Essential Marketing Strategies for South African SMEs

A well-thought-out marketing plan backed by a strong online presence is essential for business in this day and age. And for small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) in South Africa even more so. A digital presence - on social media and on the web - helps these businesses reach and engage their target market.

If you have been running a business for a while, you might find that traditional marketing methods are no longer enough. Times have changed, and SMEs must stay up-to-date with the latest trends and find new ways to grab their customer’s attention. 

Fortunately, there are a variety of marketing techniques that small and SMEs can explore and incorporate into their operations, such as social media marketing, targeted e-mail marketing, and more. These can help businesses increase awareness, create trust and confidence, and ultimately, increase sales. Therefore, SMEs should look for ways to improve their marketing strategies to increase sales.

SMEs require effective marketing strategies to succeed at their early stages. Here is why it matters:

Marketing increases visibility and brand awareness. This means that more people are aware of your business and what you sell. It is achieved by using marketing tools such as social media and e-mail campaigns effectively.

Credibility can be easily built over time through marketing initiatives. By consistently creating useful content and interacting with customers on a personal level, they will gradually believe in you. It is important to understand that these customer interactions, whether it is dealing with queries, addressing complaints or sharing information, build trust. What you promise in marketing materials must be the same as what the customer experiences. 

Marketing’s key purpose is to increase sales and revenue figures for a business. 

According to a Salesforce survey, 85% of consumers conduct research before they make a purchase online, and among the most used channels for research are websites (74%) and social media (38%).

 

These statistics alone show why you need a strong online presence. Your brand needs to be sufficiently visible online to be seen by your target audience.

With so many alternatives to choose from, it can be quite difficult to decide where to begin. This is especially the case for SMEs that do not have much time or money to invest in marketing. Here are some marketing strategies that suit SMEs in South Africa.

E-mails allow you to have a direct communication line with your customers by sending them personalised messages, offers and updates. Building a powerful lead database may involve capturing e-mails using website registrations or incentivised offerings.

Social media is full of millions of South African users, therefore it provides an opportunity for SMEs to tap into this market. LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter or Facebook, interacting with your social media followers will assist you grow your business.

Content marketing can help your SME stand out from the competition. By creating high-quality, relevant content that speaks directly to your audience, you can establish yourself as a leader in your field. Whether it’s a blog post, a video, or an infographic, high-quality content can keep your customers engaged throughout their buying Journey.

This is a direct marketing strategy that uses channels such as WhatsApp or SMS to reach customers directly. It can be highly effective in reaching and engaging customers because you have their personal phone numbers and have an idea of who they are. You can use these platforms to send promotional offers, event reminders, and important updates directly to their mobile phones. This can help drive immediate action that the client doesn’t want to miss out on.

When combined with the right audience, organic techniques are even more effective. Paid advertising reaches a much wider audience and doesn’t leave any room for guesswork about reaching the right audience. Google Ads and Facebook Ads are two global platforms that have designed their platforms to make it easy for SMEs to use. On them, you can choose your audience, location and other customer demographics.

Although you might need to purchase marketing campaigns to reach your audience more effectively, marketing doesn’t need to be expensive. SMEs should look at it as an investment in the future growth of their business. Once you leverage the right set of tools and marketing strategies for the South African market, your business will soar to new heights.