ENTREPRENEURIAL digital narratives have proved to be above fairy tales. As entrepreneurial marketers with a target to grow (in size and profitability), we are sometimes forced to promise more than we can offer to the global customers.
That is self-destructive to say. Yes, we need to attract customers in any way but remain ethical and relevant.
Remembering that these customers have a perfect knowledge of the market in which we are existing and serving.
They don’t just buy but make a real search before a purchasing decision.
The narratives we share should therefore be as good as what we are providing, not exaggerating. In this edition, we take a nose dive into digital matters that keeps us closer to the customer in our entrepreneurial offering.
To start with is the attention to detail which supports a structured digital conversation.
It has become a recurring mistake in the practice of our various entrepreneurs where they overload information on their digital marketing platforms, ending up confusing the potential customers.
We have embraced digital marketing to an extent of not realising that simplified presentation still has its space in our narratives.
There is a need to talk, share and present our promotional/marketing messages in a way that is understandable by everyone which is easy to decode.
We are facing a challenge of converting our adverts and marketing efforts into sales because of self-complications we invite to ourselves.
Just like in news publicity, framing of a digital marketing heading should be simply short and unambiguous. We are not selling to ourselves but converting a promise into satisfaction hence everything should be clear.
Emotional connection with the customer is critical such that we should learn from the best. Those organisations that make Christmas celebrations advertise are emotionally exciting like Coca Cola. Digitalisation is a platform but not an end on its own. Get to know your customers better through carrying out an in-depth scrutiny so as to craft and fit into their emotional well-being.
Most entrepreneurs fail to connect with their customers as they use colours, graphics, audio and visual which do not match with the emotions of the targeted customers. We should be reminded that in this competitive world someone is doing it better in connecting with the customer emotionally such that you will lose the market share.
Digital marketing should be viewed and practiced as a documentary rather than just a mere share of elements through the wire. It is more than a story telling to the targeted customers.
A perfect combination of the aural and visual should lead the way in our digital narratives.
Choose the best as an individual (s) to be your brand ambassador/advocate remembering that garbage in garbage out. No wonder why even when doing the same effort our entrepreneurs still fail in their attraction. It takes the proper selection of a brand representative to narrate a good story in the real life of a business and its brand.
It has become an ongoing trend of inviting sound tracks as a background to any digital presentation in marketing but some of our entrepreneurs are still missing this craftsmanship.
A perfect digital narrative should be accompanied by music. Intriguing is the drive of a marketer through digitalisation such that it is complemented by that sound track. Not every music is good. It should be situational, talking to the targeted audience and matching with the offered product/service.
Going further, it should be known by the entrepreneurs that digital marketing came as a strategic game changer in the way business is done. The world has become borderless from one pole to another through networked systems. An entrepreneurial business should have a website as its interface to the global world.
It is no longer a configuration of the elite or big companies but a must do for every business as customers are buying through search engines that link with various websites. As aforementioned, every attractive digital narrative should have excellent content creation that is moving with time in a fast paced way otherwise we lose business to competitors.
In fact, a website brings the business closer to its customers in an interactive way supported by chatbots and blogs. Also benefiting from social media marketing through digitalisation that links with individuals and groups, the sky is the limit in these digital narratives. Create your own space as we grow into international corporates.
*Dr Farai Chigora is a businessman and academic. He is the head of business science at the Africa University’s College of Business, Peace, Leadership and Governance. His doctoral research focused on business administration (destination marketing and branding major, Ukzn, SA). He is into agribusiness and consults for many companies in Zimbabwe and Africa. He writes in his personal capacity and can be contacted for feedback and business at fariechigora@gmail.com, www.fachip.co.zw, WhatsApp mobile: +263772886871.