Denis Opudo
Many startups are not in a position to fund their own activities. Therefore, they need the services of investors. Investors play an important role in assisting startups with financial support. This then helps them to get their products in the market. But it is not always a bed of roses when it comes to attracting investors. Startups need to choose the right platform to engage with their target group and market their products. Evidence has proven that Kenyan startups are in a position to thrive well under such scenarios.
Investors must be convinced that the products high demand, therefore, it will generate profit at the end of the day. A good example of how best startups can sell their products is through experiential marketing. According to the StartUpNow founder and CEO Wilkins Fadhili, consumers are usually overwhelmed by content marketing and product promotions. They usually like to see that they are connected to the product. This can be attained by working with consumers on a personal level and allowing them to experience it.
Kenyan based Jinika Afrika secured two investments in August 2017. This came after marketing its products for four months. The startup is a design firm that comes up with products like shirts, bags, and jackets from denim. It gave its customers an opportunity to sketch denim designs through an online campaign. They then perfected on the designs and developed the products that they later on sold to customers. More than 200 people took part in the online campaign which then attracted investors.
It is important for startups to consider the platforms they are engaging with before getting into online marketing of their products. Kissmtrics, a behavioral customer engagement startup believes that every social network has unique features compared to others. Consumer’s behavior towards different products also varies from one market to the other. It goes ahead to highlight Twitter, Tumblr, Facebook, Instagram, Reddit and Pinterest as the most popular social networks currently. Startups can use them as promotion platforms and community building purposes. However, it is good to know that they are all unique in their own ways. For instance, Facebook users enjoy the information that has videos and pictures while Twitter users like links.
In Kenya, the Facebook users are from all age groups; therefore, it attracts a larger market. Scrin Arts, startup majors in game development. The startup uses social media ads on Facebook to get users who will download their games so as to attract investors. It has a game which is known as Recce Squad. Players get hold of various enemies that have taken over Nairobi like zombies, terrorists, and aliens. The game’s beta version was brought to the public in earlier April this year at the East Africa Gaming Convention. It has so far recorded 150 downloads. According to the game developer, Kevin Tanyi, the startup is looking forward to getting 500 downloads so as to attract investors. This will be the only way to convince them that the game has potential.
