Social media:Unlocking new opportunities for SMEs in kenya

Social media in businesses is no
longer a choice. It has revolutionized businesses in a way that can no longer be ignored by entrepreneurs. In this age of internet evolution businesses can not afford to be left out in the social media explosion.
The 2nd quarter report of 2012/2013 by Communication Commission of Kenya (cck) shows that kenya has made tremendous steps towards internet connectivity. The report shows that:-
Kenya has witnessed an increase in the number of internet users to 17.38 million.
The number of mobile data and internet subscriptions increased to 7.7 million.
Internet penetration in kenya currently stands at 33.5% of the population.
With this in mind,entrepreneurs need to understand the incredible power social media can have on businesses and the effect it lack can inflict upon businesses.
SMEs must make social media central to their marketing plans.social media  has transformed how businesses engage with customers in the last few years.
Social media can give SMEs a presence that can be far less costly than many other options available to them.
An entrepreneur can leverage on the use of social media in advertising;where customers,potential customers and all other stakeholders can ask questions or make comments. This helps the businesses to expand the offering and also to respond promtly to their clients' needs.
One of the critical areas where businesses go down on is the management of complaints. It is vital for a business to know how to deal with complaints positively. Disabling a wall won't help,it actually antagonize the complainant.
To build good social reputation a business would rather apologize timely as it would show a high level of professionalism thereby enhancing the organization public relations.
An entrepreneur can creatively turn around the complaints and comments in ways that improve the quality of his products thereby satisfying his customers.
An entrepreneur can position his business strategically by use of:
Facebook
Twitter
A blog
An up-to-date website
The vital part of social media is that it enables a one-on-one communication between the entrepreneur and interested stakeholders.

Tips for using social media to create awareness for your business.
Make a strategy decide which appropriate site to use.e.g twitter can be used to drive traffic to other social media accounts.
Build relationships Engage and interact with customers through social media.
Deliver great content make sure the content is timely and relevant. Also content should be a good mix between products,questions,polls and images.
Be consistent Do not start then stop using social media. Consistency creates a sense of reliability.
A business should be able to understand it audience,in terms of who they are and what they want in order to achieve the best engagement.

By John Muchiri