MAL 41:21 | Page 93

was No . He asked me , Why not ? And I responded , a veterinarian is a doctor for animals , and I am human . Furthermore , the veterinarian may not be a specialized brain surgeon .
When your customer wants the solution that you have to offer , why do you want them bouncing around towards someone who offers something ‘ like ’ your product or service ? Close , but not quite ? Why give away your advantage ?
When I want to find out something about entrepreneurship , I search for Richard Branson . I will find interviews , podcasts , quotes , blog articles , social media pages , books , a website - a rich pool of information and a strong online presence . Often , he is not talking about his actual core business , rather , he is sharing his ideas and thoughts , business insights and stories about his journey in business .
Understanding what he shares from my own perspective gives me confidence in his ability to run and manage businesses , and inadvertently makes me a loyalist and eventually a customer .
With social media marketing , this is what I would advise an SME owner . It is not about putting up a post with your offering and expecting an instant conversion . It is

Unfortunately , there are many marketers who promise heaven , and deliver a special level of hell when it comes to social media marketing . From trying to be everywhere at the same time , pushing generic content that looks great on face value but does not communicate anything unique , all the way to thousands spent on influencers or sponsored posts with little results to show .

about understanding the online customer journey , and making sure you appear at every stage of the journey .
Think about the following . When a customer is looking for your service , they may begin on Google . Where are you on Google ? They move towards social media platforms . What will they find about you there ? They visit your website to establish that you are credible . Is your website up to date ? They try and find out a little but about the owner . Have you contributed to the body of online content through blogs , interviews , podcasts , books or anything similar ?
Sounds like a lot , though all it needs is a solid plan in place and the motivation to follow through , as well as patience to see your results . Take a look at your online presence and ask yourself , if you were your customer , how confident would you be to buy your product or service ?
And if you need help , feel free to reach out vide my email here-under !
Valerie Ambetsa Siganga is the Growth Strategist at Pink Africa Marketing , a Marketing Agency that helps businesses grow . You can commune with her via email at : Valerie @ pinkafricamarketing . com