Contributor: Tech Mistress is not a so young ‘eccentric’, tech loving lady. She likes to share information in funny and witty ways, to inform but yet motivate. You can follow her on twitter – @AbiikeBlogger, and check out her blog – Mumuocrats.
According to a recent study by Thomas Industrial Network, industrial companies that aren’t embracing social media, in a belief that competitors are doing the same, risk losing business opportunities. At present, 68% of small to midsized industrial suppliers are engaging with customers via social media, affording themselves an advantage over other firms who have yet to start.
Thomas says that more than 3,000 companies surveyed regularly use social media to market their products, generate leads, answer questions, conduct research, and gain new business – utilizing LinkedIn, YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, industry forums and blogs. Still, many industrial suppliers don’t possess the in-house segment dedicated to manage social media. Thomas Industrial Network has just launched a new channel in response to this – The Social Media Program, which helps industrial suppliers get connected on LinkedIn, Twitter, Blogs, Facebook and Google+. Thomas handles all aspects of social media participation, from strategy sessions, goal-setting, and generating and posting unique content for each outfit.
Let’s just say not only industries have benefitted from social media as more companies are realizing the effectiveness of social media. A huge marketing strategy for some though others still ‘waste’ millions on advertising not realising that most of their target audience are ‘online’ all the time.
SMEs in the country have benefited from the use of social media as most of them instead of having ‘websites’ rely more on Facebook and twitter with blogs like Linda ikeji, Niyi Tabiti’s, YNaija, Olorisupergal, Omojuwa, and Bella Naija have more localized advert due to their ‘reach’.
And the purpose of advertising is to satisfy consumers and make sales. Which is working with the rate at which online stores are springing up. With the recent crackdown on internet freedom, hopefully there will be no need for regulating ‘advertising and social media start ups’ in general as it is an effective business tool especially on the nigerian economy and a country where paid employment is rare, there is hardly any job satisfaction and security and average citizens have to create employment for themselves.
