How media companies can help small businesses while making money
How media companies can help small businesses while making
money
The media plays an important role in society as a source of information and many in society depend on the information found on TV, radio, and newspapers. This has made them an important platform for advertisers. But can you imagine the son of a peasant farmer having his advert on any of these platforms? That is unheard of. The only time you would see him on these platforms is if he is a victim of flooding or as an eyewitness to an accident. Why? Because he lacks a huge marketing budget to even approach the doors of any of the media houses. How can that change?
Step one
The media companies can start a contest. Very small
businesses (including the son of the peasant farmer) pay some amount e.g. 100 Ksh, for the hope of them being able to get
an advertising slot. Winners will then be picked every day. Many people will
jump at an opportunity to have their company advertised on a major broadcaster. Artists, designers, musicians, consultants, entrepreneurs and every business owner in Kenya will all get an opportunity to have their products and services seen by millions of people. This will provide a win-win situation, steady income for the media companies and a powerful tool to the common mwanaichi. Someone could increase his sales by 100% from just one advert. It can be a life-changing experience.
Step two
Evaluate the winners. The media companies
still need to check out the businesses that win. It would be so dangerous if
they put up an ad for a fake business. If
a business is fake, it will be easy to refund the amount the business paid for
the contest i.e. 100 ksh.
Which avenues can the media companies advertise the small
businesses?
On TV: many people dream of their advertisement to be seen on TV. Imagine if you are a fashion designer and one of the news anchors wears one of your outfits, surely you will be laughing all the way to the bank. Another opportunity is to be featured on the news. (Over the years, some small businesses have been featured on the news. I'm only suggesting it be done more frequently)
On the radio: the radio stations have millions of listeners. Any business advertised on the radio will reach a lot of listeners. Radio stations have a wonderful opportunity to push new musicians especially those who are independent and cashless. There are some wonderful musicians out there, but they will never be heard because they don't have a platform.
On their official websites: all media companies have official websites. Many access these
sites when they are away from TV or radio. Putting an ad on one of the sites
will surely increase the performance of any company.
On social media: many
media organizations have millions of followers on social media platforms. One
tweet from any of their accounts can reach hundreds of thousands of people thus
boosting sales of any business. App developers will love this method of advertising. This may help create, maybe, Kenya's version of Tik Tok.
On newspapers: the
beauty of newspapers is that the people who read them have a very high
concentration span. They will likely be able to see any ad placed anywhere on
it.
Since there are many platforms to advertise, media companies can accommodate many winners daily.
What if a media company, through this process, advertise a company that is fake and people lose money?
Well, they can help the aggrieved customers
by tracing the business which advertised the product or service. Once the fake
business owners are caught, their arrest can be put on the news and it will
discourage others from trying.
Alternatively, they can put a disclaimer after each ad. That would be easier.
What if there is a flood of poor quality ads on the media?
Also, it’s possible, that some small
businesses can create ads that can appeal to the local mwanainchi. Also, the
media companies can help them out by creating some nice ads which they can
air.
Why should small businesses not just use social media to advertise?
Social media is a wonderful tool, but not everyone is a social media guru. Also, in a country like Kenya, not everyone is online. Many still depend on traditional media for entertainment and news.
Benefits
1. 1. The small businesses, once they
advertise on the big media companies, can actually grow to become large companies. They will then be able to pay full price for ads in the future
2. 2. The media companies will grow
the economy...
3. 3. ...their voice will become even more powerful
4. 4. The small businesses will
become loyal to the media companies and will not opt for other advertising
platforms in the future.
5. 5. When the participant of the contest are
checking daily who has won, will drive traffic to the media
organizations TV, radio, newspapers, websites, and social media.
6. 6. I read an article a long time ago and it mentioned a small number of companies, about 100 or 200 (I can't remember the exact figure) do actually advertise on the big media companies. This means that majority of the companies in Kenya cannot afford to advertise on the major media houses. So this idea will actually help many companies
Conclusion
Many companies are struggling. Many have fired their employees (including media companies). A country like the United States is creating a plan whereby they will give cash to small businesses. I don't think that will happen here. But for us, we still have powerful media houses who still have a wide reach. They can, on their own, kick-start the economy while making money. So, if you like this idea, please share it with
your friends, family, workmates or the person next to you (You can do that by copying the link below and sharing it on
WhatsApp or other social media platforms. Thanks.
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