforms but also to ensure constant client engagement. This is the essence of Digital Marketing Departments which are charged with the responsibility of developing a working strategy that monitors all platforms available with the objective of providing real-time response.
The online dedication that clients experience translates to great regard for your brand and influences online engagement as well as the purchase of products and services.
The digital marketing strategies applied by various brands vary according to the type of products and services, as well as the nature of the information being shared. Either way, it is important that whatever content is developed for customer consumption is clear, concise, engaging and easy to understand. It is these considerations that have given leading brands a competitive edge in the already saturated online sphere where all brands battle it out for clients’ attention.
