Brands/Products
How Start-ups Can Leverage 360 Degrees Marketing Techniques to Increase Sales
By Emmanuel Otori
Sales are a determinant of whether a business would survive or not. The lifeblood of every business is embedded in the day-to-day activities that can generate consistent cash flow.
Some organizations get caught up in trying to do many things are at a time which makes their progression towards activities that contribute to their downline flawed and is visible in the finances of the organizations.
Organizations are not necessarily alarmed until there is a sharp drop in revenue; however, a sharp drop in revenue is only an indication of many other factors beyond what has been observed. This revenue drop is a symptom that some core activities are ailing such as staff retention, customer service, lack of repeat sales, poor product management, unclear definitions of the target market, lack of promotional.
If the sale is consistent, a business can survive the most difficult phases as cash flow is directly linked to the overall activities.
The most important question to ask then is “how can more sales be made”? Without asking this question, the business risks every other form of major distraction.
The 360 degrees Marketing Techniques
The 360 degrees marketing techniques are sometimes called Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC). These techniques are a mix of several activities that organizations are engaged in to increase awareness about a product or service.
The perception of visibility by a customer over a long period of time consistently makes a brand become a sort of inevitable to a customer whenever they need to make a purchasing decision as the brand is the first to come to mind due to the number of exposures they have had with the prospect and vice-versa.
Email Marketing
Email is one of the easiest and fastest ways to reach a large audience and when properly deployed has the potential to create a consistent stream of customers, as it takes the form of a closed user group through the reception of newsletters by the customers and overtime a relationship is built through readership as the audience are regularly updated about eh activities of the organization or products and services.
Email Marketing also helps to create some form of targets as there are metrics that could show who reads a particular newsletter and how many times. Observing the behaviour of the readers and the type of content they are reading could initiate a purchase decision by offering a product that compliments what they read.
Blogging
Blogging is similar to email marketing, but while email marketing is only sent to subscribers or users generated through a third party, blogging reaches out to all possible audiences that are online and serves as a tool to consistently inform customers about the product, services or activities of a business. Regular blogging should average up to 3-5 blog posts weekly to make conversions; this done over a period of 6 months is a guarantee for increased sales.
Granting Media Interviews
As much as the new media is emerging greatly, the traditional media still holds a sit in the preference of most audiences and the ability to use these tools such as television, radio and print media is key to reaching a lot of people. The conversations on these platforms create a direct connection with the listeners as it is visual and the ability to see the person being interviewed as they share industry-based experience makes them look to most audiences like thought leaders. This done over time would make such personality become a face and voice in their sector.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
Search Engine Optimization is arguably the first on the list of all techniques as it reduces the time, effort and energy to directly reach out to prospective customers. SEO guarantees that prospects can easily find an offer and make a purchase decision as it places a brand right where the audience is seeking answers. Sales are also made round the clock with no limitation of where the customer buys from.
Networking
Getting exposure as a Founder for your business is necessary to build a personal brand first, as this benefit extends to a business brand as trust can easily be built when people can interact with the owner of the business. A core part of business visibility is to ensure that a business owner continuously puts themselves out there as many times as possible, and this consistency over time is able to drastically build loyalty right from the onset and sales.
While there are many other techniques in addition to the ones mentioned, engaging in one or more of these activities has the potential to increase the revenue base of the business and reachability.
Emmanuel Otori has worked on the GEM Project of the World Bank, conducted training for entrepreneurs and professionals at the Abuja Enterprise Agency and has over 8 years of experience working with over 50 SMEs across Nigeria. He can be reached via https://www.linkedin.com/in/emmanuelotori/
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
Residents of Egbin, Ijede, and Ipakan in Lagos State recently trooped out for the 7th Annual Medical Outreach of Egbin Power.
The three-day medical outreach was organised in partnership with a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) known as Livewell Initiative in line with the power-generating company’s commitment to ensuring healthy lives and well-being of its host communities.
This programme also aligns with the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goal 3 (SDG 3) – Good Health and Well-being.
The outreach attracted over three thousand people, including children, adults and nursing mothers, who enjoyed cardiovascular, arthritis, dental, eye-check, diabetes tests, malaria treatment, hepatitis screening, and blood pressure examination.
It was gathered that eyeglasses, dental kits, and medications were administered at no cost to the residents after careful examination by qualified medical practitioners.
“At Egbin Power, we recognise that the health and well-being of our host communities is crucial to our success. This medical outreach programme is one of the ways we demonstrate our commitment to giving back to our host communities.
“It is also in alignment with our commitment to SDG 3 and we believe that access to quality healthcare is a fundamental right, and we will continue to work towards making it a reality for all,” the Head of Corporate Communications and Branding at Egbin Power, Mr Felix Ofulue, stated.
“We are proud to partner with Egbin Power on this medical outreach programme. Together, we are making a positive difference in the lives of the people in these communities,” the Managing Director of Livewell Initiative, Dr Bisi Bright, said.
Also speaking at the event, the Aro of Egbin Kingdom, Mr Olayemi Olukunga, said, “We are grateful to Egbin Power for their kindness and generosity. This medical outreach programme has become an annual tradition that we look forward to, and we appreciate the positive impact it has on our community.”
One of the beneficiaries, Mrs Wasilat Ogundipe, thanked Egbin Power for the gesture, saying, “It affords us timely access to free medical examinations, enabling our children, parents and vulnerable community members to address their health concerns.”
By Adedapo Adesanya
International Workplace Group (IWG), the world’s largest provider of hybrid working solutions with notable brands like Spaces and Regus, is opening two state-of-the-art flexible workspaces in Lagos to meet the rising demand.
The addition of IWG’s latest locations, HQ Lagos Lekki Link Bridge and Regus Lagos Mansard Place, followed the business posting its highest-ever revenue, cashflow and earnings growth in its history and achieving rapid network growth, signing 465 new locations in the first half of 2024 alone.
According to the company, the adoption of hybrid working rapidly is accelerating across Nigeria and these new locations in Lagos are part of the drive by IWG to meet the sharply rising demand for top-class flexible working space in the area.
Its unique offering will enable local people to experience living in a “15-minute” city, allowing workers to work close to their homes without commuting far from where they live.
The HQ workspace is set to open in Lekki in March 2025 and will It will be located on the 2nd and 3rd floor while the Regus location at Mansard Place (situated at Plot 928, Bishop Aboyade Cole Street, Victoria Island) will be on the 3rd floor of the six storey building and will open in February 2025.
The buildings will provide space for established firms and start-ups across a range of industries, while IWG’s Design Your Own Office service allows companies to tailor their space entirely to their requirements. The new locations will include facilities including private offices, meeting rooms, co-working and creative spaces.
With explosive market growth as companies of all sizes adopt hybrid working for the long-term, it is predicted that 30 per cent of all commercial real estate will be flexible workspace by 2030 and IWG believes that partners will be able to capitalise on this fast-growing sector,
The potential for further growth is exponential with an estimated 1.2 billion white collar workers globally and a total addressable market of more than £1.57 trillion. Conventional office occupancy will continue to fall as businesses require less traditional space and turn to flexible workspace instead.
Last year alone, IWG welcomed over 800 new partner locations and counts 83 per cent of Fortune 500 companies among its customer base.
Speaking on this, Mr Mark Dixon, CEO & Founder of International Workplace Group Plc, commented: “We are establishing a stronger and much-needed footprint in Nigeria with this these latest openings.
“As an important business hub Lagos is a fantastic place for us to boost our expansion plans. The need for high-quality flexible workspaces continues to soar as hybrid working becomes the new normal.
“We are very pleased to work in partnership with Sterling Bank and APD Mansard Place to develop the brand under a management agreement that will add a cutting-edge workspaces to their the buildings.
“Our openings in Lagos comes at a time when more and more companies are discovering that flexible working boosts employee happiness and satisfaction, while helping the environment. Our workplace model is also proven to increase productivity and allows for a business to scale up or down at significantly reduced costs.”
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
Another award has been added to the shelves of Airtel Nigeria for the quality service it offers its numerous subscribers.
At the 14th Nigerian NewsDirect Awards held at the Lagos Oriental Hotel on Friday, December 6, 2024, the company went home with the Most Preferred and Admired Telecommunications Brand award.
The chief executive of Airtel Nigeria, Mr Dinesh Balsingh, thanked the news platform for the recognition, reiterating the dedication of the organisation towards the growth of Nigeria.
“At Airtel, we remain steadfast in our mission to enrich lives and contribute to the sustainable growth of our nation, and we are proud to receive this award as the Most Preferred and Admired Telecommunications Brand.
“This recognition reaffirms our commitment to connecting Nigerians, driving digital inclusion, and empowering communities through innovative solutions,” he said.
The ceremony, themed Achieving Economic Prosperity: The Role of Human Capacity Development, Fiscal Prudence, and Revenue Generation, celebrated outstanding contributions made by individuals and corporate organisations to national development across sectors and industries.
The chairman of Odu’a Investment Limited, Mr Bimbo Ashiru, thanked all participating entities for their “continuous contributions and support to the nation’s growth.”
“You have demonstrated excellence and have significantly contributed to Nigeria’s progress and we believe this platform will continue to highlight and encourage best practices across industries,” he stated.
The event attracted several persons, including the chairman of the Lagos State Internal Revenue Service (LIRS), Mr Ayodele Subair; and the Registrar-General of the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), Mr Hussaini Ishaq Magaji; among others.
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