Teknolojia imeleta mambo mengi. Mojawapo ni kuibuka kwa kazi ambazo hazikuwepo kabla. Vilevile imeweza kubadili namna ya utendaji kazi wa kazi nyingi tulizozizoea na kuzifanya ziwe tofauti kabisa. Teknolojia imeathiri kila kitu.
Moja kati ya taaluma mpya zilizoweza kuibuka kutokana na maendeleo ya sayansi na teknolojia ni taaluma ya kutafuta masoko na kuuza bidhaa au huduma kwa njia ya kidigitali (Digital Marketing). Taaluma hii kwa hapa nchini Tanzania bado ni ngeni na wengi hawaifahamu. Hata vyuo vyetu bado havijaanza kufundisha somo hili ipasavyo. Lakini sio jambo la kushangaa kwani ni jambo la kawaida kwa vyuo vyetu kuachwa nyuma na kasi ya mabadiliko ya teknolojia.
Digital Marketing ni nini?
Mara nyingi ninapojitambulisha kwamba ninafanya digital marketing, wengi huniuliza maana ya digital marketing.
Katika makala hii utaweza kufahamu maana ya Digital Marketing pamoja na kufahamu sehemu unayoweza kujifunza elimu hii bure kabisa na kupatiwa cheti kinachotambulika duniani. Kama wewe ni mfanyabiashara unayetamani kuingia kwenye ulimwengu wa kutafuta masoko kidigitali au unataka kujifunza Digital Marketing kama taaluma basi makala hii inakuhusu. Twende sambamba.
Kwa tafsiri ya kawaida, Digital Marketing inaweza kutafsiriwa kama;
Utafutaji masoko, kuuza pamoja na kutangaza bidhaa au huduma kwa kutumia majukwaa ya kidigitali (online platforms) kama vile mitandao ya kijamii na tovuti.
– Tanzlite
Angalia maana kutoka kwenye mtandao hapa chini;
The use of numerous digital tactics and channels to connect with customers where they spend much of their time online
– HubSpot
The marketing of products or services using digital technologies, mainly on the internet, but also including mobile phones, display advertising, and any other digital medium
Digita Marketing kwa majina mengine huitwa Internet Marketing, e-commerce au Online Marketing.
Kwanini digital marketing ni muhimu?
Sababu zinaeleweka. Siku hizi kila mtu yuko online. Kila mtu yuko kwenye mitandao ya kijamii kama vile Facebook, Twitter, Instagram na mingineyo. Mitandao imejaa watu. Wakiwemo wateja wa bidhaa yako.
Hii ina maana gani kwa wafanyabiashara?
Wafanyabiashara na wajasiriamali wanatakiwa kujiongeza. Siku hizi mambo ni digitali, hivyo biashara nazo hazina budi kuendeshwa kidigitali. Hauwezi ukaweka mabango barabarani au kubandika kwenye magari wakati watu wanatumia muda mwingi kutazama kwenye simu janja zao.
Hata redio na televisheni zimekuwa hazitumiwi sana na watu. Siku hizi ni mwendo wa YouTube na muziki wa kudownload. Kila kitu kiganjani.
Kama mfanyabiashara unaekwenda na wakati, ni lazima kuingia kwenye ulimwengu wa uuzaji na utafutaji masoko kidigitali. Wateja wako wapo Instagram na Facebook kwanini wewe usiwepo?
Vipengele vinavyo husisha Digital Marketing
Ukisikia digital marketing, mara nyingi Inahusisha vipengele vifuatavyo;
Kutafuta masoko kupitia mitandao ya kijamii (Social Media Marketing)
Hili ndio swala ambalo watu wengi humaanisha wakiongelea Digital Marketing. Makampuni mengi yamefungua akaunti za mitandao ya kijamii kwa lengo la kujiweka karibu na wateja wao pamoja na kupata wateja wapya, kujenga mahusiano mazuri na wateja wao pamoja na kuzungumza nao wanapokuwa na maswali.
Kupitia mitandao ya kijamii, kampuni hutengeneza maudhui kwa mfumo wa picha, video au maandishi ili kuwafahamisha wateja kuhusu huduma za kampuni, kutoa ofa na promosheni mbalimbali kwa wafuatiliaji wake (followers) Fahamu zaidi kuhusu kazi ya social media na majukumu yake hapa.
Uuzaji kupitia barua pepe (Email marketing)
Umeshawahi kuambiwa Subscribe to our newsletter? Basi hicho ndio kitu tunaongelea hapa kwa haraka haraka. Barua pepe ni mtandao mkongwe ambao umekuwepo kwa miaka mingi sasa. Wafanyabishara huomba kukusanya barua pepe za watembeleaji wa tovuti zao ili baadaye waweze kuwashirikisha juu ya fursa na ofa mbalimbali za kampuni husika.
Kwa kuwa watu wengi wanatumia simu za mkononi, barua pepe hazina budi kuandaliwa katika muonekano unaofaa kwenye simu (mobile friendly). Bila kufanya hivyo ni bora usitumie njiaa hii kwani email zako hazitasomwa na utawafanya wateja kujiondoa (unsubscribe) kwenye orodha ya mawasiliano yako.
Kujitangaza kupitia Tovuti (Website)
Tovuti ndio njia kuu ya kupeleka biashara yako online. Kama ulivyofungua duka la nguo pale Kariakoo, basi unaweza ukalihamisha duka hilo hilo ukalipeleka mtandaoni na wateja wanaweza kukutembelea, kuchagua nguo na kufanya manunuzi bila kufika dukani kwako Kariakoo. Maajabu sio? Fikiria tovuti kubwa kama vile alibaba au eBay. Au hata tovuti za ahapa nyumbani kama vile Kupatana. Jaribu kuwa na tovuti yako ujionee faida zake. Hakikisha website yako ni nyepesi kufunguka, na inapendeza kwenye simu za mkononi.
Matokeo ya haraka (Search Engine Optimization)
Kuweka biashara yako mtandaoni si swala la kufungua tovuti tu. Bali tovuti yenye ubora unaotambuliwa na injini za utafutaji (Search Engines). Hii inajumuisha mambo kama maudhui (content) unayoweka kwenye tovuti na ubora uliotumika kujenga tovuti yako (programming). Tovuti iliyojengwa vibaya haiwezi kuoneshwa kwenye matokeo ya utafutaji (Search Results) hivyo kukufanya usiweze kujulikana na kupelekea kukosa wateja.
Fanya utafiti mdogo kuangalia kama tovuti yako inatambuliwa (indexed) na injini ya utafutaji ya Google kwa kuingiza maneno yafuatayo kwenye sanduku la kutafutia (Search bar) site:yourdomain
Mfano; site:tanzlite.com
Hakikisha matokeo yatakapoletwa na Google yanaonyesha kurasa (pages) zote zilizopo kwenye tovuti yako. Usipoona kitu ujue una kazi ya kufanya.
Matangazo ya Kulipia (Sponsored Ads)
Kama umeshawahi kukutana na post ya page ambayo huja-follow imeandikwa “Sponsored”, basi hayo ndiyo matangazo ya kulipia. Ni aina ya digital marketing ambapo unatumia pesa kufikisha tangazo lako kwa watu wengi zaidi. Hii ni inasadia kwa mwenye biashara ambaye ndiyo anaanza kuweza kufikia wateja kwa muda mfupi sana.
Unaweza kutumia matangazo ya Facebook, matangazo ya Instagram, Google n.k. Habari njema ni kwamba matangazo haya hayana gharama sana; mfano Facebook na Instagram watakudai dola moja tu kwa siku kama kiwango cha chini cha matumizi.
Matangazo mguso (Paid Per Click Ads)
Yanaitwa matangazo mguso kwa sababu malipo hufanyika mara tu mtu anapo bofya tangazo lako. Hii ni aina ya kutangaza bidhaa au huduma kwa kununua maneno maalum (keywords) yanayohusu bidhaa yako ambapo mtu akitafuta kwa kutumia maneno hayo, biashara yako inaweza kuoneka juu kwenye matokeo ya utafutaji (search results)
Graphic design
Ukiingia WhatsApp au kwenye mitandao mingine ya kijamii, utakutana na picha zilizonakshiwa kwa maneno na rangi nzuri. Hii kitaalamu Graphic design (sijui kwa Kiswahili tunaitaje). Basi kila mwenye brand au mwenye event yake anataka kuporomote kwa nakshi zenye kuvutia macho ya watu na kuwashawishi kuisambaza (share) kwa wenzao.
Kutangaza biashara kwa njia ya video (video marketing)
Ukiondoa Google, ni search engine gani nyingine ya pili kwa ukubwa? Je ni Bing? Au Yahoo? Jibu ni YouTube. Watu wanaangalia video kwa wingi sana siku hizi . Kwa mfanyabiashara mjanja hii ni fursa kubwa. Unaweza kutumia video kuonyesha ujuzi wako katika huduma unayofanya au kuwaonyesha watu kuhusu mambo yanayojiri ofisini kwako. Pia kutangaza biashara yako YouTube si lazima uwe na video clip, —nitalifafanua hili kwa undani zaidi katika makala zijazo.
Kutangaza biashara kupitia watu wenye ushawishi mtandaoni (Influencers)
Watu maarufu mtandaoni wana nguvu ya kushawishi na kuweza kubadili mtazamo wa watu juu ya jambo fulani. Hivyo makampuni na brand mbalimbali zinatumia watu kama hawa kutangaza biashara zao na kufikia watu wengi. Hapa Tanzania kuna watu kama Idris Sultani ambaye ni balozi wa kampuni ya Uber.
Kukua kwa influencer marketing kumekuja kwa sababu kuu moja; mitandao ya kijamii ni watu, na watu wanapenda kushiriki (interact) na watu wenzao kuliko kampuni. Hivyo makampuni yanajitahidi kuwa karibu na watu kwa kuwatumia watu maarufu kukuza biashara zao.
Wapi unaweza kujifunza elimu ya Digital Marketing
Elimu ya Digital Marketing ni moja kati ya elimu ambayo mtu hauhitaji kuwa na degree ya miaka mitatu chuoni. Lakini faida zake ni kubwa hasa katika kipindi hiki ambacho wahitimu wanatoka vyuo wasijue nini cha kufanya mtaani. Nikushauri leo, anza kujifunza Digital Marketing. Hapa chini nimeorodheasha sehemu tatu ambazo unaweza kusoma online course za digital marketing na mambo mengine mengi.
Ingia mtandaoni leo, chagua kozi na uanze kusoma. Ukikwama mahali au ukihitaji ufafanuzi zaidi, usisite kuwasiliana nasi. Namba zetu zipo kwenye tovuti hii ukurasa wa mawasiliano. Pia tutaendelea kutoa mafunzo kuhusu Digital Marketing kupitia mfululizo wa makala zetu za Kiswahili na Kiingereza.
Hitimisho
Digital Marketing ni habari njema kwa biashara za karne ya 21. Ni njia rahisi ya kujitangaza, kuuza na kujipatia wateja kwa urahisi. Mara nyingi unaweza kufanya bila hata gharama yoyote. Kwa wewe unayehitaji maarifa mapya yasiyo na ushindani mkubwa kwa sasa, jaribu hii fursa. Makala zinazofuata tutaelezea kiundani kuhusu mambo haya ambayo tumeyagusia kwa muhtasari.
Every business wants more traffic, more leads, and more sales. The whole point of launching our businesses online is to be visible to a bigger audience. We all want to reach those people who might otherwise not know we exist. Thanks to technology.
When it comes to launching a business online, however, it takes more than just being there. If the only way people can find you online is by you sharing a link directly to them, then you’re not really online. The key is to be found organically online.
Here are 13 reasons why taking your business online might not be online;
1. You’re not recognized by search engines
If your website is not indexed by search engines like Google and Bing, then you’re on the wrong side of the web. People are always searching for a service related to yours but they can’t find you on search results. While gaining visibility and ranking on search engines takes time, you can improve it by having a dedicated ongoing SEO (Search Engine Optimization) strategy.
2. Other media don’t know you exist
Have you ever been featured by media like top bloggers and influencers? If no, then you have a long way to go. Your credibility online depends on how many other websites are linking to you (backlinks). You can use paid media to have a sponsored article about you written by mainstream media.
3. You don’t know your audience
If your business is for everyone, then it is for nobody. Without knowing your customers, you will be shooting in the dark. You’ll not know how to optimize your content for a targeted audience and you’ll end up getting followers who will not convert into buying customers.
4. Images downloaded somewhere else
Are you using original images or downloaded from another website? If you are using images downloaded from free image stocks, chances are many people are using them. Your business will gain more credibility if you use your own images.
Also, remember to give your images names that relate to your service. This is because search engines don’t see images the way we see them. They see the code behind them. By giving your images a descriptive name, you help search engines determine what your website is all about.
5. Website content is poor
Without content, you are lost online. Focus on good quality content and you will be rewarded. Create content that is not only about your services and products but also content that builds trust and establishes you as an authority in that industry. If you copied content from somewhere else and pasted it on your website, then you’re only putting yourself behind.
6. No conversion goals
Today’s websites are not like static brochures stuffed with About, Mission, and Vision statements. Today’s websites are meant to convert people with clear calls to action. You can achieve conversion goals such as getting new subscribers to your newsletter and having people perform actions like filling out a form or buying directly from your website. Without these efforts, you are just as good as being offline.
7. No one is talking about you online
Being online means joining conversations about your industry and empowering your audience to do the marketing for you. This is called earned media and it comprises things like comments, shares, mentions, and blog articles from other people talking about your services. It is important because it builds trust and credibility. It can’t be only you talking about you. Encourage your customers to leave online reviews and comments about your service
8. Abandoned social media accounts
An abandoned company social channel sends a negative message to your audience. It implies you are either no longer in business or you don’t pay your employees well. Because if you did, they would keep your online presence active.
9. Your website or app takes an eternity to load
How long did it take for you to open this article? Hope it didn’t take too long, otherwise, you wouldn’t be reading it right now. People’s attention is short. They have so many interesting things on their gadgets. They are impatient to wait for another second for your site to load unless it’s a job application. Make sure your website doesn’t contain unnecessary things that make it heavy.
10. You’re not leveraging local SEO
If your business is getting more local customers who speak Swahili and you are using only English, then you’re missing out on potential customers. Those people are searching for a service like yours but they cannot find you because their search terms are in Swahili. You can attract local customers by creating a separate page on your website written in Kiswahili. Or you can add your business to local listing directories like Google My Business.
11. Not mobile-friendly
If your website looks another way on desktop and completely another thing on mobile, then you are not controlling the online experience. Your mobile app or website needs to be designed with its users in mind. Your target audience uses different devices with different browsers. Make sure the experience is the same and perfect on everyone’s favorite screen.
12. You’re not using Paid ads
Mark Zuckerberg doesn’t like organic results. If you didn’t know, now you know. As people’s feeds got crowded, Facebook reduced to show company updates. In fact, it rarely exists these days. The only way left for company pages to survive on Facebook is to use paid ads. But the good thing is, Facebook ads work perfectly well.
13. Auto translating tools
It is easy to simplify everything by using Artificial Intelligence. But be careful to not erode authenticity and the human touch that people need. Search engines do not like content generated by the automation tool for the sake of ranking. They even consider it spam. Make sure your web copy is written for humans first.
Your business might have sold in the past years using traditional marketing strategies, but one thing is for sure, change is inevitable. The internet has changed the game. You can’t do business depending on word-of-mouth referrals in a world where people barely listen to each other but pay attention to their gadgets.
I wish you success in your business. Spread the information to all entrepreneurs out there.
Biashara na matangazo ya karne ya 21 yanategemea sana teknolojia. Tunaishi ulimwengu wa dijitiali hivyo kila kitu hakina budi kufanywa kidijitali.
Unaweza kuwa na biashara yako au kampuni yako inayotoa huduma ama bidhaa imara na uhakika kabisa lakini usipotumia bidii kujitangaza ama kujiweka online, unaweza kuzidiwa na watu ambao huduma zao hazina ubora zaidi yako.
Kujitangaza (au kutafuta masoko) kimtandao ni njia rahisi na isiyo gharama kuwafikia watu wengi zaidi. Ukweli ni kwamba usipofanya matangazo ya biashara yako, yote uyafanyao yataishia kwa watu wachache tu wanaokuzunguka.
Nenda na wakati
Siku hizi mtu akitaka msaada wa jambo fulani wazo la kwanza kumjia ni kushika simu yake na kuperuzi kuhusu akitakacho. Hapo ndipo huweza kukutana na majibu ya swala alitakalo mtandaoni.
Fikiria wewe ndiyo hauko mtandaoni, mtumiaji huyu wa internet atakufahamu vipi? Atafahamu vipi una duka la nguo Kariakoo? Badilika. Nenda na wakati, hamia ulimwengu wa digitali. Wazungu wanaita ‘Digital Marketing’ mbinu ya kutafuta masoko na kujitangaza kupitia majukwaa ya kimtandao kama vile tovuti, mitandao ya kijamii, email, whatsapp na kadhalika.
Unaanzia wapi?
Ni rahisi. Ingawa waweza kutumia pesa panapohitajika, kujitangaza mitandaoni ni bure kabisa. Ni kama vile ulivyo na akaunti facebook bila malipo yoyote. Cha msingi ni wewe kujifunza mbinu za uendeshaji na kuchagua njia ipi inakufaa zaidi
Miliki tovuti/website yako
Tovuti hasa kwa mashirika, makampuni na biashara kubwa ni kitu cha lazima. Hii huongeza hadhi ya kampuni kwa ujumla. Tofauti kubwa kati ya tovuti ama website na mitandao mingine ya kijamii ni namna ya kuweka maudhui.
Kupitia tovuti, mtu anaweza kupata taarifa kwa kina kuhusu kampuni au bidhaa. Pia kwenye tovuti kunaweza kufanyika shughuli kama manunuzi ya mtandaoni, kuandikisha watu kwa ajili ya program, newsletter na kadhalika.
Unatengenezaje tovuti? Ni rahisi. Kuna watu na makampuni mengi yapo kukusaidia kufungua tovuti yako. Sisi Kampuni ya Tanzlite Digital tunatengeneza website za kisasa kwa bei nafuu ili kukusaidie wewe na biashara yako katika ulimwengu wa digitali.
Mitandao ya kijamii
Karibia kila mtu yuko Facebook au Instagram. Maana
yake ni kwamba soko liko huko kwa sababu ndiko watu waliko. Cha kufanya ni
kupeleka biashara yako huko. Fungua akaunti kwa jina la biashara au kampuni
yako na uanze kujitangaza.
Nini cha kupost ukiwa huko? Hapa ndipo wengi hukosea. Makampuni mengi hapa nchini hayafahamu namna ya kutumia mitandao ya kijamii.
Mitandao ya kijamii ni watu, hivyo wewe kama kampuni unatakiwa ufahamu namna ya kuishi na watu. Fahamu namna ya kushirikiana na watu. Isiwe kila siku unapost kuhusu wewe na bidhaa zako tu. Utawachosha watu. Kuwa mbunifu.
Unaweza ukawa unapost picha za bidhaa zako, picha za wateja wenye nyuso za kuridhika na huduma yako. Kama utakuwa mtundu zaidi waweza tengeneza vipande vifupi vya video. Kumbuka pia hautakiwi kupost mara kwa mara ikawa too much.
Jambo la msingi kuzingatia ni kwamba mitandao ya kijamii ni majukwaa tofauti tofauti yenye maudhui na makundi ya watu tofauti. Ni muhimu kulifahamu hili ili aweze kutambua kipi cha kufanya ukiwa kwenye haya majukwaa.
Boosti tangazo lako kupitia Sponsored Ads
Kama ndiyo kwanza unaanza na wateja hawakuji na huna followers wengi, njia rahisi ya kufikia watu ili waone unachouza ni kulipia tangazo. Kama huwa unaona post ya page ambayo huja-follow imeandikwa “Sponsored”, basi hayo ndiyo matangazo ya kulipia. Bei ya kutangaza ni rahisi tu; kwa upande wa Facebook na Instagram kiwango cha chini ni dola moja tu (Tsh 2400*)
WhatsApp pia ni fursa kubwa
Kwa kaiwaida WhatsApp hujumuishwa kwenye kundi la mitandao ya kijamii. Lakini kiuchambuzi zaidi, WhatsApp pamoja na majukwaa mengine kama Telegram na Messenger yanaitwa private messaging platforms. WhatsApp imekuwa kimbilio la wajasiriamali wengi wa kitanzania. Kupitia magrupu na status whatsapp, watu wanatangaza bidhaa zao na kupata wanunuzi. Soma zaidi jinsi ya kutumia WhatsApp Business hapa
Weka biashara yako kwenye Google My Business
Kampuni ya Google wana mfumo wa kukuwezesha kuweka biashara yako kwenye ramani ya Google ili watu wa karibu na eneo lako waweze kukuona wakitafuta huduma au bidhaa inayoendana na yako. Pia wanaweza kuacha maoni kama vile kukupa five star rate ili kuongeza visibility yako mtandaoni.
Pia zipo tovuti zingine zinazokuwezesha kuorodhozesha biashara au bidhaa yako kama vile Kupatana, na Zoom Tanzania.
Kuwa mbunifu katika maudhui (Content Marketing)
Karibia kila mtu anaandika maudhui mtandaoni. Iwe ni mstari mmoja kama status za facebook na whatsapp laikini yote ni maudhui. Kinachokuja kutofautisha kati ya maudhui mengi yanayoandikwa kila siku mtandaoni ni aina na stadi za uandaaji maudhui hayo.
Nichukulie mfano wa mchekeshaji maarufu nchini, Idris Sultani, kuna wakati huandika posts kwenye ukurasa wake wa instagram akitangaza makampuni kama Uber. Uandishi wake ni mwepesi na wenye ucheshi, lakini hapo ameweza kutangaza biashara.
Kwa makampuni na taasisi mbalimbali unaweza kuajiri muandaa maudhui na mwongozaji wa akaunti za kijamii za kampuni. Hili ni jambo muhimu sana katika ulimwengu wa mawasiliano ya kidigitali.
Kampuni yetu ina wataalamu wa masuala ya Digital Marketing ambao wanaweza kukurahishia kazi kuandaa yote haya. Kazi yako ni kufanya biashara, sisi tunaimarisha uwepo wako mtandaoni (online visibility)
Amua sasa!
Siku hizi mambo yanaenda kidigitali, hivyo hata biashara yako haina budi kuenda na wakati.
Kama uliwahi kujaribu tovuti au mitandao ya kijamii na haukupata matokeo mazuri basi kuna mahali haukufanya kwa usahihi. Tafuta wataalamu wakusaidie. Unapitwa wateja kwa kushindwa kuwa online. Amua sasa!
TANGAZO: Tumeanzisha group la WhatsApp kuwapa USHAURI Wajasiariamali wanaouza bidhaa mtandaoni kama vile Instagram, Facebook na WhatsApp. Bofya picha hapo chini.
