The advent of Internet and social networking sites has opened up numerous business opportunities. Even if you don’t have working capital, you can still become a successful businessman if you know how to sell using digital marketing techniques. Orissa POST talked to a few Odia youths who are doing brisk business through digital marketing.
“Marketing is all about connecting with your audience in the right place at the right time. In the age of digitization, your best strategy would be to meet your customers online where they spend most of their time,” explained Sunil Kumar, a digital marketing expert.
“Through this platform, it’s easy to compete with corporate houses and you can keep track of your competitors. Odisha has plenty of scope for the growth of startups. At least 72 per cent of customers are connected with the business community through digital platforms. Digital marketing reports show a conversion rate of 24 per cent to 40 per cent of businesses. The disadvantage of digital marketing is that the customer base is largely limited to urban areas where the number of Internet users is more. In rural areas, we face resistance due to the lack of Internet connections, education, and power supply and the attitude towards change. As a digital marketing expert, I suggest that you should not focus too much on the disadvantages as it will have a negative impact on your business. A large number of people do not trust this mode, but gradually you have to create awareness. It is said that customers can never be satisfied as their buying patterns change continuously. Still, we try to reassure them with regular updates about our services, offers, after-sales service, quick and fast deliverability, product development, and new launches through digital marketing. I would advise beginners to do research before going in for digital marketing. Know your target audience and do hard work because you will need continuous efforts to build your market digitally,” added Sunil.
“Considering the customers’ interest in buying online, companies are now taking the e-marketing route, also known as digital marketing,’’ said Ankit Mohanty, territory head of an electrical firm. “It is the easiest way to market your product to your target audience. As per studies, 89 per cent of customers choose e-buying over buying at shops.”
“The younger generation is tech-savvy and familiar with e-marketing because it offers a lot of comfort and, most importantly, it is faster than anything else. It’s a boon for marketers to reach their target audience. Digital marketing is cheaper than other modes and means of marketing. Information uploaded online regarding your company or product may cost the company far less than sending the same information via newspaper.
“Digital marketing again may be preferred to print marketing as there is always the chance of people being attracted towards digital media. People are always watching ads online while that may not be true of a print media advertisement.
“Customers want to have a comparative analysis of prices and benefits of all products available in the market. The digital market offers them a platform to review all aspects associated with a product. Digital marketing has made our lives simpler by offering us everything right in front of us virtually. Companies have the advantage of marketing their products and services directly to the customers and keeping track of changes in the consumer behaviour,” added Ankit.
Ankita Mohanty, an anchor and actress from Bhadrak, said “The digital platform is a vast floor where we can expand our business. I focus on fashion and make people happy with my fashion updates. Recently, I started my online fashion business involving clothes, footwear and ethnic jewellery. Within a few days, I noticed the big customer response because people from various sectors can easily elicit information from online platforms. Occasionally, we face problems due to wrong information and get cheated due to digital marketing. Yet, I try to plan everything well and focus on the satisfaction of my customers. It’s not easy to satisfy a customer. You have to ensure quality and product variety and focus on their buying priorities. You also need to focus on timely delivery of the product.”
BRATATI BARAL, OP
