Today’s businesses are confronted by a reality that has made going online imperative. You either go online or you sit in your shop all day and counting passers-by.
In fact, the art of buying and selling has been redefined. Only the constantly changing businesses know and adjust to present realities quickly for survival.
Even before the pandemic, the idea of traditional market was being pushed to the second rung on the ladder. People – especially the busy class – have embraced e-commerce. Rather than leave the office or home to enter the rough Lagos market, for instance, people prefer to click and pay for just anything you can think of.
By clicking a purchase button online, food, electrical appliances, shoes, etc are bought and delivered. Undoubtedly, online is the new market.
A Group of Potential Customers
A market is not only a physical location where sellers and buyers meat to haggle prices and in the process exchange some saliva that may find its way into the mouth, nose or eyes. It is also “a group of potential customers for one’s product.”
If you check this definition again, you will agree that you don’t necessarily have to open a physical shop to meet your present and potential customers.
In fact, Economics defines market as any arrangement that makes buying and selling possible.
In this light, if you’re a business owner, you should begin to strongly believe that the new market is online and not the fruit market some kilometers away.
Unarguably though, physical markets will always be with us. They are the traditional arrangement life began with and they will probably never leave us.
But as one who runs a business in 2020, you want to explore the power of e-commerce to capture the bracket of customers who prefer to click and pay. These are people who practically go online for just anything they need.
Leverage on Social Media
Perhaps you think you need a lot to explore the online market of potential customers, you actually do not. Agreeably, Amazon, Zoom, YouTube and other online business giants which leverage technology to sell are in a world of their own.
Notwithstanding, you can ride on every day social media platforms to bring more buyers into your funnel to shot up revenue.
To begin with, be everywhere online if you believe that is where your market is.
Turn your WhatsApp status to a TV station. Advertise your services unashamedly and even to the annoyance of your viewers. They will remember to call on you someday.
Explore Instagram for high-end sales.
Shoot your business to prominence through YouTube channels.
What about e-mails? You can surely do email marketing to grab your share of the market.
Facebook, Twitter, etc are also platforms where your buyers are lying fallow. While they lazily scroll through, make your flyers greet them.
Push yourself into their faces daily with your sales flyers, videos, etc.
Then have a delivery logistics sorted out. Did you realise that during the lockdown, delivery men were working? I got pizza delivered for lunch during one of those day! That can only happen through online channels.
Explore online options. That’s the new market!
