If you are an entrepreneur, you should be thinking of how to leverage on digital platforms to build your business. As an entrepreneur, first and foremost, you must have an idea that you want to turn into a business. These days, entrepreneurs are advised to build businesses around what is tagged the “essentials” because people are no longer spending on luxury. The essentials include food, drugs, logistics, formal and informal education and entertainment. So, if you are new in the business world, you will want to build your new business around the so called essentials. If you have an already existing business that is not related to what is tagged essentials, there is no need to change your line of business. However, you can be innovative and effectively leveraged on the digital platforms.  

Secondly, before you get excited about leveraging on digital platforms, you must first create a website for your business. These days, your website is like your virtual office; a place where your target audience can reach and buy from you. What you will own as your first digital asset is your website. That is where the product or service you are selling will be safely kept. When creating a website for your business, make sure it is dynamic and interactive.

Thirdly, once you are done creating your website, you need to claim your space on social platforms (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snap Chat, LinkedIn etc.). Some perceive social platforms as their virtual office; that is a wrong perception. See the social platforms as rented spaces that you are occupying for absolutely free. You don’t have 100% control and ownership over them. So, they are just rented spaces. The platforms also double up as the communities where you will meet your target audience—customers. However, it is important that you understand these social platforms to know where your target audience are. You don’t have to be on all social platforms; you only need to figure out the ones tailored to your business. At every giving point in time, you don’t have to be on more than three social platforms.

These social platforms should be used as a bait to redirect your target audience to your website. On these social platforms, which are like your rented spaces, you can constantly display your product or service so you can reach your target audience. Remember these platforms are communities where people congregate to socialize. They are the best places where you can gather your target audience and then channel them to your digital platform—your website.

To be relevant and to attract potential customers on these social platforms, you need to constant post informative contents (write-ups, pictures and videos) relating to your business. This is a way of engaging those who will eventually become your potential customers that you will redirect to your website.  And on your website, you must have a way of capturing their data so you can turn them into returning customers. This can be done by giving your visiting potential customers an opportunity to subscribe for your newsletter. The newsletter will become the medium of communicating to those who visited your website week in, week out. Once you can follow these steps, you are sure your business will be relevant in this new normal.