Getting started
with Marketing:Fundamentals, Essentials
and ReachHello business owners and entrepreneurs
Welcome to the Marketing Toolkit for SMEs!
Our mission at Microsoft is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve
more. And the goal of our Microsoft4Afrika initiative is to empower every African who has a great idea
for a business or an application and to turn that idea into a reality which in turn can help their community,
their country, or even the Continent at large.
This Marketing Toolkit is designed to help you transform your business, by developing your own marketingand stand out against competitors.
One of the goals is to remove any mystery or confusion about marketing and to make it accessible andrelevant to the millions of small and medium enterprises in Africa. So in developing this toolkit, the 4Afrika
team hosted a series of workshops with start-ups and SME organizations across Kenya and South Africa, tooolkit takes you through all the marketing
touchpoints: from understanding the basics and fundamentals, to building your plan, team, brand andonline presence.
z

trained marketer to start with marketing. You are probably already doing some, or even most, of the basics– you just may not have realized it. This toolkit is here to help you understand the theory, create a real plan,measurable results.
We hope you enjoy working through this guide and developing your own approach to marketing that’s
right for you. Marketing is a long-term but very rewarding, investment in your business.
Chris Capossela

One of the goals is to remove
any mystery or confusion aboutmarketing, go-to-market anddigital marketing and to make it
accessible and relevant to themillions of small and medium
enterprises in Africa.

Table of Contents

02

01

2

Marketing Fundamentals ...................................................4

Marketing Essentials. ....................................................... 20

1: What is Marketing? ............................................................................4

1: Who makes up a marketing team? ............................................ 21

2: Why do I need Marketing? ..............................................................5

Managing an agency ..................................................................... 22

3: How do I get started with marketing? ..........................................6

Hiring the right talent .................................................................... 23

The Three C’s of understanding your market ..............................62: How can I develop loyal customers? ...........................................27

The Four P’s of marketing ................................................................7

Creating a Customer Database ................................................... 24......................................8

Driving loyalty.................................................................................. 25

Creating a marketing strategy ...................................................... 14

3: How do I develop a strong brand? ............................................. 26

Creating a marketing plan ............................................................. 16

Handling negative situations ........................................................ 28

Calculating ROI................................................................................. 17

4: What marketing collateral do I need? ........................................ 28

5: FAQs................................................................................................... 18

5: FAQs................................................................................................... 29

03
Marketing Reach................................................................30
1: What is integrated marketing? .................................................... 30
2: What is content marketing? ......................................................... 32
3: What is Digital Marketing? ........................................................... 35
Building a website........................................................................... 35
A word on SEO .............................................................................. 37
Online advertising .......................................................................... 39
Monitoring the performance of your website ......................... 40
5: Event marketing ............................................................................... 43
How events can help your business ............................................ 43
When you would host an event .................................................. 44
Event checklist ................................................................................. 44
6: FAQs .................................................................................................. 45
In conclusion .................................................................................... 47

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01

Marketing Fundamentals
Why do I need to do this?
Understand what marketing is and what impact it can have on your business
Learn the fundamentals of a marketing strategy and how to get started

What is Marketing?
If a young man tells his date how handsome, smart and successful he is – that’s advertising.
If a young man tells his date she’s intelligent, looks lovely and is a great conversationalist – that’s marketing.
When you hear the word ‘Marketing’, what
you do think of? Selling a product?
Putting an advert in the newspaper?
The word ‘marketing’ is often used together
with ‘selling’ or ‘advertising’ or‘go-to-market’. However, they are notessentially the same thing.
Selling is about convincing your customer tobuy your product. Marketing is aboutcommunicating the value of your product,
so that your customer decides for themselves
whether they want or need your product.
Go-to-market builds the bridge in-between,
ensuring that the value proposition, target
market, personas, customer journey andplanning for execution of marketing andsales happen flawlessly.
64

So, marketing looks at the exact needs ofyour customers and demonstrates that yourproduct can satisfy them. Advertising, digitalmarketing, online marketing then, are allcomponents of marketing.
A small business needs both sellers andmarketers. Marketers create interest, spark
desire and develop demand. Sellers ‘seal thedeal’ and get the sale to happen. Very often
in a small business, the marketer and seller
are both the same individual, and it istherefore important to know the different
disciplines very well, especially when startingup.
Marketing is the process of making yourcustomer aware of their need for yourproducts and services.

Why do I need Marketing?

Don’t be an entrepreneur who falls into this trap!
Having a proper marketing focus from the beginning will help you
to overcome obstacles that will come later. It will give you better
insight into your target audience, so that you can pick the rightcustomers, set the right price, say the right things and sell in theright places from the beginning. Why go through five rounds ofproduct and customer changes when you can get it close to rightthe first time?
The good news is that you don’t need to wait to hire a marketer tostart thinking about marketing. In fact, you have probably alreadystarted marketing – you just haven’t realized it.
Do you have a relationship with your customers? Do you know who
they are and what makes them tick?
Are you constantly getting their feedback as you develop yourproducts? If you are, you’re marketing!

“I’ve just started my own small business, but I don’t have enoughmoney to hire a marketer. I’m rather going to focus on my productand finances for now and worry about marketing later when I have a
few customers.”
Good news:
You don’t have to hire a marketer to start marketing

More than ever, it is important to get in front of your customer –whenever and wherever possible. Whether that is physical or
online, make sure you are in touch with their needs and wants, andhave feedback channels to ensure you know what is relevant intheir worlds. The sooner you get to understand and start satisfying
their needs, the better off you will be. Remember marketing is allabout satisfying the needs of the customer, not about your product.
If that sounds weird, that is okay. The point is you need tounderstand the ‘why’ for your customer, i.e. why they would buy
from you, and then satisfy that why.
If you’re uncomfortable doing this, just think of it this way: You know
your business best. If you can understand why your customer isbuying from you, you share what you know and stay true andauthentic, half the battle is won. Customers buy authenticity.

65This will help you to:

How do I get started with marketing?
The first basic starting point is to understand your business, yourcustomer and your market. To do this, look at the 5 C’s and the
4 P’s of the Marketing Mix.

Understand your own strengths andweaknesses

Identify your best customer targets

Company

01
Competition

05
Climate02

The FIVE C’s of
understanding
your market

Customer04 Collaborators

03

Understand who you’re competing against
and how to make yourself stand out

Define the product you’ll be offering, howmuch you can charge for it, where to sell it
and how to communicate the value to yourcustomers
Know who the businesses or entities are thatwill help you achieve your goals andobjectives

Understand which macro-environmental
factors, such as the economic, the politicaland regulatory environments will have on
your business.
66

Ask yourself the below questions

Company

Competition

Customer

Collaborators:

Climate:1: What type of company do I
want to run / am I running?

1: Who are my competitors?

1: Who are my target
customers? (age, location,
gender, income, language,
occupation, personas, values
etc.)

1. Who are the collaboratorsthat can help me reach myobjectives?

1. Are there any economic
macro-environmental factors
to consider in my business?

2: What is my mission,
objectives and values?
3: What product or service
do I offer?
4: What is the unique value I
can offer? (My “UVP”)? Whatis our why?

2: How do they operate?
3: What can I do differently
and better than mycompetitors?

2: What are my target
customers’ needs?

2. Are there any suppliers and 2. Are there any political
distributors that will be critical considerations to think of thatto my success?
may impact my business?

3. Are there any other
3. What should I consider in
3: What challenges can I solve business entities, such as
terms of regulatory impacts
financial institutions that I
for them?
for my business?
need to foster and maintain a
4. What is the customer
good relationship with?
journey they embark on when
deciding to buy?

What is a UVP?
UVP stands for Unique Value Proposition. It is a short statement you create which covers: What you offer, how you satisfy your customer’s needs
and why people should buy from you and not your competitors. It is a promise of your value. All your marketing materials should be based onyour UVP. Refer to this article on examples of UVPs: Useful Value Proposition Examples (and How to Create a Good One)

A cost-effective and easy way to follow the activities of your customers and competitors is to use this5 step guide:

Study the market
to stay relevant

Conduct formal
research

Get regular insightsfrom your customers

Talk to yourcustomers

Watch yourcompetitors

Watch for any changes,
challenges, opportunities
and trends (in either
customer needs orcompetitor’s products ormarket changes)

Use free tools to get
deeper market insights

Use online or mobile
surveysFind out their needs byfinding out their why.

Hire a research firmStart conversations onsocial media

Why will they buy from you?

Explore what they are
doing that your potential
customers like /don’t like

Read testimonials,
comments and articles tounderstand what customers
think about your product /service

68

Subscribe to relevant feeds
and available research
onlineAs an entrepreneur it is yourresponsibility to be on topof your game. You have toread. Continuously. Daily.

Host focus groups ofcustomers to answer
questions

Why from you and not yourcompetitor?
What specific need to theyneed solved, and how can
you solve it by making themfeel they are the only
customer in the world thatyou specially solve this needfor?

Follow their social media
handles and updates tounderstand their strategy
and get new ideas

The Marketing Mix
The Marketing Mix started originally with four P’s , namely Product, Price, Place and Promotion, and has been widely shared and taught.
Over the years there were several elements added to the Marketing Mix, and in some instances over ten critical P’s now exist as the market
continuously adjusts.
We will share the four basic P’s of the Marketing Mix in more detail, and for those who want to go do research on the the other elements,
these will include at least the following ten elements: Product; Price; Place; Promotion; Promise; Position; People; Performance; Process; andPoint of View.

Product

Price

Place

Promotion

Exactly what are you going
to sell – a product or aservice? Think of yourproduct or service as asolution to yourcustomer’s needs

What price will you sell thisproduct or service for?

Where will you sell yourproduct or service?

How, when and where areyou going to promote
your product or service?

As you consider the Marketing Mix that includes the four P’s of Marketing, remember that the Digital Marketing Mix also looks at Product,
Price, Place and Promotion as it relates to the online world. It simply adapts to the digital marketing context. If you promote and place
product online, different pricing tips and tricks become relevant. And using search engines to have your product or service ‘found’ is one ofthe digital places to be explored.

Ask yourself the below questions.

Product
1: What do my target customers need? What could help them in their daily lives, their businesses,
or in having fun?
NB: Determining target customers will never be a perfect science, and that’s okay.
2: How does my product or service help them solve a problem they have?
3: What similar products or services are there that I can improve on?

Price
1: How much can and will my target customer pay for my product or service?
2: How are competitors pricing similar products or services?
3: What’s the minimum I need to charge in order for my business to eventually make a fair profit?
NB: Cheapest is not always necessary. Focus on value, not price.

160

Ask yourself the below questions.
Place
1: Where can I sell my product or service? (online, in store, through retailers and wholesalers etc.)
2: What’s the most convenient way for my customers to get the product?
3: Where are my customers currently buying or consuming similar products and services?

Promotion
1: How can I make potential customers aware of my product or service? (in stores, on social media, at tradeshows, on theradio, talking among friends, word of mouth, etc.)
2: Where are my customers currently spending their time on entertainment, learning, or working? Can I reach them in new
and different ways?
3. Do I understand the customer journey, and how to ensure I target every step in the journey to promote the product to thecustomer? Do I understand that every customer first explores, then evaluates alternatives, then buys, and then comes back to
buy some more if they are happy?

NB: Marketing is an ongoing, never-ending cycle. Remember, you might not get it right the first time – and that’s okay, that’s partof business. The important thing is to keep looking at all the 5 C’s and at least the 4 P’s of the Marketing Mix together as a system.
Ask questions and be honest about what’s working and what still needs refinement. Marketing is not a perfect science, but a continuous exploration on how to gain more traction with customers.
161

How do I build my first marketing plan?
Now that you’ve done the basic groundwork and started asking the right questions through the 5 C’s and the Marketing Mix, you canstart developing a marketing strategy and marketing plan.
Goals
What do I want to achieve?
For example: I want to sell 20 000 units in eightmonths.
Remember, your goals should tie into the overall
mission and objectives of the business.
Marketing Strategy
What is my high-level plan to reach mygoals?
How am I going to use my resources in asmart way?
For example: I will use social media to reach customers,
drive them to my website, complete the transaction
through eCommerce and ship the product.
Marketing Plan
How will I execute my marketing strategy?
What are the daily tactics I will use?
For example: I will pay someone $10 a day to handle my
Twitter and Facebook account, design my own website
for $0, use a free PayPal account to collect payments anduse the postal service to ship the product for $5 each.
Your marketing plan should be an action
plan.

162

Creating marketing goals
To help you define your goals, just think of being S.M.A.R.T
Ask yourself the following questions.

Specific: What exactly do I want to achieve
Measurable: How will I know that I’ve achieved my goal?
Achievable: How much time do I have to realistically achieve my goal?
Relevant: How does my marketing goal complement my business plan?
Time-bound: When must I achieve my goal by?

Good examples of S.M.A.R.T. goals
Generate 50 leads and 25 sales through social media by November.
Create awareness of my product or service by having 100 people view my Facebook post each week.
Raise $50 000 in funds through private investors by the end of the year.
Hire five new talents into the business over the next six months
Find two new providers or suppliers to distribute promotional items by the end of the year
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Creating a marketing strategy
Now that you have your marketing goals in place, it’s time to work on the marketing strategy. You need to create a high-level plan for how
you’re going to use your limited resources wisely, in a coordinated way to reach your goals.
To create this, let’s go back to the 5 C’s and Marketing Mix. Refer to the questions you answered on pages 8, 10 and 11. The answers to thesequestions will be your marketing strategy.
Example of a marketing strategy:
1. Company
a. Founder has strengths in product design and production
b. Founder also has good understanding of professional world
c. Founder does not have sales or marketing experience(needs to hire someone with those skills)
2. Customer
a. We will target wealthy businessmen in downtown Nairobi with our
productb. These customers are highly demanding, but are willing to pay
a lot for a product that is faster than what they currently use
3. Competitora. Wealthy businessmen in downtown Nairobi are currently
buying Product X, which is low end, and works alright4. Collaborators:
a. Understand who the businesses or entities are that will help you
achieve your goals and objectives
5. Climate:a. Understand which macro-environmental factors, such as the
economic, the political and regulatory environments will have on
your business
614

4. Producta. We will create a basic version of the product by month twob. We need to be 15% faster than our current competitor.
c. Product needs to be rugged (to take on business trips)
5. Price
a. Can charge slightly above our closest competitor since our
product completes the job a little bit faster
6. Placea. We will sell at grocery stores in high-end neighborhoods and in
the city center, on street corners
7. Promotion
a. Our core message will be “Our product works better and is 15%
faster”
b. We will advertise with flyers in the city and in taxis in downtown
NairobiWhat is the difference between a marketing plan and a business plan?
A marketing plan focuses on the customer, price, distribution and promotion of your product or service.
A business plan covers a much broader section of your business. It includes things such as financing, staffing, partnerships etc.
Your marketing plan can help you achieve goals in your business plan, and your business plan needs to account for resources andthe effects of your marketing plan. The two plans should always be in harmony with each other. Your marketing plan can help you achievegoals in your business plan, and your business plan needs to account for resources and the effects of your marketing plan. The businessplan has oversight into all areas of the business and allocates resources such as people and money to execute on the different plans. It is
important that the marketing plan is aligned to execute on the objectives highlighted in the business plan. The two plans should always bein harmony with each other.
It is important that both the marketing and business plans are used as living documents, rather than documents produced for the sake of it.

615

Creating a marketing planNow that you have your marketing strategy, you can put together your marketing plan, which details the actions
you’ll take to execute your strategy.
Example of a marketing strategy:
1. Company

ActionWho
When

2. Customer

ActionWho
When

3. Competitor

ActionWho
When

4. ProductActionWho
When

Hire a sales and marketing lead from the local university for $XX an hour
Action to be completed by founderCompleted by March 1
Hold a focus group with our best customers and another with brand new potential customers
Action to be completed by sales and marketing lead
Completed by: Quarterly (March 15, June 15, Sept 15, Dec 15)
Check competitor prices and report back to founder
Action to be completed by sales and marketing lead
Completed by: Monthly
Develop working prototype and final productAction to be completed by founderCompleted by: January 31 (prototype) and March 1 (final product)

A final note on your marketing strategy and plan
Make your strategy and plan valid for one year. Review it every 2 - 3 months and be flexible. Your market will change and you
should be able to adapt with it.
616

What is ROI?
ROI stands for Return On Investment. It is a way to measure profitability. Ask yourself:
What am I looking to get in exchange for this? Is the expected benefit worth the investment?
Remember, your ROI doesn’t always have to be in financial terms. It can be new sales leads,
better product ideas or information about customers, etc.
Calculating ROI
As part of your marketing efforts, you need to decide what you want your
Return on Investment (ROI) for each activity to be. Think about what you canmeasure that will indicate whether or not you are meeting your marketing goals.
Things you can measure include:● Email open rates● Website click-through and read rates● Advert clicks● Social media followers and engagements● Competition entries● Sentiment (what do people think about your business?)● Sales leads
NB: A cheap form of market research is to always ask your customers the famousquestion: ‘Where did you hear about us?’ This will help you determine which of yourmarketing tactics is the most effective. Keep a written log of all this feedback to use as
data.

FAQs
1. How do I know if I need marketing or not?
Every business needs marketing, especially if
it wants to grow and succeed. Small businesses
cannot progress into larger companies withoutmarketing. Marketing gives you better insight into
your target audience, so that you canpick the right customers, set the right price,
say the right things and sell in the right places.
2. How much budget should I dedicate tomarketing?

hire a marketer before you start marketing.
There are lots of cost-effective marketing activities
you can start today, which this toolkit is designed tohelp you with.
4. How do I know my marketing plan and strategy
is working?
You are the one who knows your business the best. Research your customer,
talk to them and always get feedback. It’s trial and error. Fix what doesn’t work.
5. How do I react to changes in the market?

As a marketer, the most important thing to
up with a marketing plan.Once the marketing planmakes business sense and identifies ways ofachieving the goals and objectives, the channels
to be used will define the budget required toachieve the desired results.
3. When is the right time the think aboutmarketing in my company?
From the beginning. If you’re alreadyrunning a business but haven’t started marketing,start today. As we’ve mentioned, you don’t have to20

Go back to your 5 C’s and Marketing Mix. Clearly show what has changed
and adjust your plan as needed.
6.
First, cover the basics. You don’t have to do everything, especially at the start.
In fact, it might be better to do less things, but do the right things anddo them well. You’ll soon know if you’re missing something important.
7. How is marketing different from advertising?
Advertising is only one component of marketing. It’s the “promotion” in the 4 P’s.
most important. And it’s usually the most expensive. There are probably morecreative and more effective ways to get the right customer to notice your business.

External links:
Useful Value Proposition Examples(and How to Create a Good One)How to Measure the ROI of
Marketing ProgramsMarketing & Communications

4 Common marketing mistakes
SME’s make

21

02

Marketing Essentials
Why do I need to do this?
• Understand who makes up a marketing team
• Deepen your knowledge of your customers• Create a strong brand and identity• Ensure you have all the marketing must-haves.

Defines and manages marketingstrategy/planWho makes up a marketing team?

Team of one or two

Start-ups – small enterprises

Manages go-to-market planning,
campaign planning, especially the
implementation of the ‘Promotion’element of the Marketing Mix, suchas implementation of social media,
email marketing, customer surveys,
marketing research, events,
competitor analysis etc.

A small business has limited resources, andwhereas a large enterprise will be able tohave more people dedicated to specificmarketing roles, in a small business one
or two persons will often cover the fullmarketing and go-to-market spectrum.
NB: All employees form part of yourmarketing team. They are the voice of yourbrand, representing your business, its
image and its reputation. Be transparent
with your marketing objectives, share yourUVP and encourage all team members tobe ambassadors for your brand.

620

Business owner

Extended marketing
team partners, retailers,
distributors and suppliers
Serve as voice of your company atpoint of sale. Work with them tosupport your marketing efforts.
Partners can also assist with expertiseyou don’t have.

Who makes up a marketing team?
Large enterprises
Marketing Director

PR / Event Manager

Marketing Manager

Agency Manager*

Face of marketing team: Defines
marketing strategy and provides
strategic direction.
Executes marketing strategy.
Ensures marketing plan is rolled-out
by relevant teams. Reports back toMarketing Director.

Brand Manager

Oversees marketing activities andensures the right message is delivered.
Monitors market trends and consumer
behaviour.

Product Manager

Manages distribution channels.
Monitors competition and target
customers to ensure product always
meets needs.

Digital / Social Media Manager

Manages all social media platforms:
Writing content, responding to queries
etc. Oversees social media strategy toensure it meets marketing objectives.

621Manages all external communications
and reputation of company. Organisez
and drives all events.
Manages the marketing / PR / digitalagency to ensure plans are rolled out
and targets met. Reports back toMarketing Manager.

Managing an agency
An agency will be responsible for executing elements of your marketing plan and helping you meet key objectives and targets. It is
however highly unlikely for a small business to have a full agency solution in the early stages, so some of the elements may be outsourced.

Appoint an Agency Manager

Manage your agency toensure they are delivering andproducing your desired ROI.

Give your agency a clear
overview of your company
mission, your marketing strategy
and plan completed so far. Be
clear where you are in yourbusiness cycle and what yourpriorities and objectives are.

Give clear guidance on what
you are selling and to who.
Share what value your productor service offers, the needs itmeets and how you are
different from your competitors.

Engage your agency to also help
find investors, business angles,
new talents, partners, etc.

Know how much money you
want to spend on your marketing
efforts. Advise your agency of thisup-front. They will tailor ideas toyour budget.

Hiring the right talent
Building your marketing team takes time and energy. Remember, it is a long-term investment for your company, so you need to do itright.
Here are some tips for finding new talent:

Use your networks:
Friends, schoolmates,
family and associates.

Keep a calendar ofwhen university
graduations take place.
Go to universities andrun recruitment drives.

Universities are also agreat place to findinterns. Graduates are
hungry to do the workand learn on the job.
Be aware of turnoverthough – and have a
backup plan for theintern that might only
stay for 3 months.

Use your social network(LinkedIn, Twitter etc.) tofind people with theright qualifications andexperience.

When assessing CVs
or interviewing
candidates, look forpassion the people
who believe in yourmission. If you are astart-up or small
enterprise, be open
and transparent
about your growthjourney.

Remember, when hiring for a small team, the incentives and work environment is usually very different to when you hire for alarge enterprise, so the secret is to find talent who understand that there is an opportunity for them to grow their career withthe business.

623

How can I develop loyal customers?
In Part One of the toolkit, you learnt how to research and understand your target customers and their needs. Now it’s time to take this astep further and deepen your knowledge of your customers.
Monitoring your customers is an essential marketing tactic. It will help you to:● Validate your target audience and ensure you’re marketing to the right people● Stay relevant and authentic● Ensure you always deliver value● Identify and develop loyal, happy and returning customers● Obtain new customers by understanding what works and what doesn’t work
Creating a Customer Database
It’s important to keep a database of your customers’ contact details. Together with contact details, you should also collect and update otherdata, such as demographics and how happy they are with you (“Sentiment”). This will function as your marketing currency, helping you tomake important decisions around optimizing your current and future marketing activity. Please remember to comply to the required
protection of personal information requirements for your business when collecting data.
Data to collectAge

GenderLocation

Occupation

Buying patterns(season, time of
day etc.)

Helps you understand target market and their needs

624

Sentiment

Stage in buying
cycle (new,returning)

Where they
heard about you
and would they
recommend you

Helps you monitor satisfaction, optimize your strategy
to develop loyalty, and track referrals

Top Tip
Social media is a very valuable tool in getting feedback from your customers. Customers
often post reviews, feedback or queries on your pages, which gives you – and potential new
customers – valuable insight into your business performance. Use it to have and generatethese meaningful two-way interactions.
You can also collect this information through:● Telephone● Email● Online● Surveys (SurveyMonkey / Surveygizmo, etc.)● Face-to-face● eCommerce analytics (payment methods etc.)
Bigger organizations have processes, for example:● Bank branches: Forms for customers to complete and place in a box● Call centres: Ask key customer satisfaction questions (e.g. Please rate your experience)
Driving loyalty
Based on the information you collect in your customer database, use it to drive loyalty
campaigns such as:● Regular sales promotions for customers● An easy loyalty program: Card stamps, email voucher codes etc.
● Exclusive updates and offers (notify loyal customers first)● Free product trials● Referral incentives (e.g. discount)● Thought leadership pieces for B2B clients

Top Tip
Explore tools such as Microsoft
Excel, Dynamics 365 or PowerBI
to see how you can start creating
and managing a customer database.
Think about different ways you havebeen asked to rate your customer
experience or satisfaction before, andhow you can use or adapt some ofthese methods.

How do I develop a strong brand?
Earlier in the toolkit, you learnt about a Unique Value Proposition (UVP). Your UVP helps to form the essence of your brand.

What is a brand?
(Logo) A brand is a unique sign, symbol or set of words that identifies a product and sets it apart from its competitors.
(Perception) A brand is what you represent. It is what a person feels or thinks about you when they see or hear your brand.
If someone feels good about your brand and what you stand for, they are likely to recommend you.

1

What is my company mission? What do I want to represent?
(Examples: Fast and reliable service. Friendly staff. High quality
products. Ensure you live up to these through yourmarketing plan!)

2

What does my company name mean?

3

What are the key words I use when I explain mybusiness in 30 seconds?

4

How do I want people to feel when they see my brand?
(Examples: Safe. Nostalgic. Empowered)5

How is this different from my competitors?

A brand also drives:● Instant recognition● Differentiation from competitors
Now that you’ve asked these questions, think
about how you can convey this visually through alogo and slogan. Consider colors, fonts, shapes
and competitor logos. Test it out amongst yournetwork to see if it’s effective and has the desired
impact.
Developing a logo professionally is a must. You
cannot have an unprofessional logo made with
ClipArt representing your brand. Watch out for
affordable online solutions to get affordable,
professional logos done.
Watch: What is a brand – and how to makeyours stand out

Top Tip
If you are a small business owner or entrepreneur, be cautious about making your name the company’s brand. Doing this can make it very
hard to scale your business later on. It does work in some instances (Richard Branson, Donald Trump, Oprah Winfrey etc.), but a team needs
to be behind you to deliver on this brand. When you are in a profession such as a doctor, dentist, engineer, or any other professional title,
using your own name for the business may still work, however, when you think of scaling the business later on, this could still pose achallenge. It is therefore very important to spend time coming up with a brand name. Also ensure you check the name in several key
languages to ensure interpretation does not mean something else.
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Handling negative brand situations

What marketing collateral do I need?

Part of creating a brand is forming and managing its reputation.
Negative situations can often arise from bad service andproduct problems.

Now that you have developed a brand, it’s time to show it off!

Be concerned, but not worried, if / when this happens to you.
There are methods you can use to regain the trust and loyalty
of your customers. Just focus on the solutions.
Communicate honestly with your customers.
Acknowledge the problem, but then show how you areresolving issues quickly and efficiently. Often, customers willremember how you solved a problem and be more
impressed with your resulting customer service than if the
problem had never happened in the first place.
Search for what went wrong, what / who did not work
properly and identify responsibilities.
Correct processes and take actions to ensure the issue
doesn’t arise again.
Don’t harp on about your mistake. Learn the relevant lessons
and move on. This is often called: ‘Failing forward’.

NB: Your brand needs to be represented – consistently – atany time you are in touch with your customers, distributors,
retailers, partners and / or investors. It is therefore mostimportant that, as you start hiring talent, and bring newteam members onboard, that they are trained in theconsistent use of the brand, including logos, fonts, colors
and tone of voice.
Here are some essential corporate items that you need:● Business cards● Email signature● Website [with customized domain name]● Letterhead● PowerPoint template● Building / car branding (optional)
Each of these materials should contain:● Your company name● Your logo
● Your brand personality / slogan (4 – 5 words)● Your contact details
All these templates can be built using Office 365

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FAQs
1. How often should I revamp my brand?
As a general rule-of-thumb, keep your brand for at least three years so that customers and partners can getfamiliar with it. However, ensure ongoing investment in and review of your brand. This should be part of yourmarketing budget. Ensure your brand evolves with your business.
2. I don’t have time or budget to do this, how can I start?
There are lots of free and cost-effective tools available online to help you create logos, websites and otherbrand collateral (we’ve listed a few in this toolkit). If you don’t have time, consider hiring local talent to assist
you, or employing the skills of friends and family. Whether you do it yourself or through someone else,
it will be a worthy time investment.

03

Marketing Reach
Why do I need to do this?
• Understand the concept of integrated marketing• Learn about content marketing and how to use it as a marketing strategy• Learn the basics of digital marketing and how to get started• Understand how to use social media as an effective business tool
What is integrated marketing?
It sounds like a complex term, but it’s actually a very simple concept
Integrated marketing is a type of marketing strategy. It focuses on creating a consistentand seamless brand experience for your consumer. In other words, every communication
channel you use, whether it’s a radio advert or a social media page, should work together
to convey the ultimate message of your brand. No matter where your customer deals withyou, their experience with your brand should be the same.

Choose anobjective

Select yourcommunication
channels (based ontarget audience)

Develop aconsistent lookand feel

01 02 03 04 05
Create clear
and compelling
content

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Include call toactions (instructions
on what to do next)

Example: Let’s walk through the 5 steps withan example.

1. My objective of the campaign is to drive customers to mywebsite, where they can purchase my razor blades online.
2. Because my target audience is men from 18– 35, I am
going to reach them on Facebook, YouTube and with anewspaper advert. I know my customers spend a lot of timeon these channels.
3. I now have to create marketing content (videos, posts,
wording etc.) for these different channels. It’s importantthat the content all has the same look and feel – andcommunicates the same message and tone of my brand,
whether it’s visually or in writing. I’m going to base all mymaterial off the artwork from my website.
4. The content that I create should grab people’s attention
and be easy to understand.
5. All my content is going to include a call to action. I’m goingto tell people exactly what I want them to do: Visit mywebsite to place an order. On my YouTube video, I’ll
include a link to the website in the video and in the description box below. All my channels will work together to drive
traffic to my website, because that’s my objective.

I’m a startup that sells razor blades - and I would like tocreate an integrated marketing campaign.

What is content marketing?
Once you have your integrated marketing strategy in place, you can start to create the content that will go on your different, chosen
channels. This is known as content marketing.
Content marketing is the art of creating and strategically distributing clear, compelling, valuable and relevant content to youraudience. It should both retain your current audience and attract new members.
What counts as content? Everything from a written article to a photograph, blog post or advert. In short, anything you
create to drive messages around your brand is a piece of content.
Top Tip :Avoid promoting your product all the time or using too muchmarketing speak in your content. People are surrounded by content all
day – and so they don’t like being advertised to.
Rather, share content that will add value to their lives.
This can include:● Infographics sharing interesting information on your industry● Article with ‘How-to’ tips and tricks● Funny videos you can share with your friends● Visual posts on Facebook with inspiring or insightful messages and quotes
Good example for a razor-blade company:
Blog post: How to make your blades last longer
Bad example for a razor blade company:
Facebook post: Looking for the perfect holiday gift?
Look no further than our razor blades! Which post wouldinterest you the most?
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NB: When creating content, always make it relevant to your brand and industry, but through the filter with the questionsof: Why should my audience care about this? Will it add value to them? Will it satisfy what matters to them? Remember,your customers don’t buy from you because of your product, they buy from you because of a specific why, a specific need,
your product satisfies for them.

So if I’m not always talking about my product, what’s the value of content marketing?
The ultimate objective of content marketing is to:● Position yourself as an expert and build trust.
Soon, your customers will be thinking: If your content is good, your product must be too. If you’re adding value to my life, you must
really know and care about satisfying my needs.
● Build your brand.
Your content can help communicate your values and create a brand personality – which customers will love.

To start thinking about a content strategy, ask yourselves these questions:
1: What industry does my product or service fall into?
2: What are the challenges and opportunities in this industry?
3: What new insights or information could I share with my audience around this industry that willteach them something new and add value?
4: How can I communicate the features of my product / service and business values in a fun
and compelling way?
5: What content can I create for my different channels? (e.g. videos, blog posts, photographs)
Now decide…
• Your content marketing objective
Do you want to become an expert in your field, or are you an expert in your field? Do you want to drive
traffic to your website? Do you want a certain number of YouTube subscribers, or Twitter followers, etc.?
• Which channels you are going to share your content on (Facebook, YouTube, Radio etc.)
Where does your audience spend most of their time? Which channel would help you land yourmessage in the most impactful way?
• If you choose social media channels, how often you are going to post content
NB: You need to be consistent and stick to your frequency. Best practice is once a day on Instagram;maximum once a day on Facebook; once a week on YouTube if you can manage and want to growyour audience fast, alternatively at worst, once a month; and twice a week on LinkedIn.
• How you are going to measure the success of your content marketing
This will be based on our objective. It can include: Social media engagements (shares etc.),
blog views, clicks on your links

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What is Digital Marketing?
Digital marketing is not just about having a website or putting your content online. It is a strategic process of using digital technologies toreach audiences, convert them into customers and retain them. You also need to include measurement tactics to see how your assets are
performing.
The goal of digital marketing is to promote your brand online.

WebsiteSocial media accounts(LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter etc.)

Database of email addresses for email
marketing, and phone numbers formobile marketing. Remember tocomply to personal information
protection requirements!

Building a website
Having a website is not optional. It’s a necessity for any business. The first place people will look for a product or service nowadays is online.
The goal of digital marketing is to promote your brand online.
Don’t worry about cost. There are some great free or cost-effective tools to help you build beautiful and unique websites thatfunction well. So get building!
WordPress
Wix.com
FWB – freewebsitebuilder.co.za
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Information that must appear on your website:e.

Customised domain name (http://www.myrazors.com)

Logo
Company
nameAbout ussection – sopeople can get
to know you

Products and services
section – so people know
exactly what you offer

Contact us section – sopeople know how to reach you

Testimonials
and reviews
section – sopeople know
the value of
your productand service

Links to social media handles

NB: If you want to sell yourproducts online, build in an
eCommerce function too.
This will include a productcatalogue, shopping cart, checkout facility, payment options anddetails on delivery.

A word on SEO
What is SEO?
SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization. It is the process of making sure your website comes up (preferably on top) when people type in
relevant keywords or search phrases.
For example: If you are a plumber, you want your website to come up first when someone types in: ‘Plumber in Nairobi’.

So how can you ensure your website pops up and isvisible to more people? There are a number of things
that internet browsers consider:
Keywords: In order to appear in search results, you need tohave the right keywords in your website copy. Think about whatphrases and words people would type in when searching foryour product or service, and include the different options in yourcopy. For example:• Plumber in Nairobi• Plumbers in Kenya• Plumbing services• Cheap plumber in Nairobi• Fixing toilets

Top Tip
When creating your keywords, don’t use short andvague words like ‘plumbing’. This could bring up amillion search results. Try to be as specific as
possible and opt for phrases instead of just words(i.e. affordable plumber in Nairobi). Remember,people want digital experiences, so focus on theuser experience of helping customers find theinformation they need quickly.

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Think about the keywords that people would use to
search for you and start incorporating them in all youronline content. Also do an online search to see how
popular your keywords are.

Good quality content published on aregular basis: Browsers love this – andthey track the quality of your content by
how much people engage with it andcome back. If you’re a site people findvaluable, they will put you higher up on the
search results. How can you publish good,
regular content?
• Blog posts• Frequently asked questions (FAQs)• Testimonials• Social media live feeds• Downloadable content (tips, tutorials andtemplates etc.)

Links to good websites and having
them link back to you. This builds yourcredibility and shows browsers that othersites validate you. Link to your partners,
distributors, retailers etc. andhave them include a link back to yourwebsite on their own.

Online advertising
In addition to SEO, there are other ways of making
sure your website gets noticed. These include online advertising.

Social media adverts
Appear on Facebook, Twitter or YouTubeas either promoted content or page
adverts.

Search engine adverts
Search engine marketing is whenadvertisers bid on keywords that users ofservices such as Bing and Google may
enter when they are looking for a productor service. These adverts can appear at
the top and bottom of the search results
pages for mobile and desktop users. For
adverts on specific websites, there arealso banner adverts. You’ll have toconsult with target websites for prices.

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Facebook adverts
YouTube adverts

Mobile adverts
Mobile advertising is a form of advertising
via mobile phones or other mobile
devices, and can take place via SMS, or
WhatsApp or banner advertising.

What is Promoted Content?
Promoted content is content that has money or advertising spend behind it. This will improve
the reach and engagements of your post, ensuring that more people see it. You choose which
content you want to promote.
Without promoting your content, only about 6% of your audience will see it – so it’s always a goodidea. There is no specific money limit either – you can decide how much budget you want to
put into it.
Some tips for creating online adverts:••••

Keep them short and punchy
Focus on the customer benefits (not who you are and what you do)Highlight offers, deals and promotions
Target adverts by location, age, interests etc. to ensure they reach the right audience(the online tools will guide you in setting this up)• Include a call to action: Tell people exactly where to go or what to do• Don’t be misleading. When someone clicks on your advert, they must be taken directly through to theinformation which the advert promised to give them. If they have to click around and search for it, they
will get angry and leave.
Why it works:
Get 50% off on all tyres until
01 January. Visit our website
to see participating retailers:
www.tyres.com• Short•• Includes call to action (visit our website)

Why it doesn’t work:
We manufacture tyres of thehighest quality. www.tyres.com• Focuses on brand (what we do) not customer(what we can do for you).
• Why should I care and click on this?
• No call to action

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Are online adverts a good idea?
Yes. And here’s why:
You define your budget.
(you’ll never be charged a cent more). You can also choose
specific billing options such as:
Pay per click: Only pay for your advert when people actuallyclick on it
Pay per view: Only pay when someone watches either 30
seconds of your video or the full thing
You can target them to your exact audience.
Unlike radio, you have control. Ensure your message only goes tothe right people.
They come with free and detailed analytics.
You can easily track the performance of your adverts and see
what’s working / not working to optimize your strategy. This is agreat approach for your ROI.
To get started, explore the advertising tools shared above.

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Are online adverts a good idea?
Most website tools come with a built-in analytics dashboard. This
will help you to keep track of things like:
Unique visitors
Visitors per day
Bounce rates (% of users that leave your website after justviewing one page)
Time spent on website
Page views
These are useful in monitoring the performance of your website.
Check them regularly to see what’s working / not working so you
know what to change or do more of.

How can I use social media as an effective
business tool?
Social media is a very valuable and relevant marketing tool – ifyou use it correctly. With it, you can:• Market in real-time with content• Engage with your customers in real-timeStart conversations, respond to queries, run research polls, share
updates with them
• Collect feedback and testimonials
Facebook has a built-in rate and review section on every business page
• Stay up-to-date with industry trends
Follow relevant organizations, track trending hashtags etc.
• Research competitor activity and behavior
Monitor their handles to see what they are up to ( just don’t
follow or Like them, or they will know)• Improve your SEO and SEM
Include the relevant keywords in all your posts and spend somemarketing money where it makes sense

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Top Tip
Remember that most users today access social
media on their smartphones. Optimize yourcontent for mobile. Rather, share content that will
add value to their lives. This can include:● Keeping it short. Small screens make text looklonger. People scroll quickly and don’t like to read.
Also keep videos short to save on bandwidth.
● Ensuring links you share are mobile friendly. It’s
no use directing them to your website if they can’t
access it on their phones. Keep your websites
mobile friendly too!

Avoid sharing any content that could be offensive
or controversial.
For more on using social media effectively, download
our PR & Communications toolkit

Event marketing
People love putting a face to the brand, so meeting people face-to-face at an event is always valuable. It also provides a great
opportunity for customers to experience your brand.
However, events can be expensive, so decide if you have place for them in your marketing strategy and budget. Online events are
more popular than ever, at a fraction of the cost, so make sure to also explore this solution.

Offer exclusive invites andpackages, give ‘thank you’s
Give talks and provide ‘packs’that show your insight andexpertise

Generate leads

Collect video testimonials, takephotos or run a live stream.
Create an event hashtag andencourage people to tweet andfollow you.

Invite potential new customers
and show off your offering

Position yourself as
an industry expert

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Create a brandexperience

Meet potential new partners
and investors. Also consider
inviting media

Recognize loyal
customers andpartners and retainthemWhen you would host an event• New product launch or demonstrations• New CEO• Sharing recent surveys, insights or research• General brand experience: Getting to know you, your product and service
You can also consider hosting online events, such as Twitter parties or webinars.
Just ensure you have the necessary resources, know-how and audience.
Use your social media channels to promote all your events.
Event checklist• Date and time
• Venue• Catering• Invitations, RSVPs and follow-ups• Speakers and agenda• Social media hashtag• Technical equipment (microphones, screens, speakers etc.)• Branded collateral (pull-ups, water bottles, lanyards, pens etc.)• Giveaways and prizes• Budget and sponsors
If all this is a bit much for you, consider:• Hosting joint events with partners, retailers, distributors etc.
• Bringing an events manager on board to assist (budget dependant)

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FAQs
1. Which social media channels should I be on?
Only select channels that make the most business sense and that help you meet your objectives. If your brand doesn’t suit being on
Instagram, don’t put it there. Social media is also a long-term commitment, so make sure you can commit to updating the channels
you choose regularly. It is also wise for those resources in the business who also promote social media posts, to have a preferredchannel, and focus on that to grow their individual and business brand. One simply cannot be all things to all people.
2. I don’t have time or budget to do this, how can I start?
Social media channels are free to sign up for, so you can start with the basics of posting content on a regular basis (once or twice perweek). Sourcing and creating your content may take some time, so you need to decide whether you’ll be able to do it yourself, orhire someone to assist you. Just remember to fully brief whoever you hire on brand reputation management. You don’t want them
posting controversial or biased comments on your business page.
3. Do I need an agency or can I do this myself?
You can easily run your digital marketing on your own. However, if you are short on timeand have some budget to spare, consider hiring an agency. They will be able toadvise you on the latest trends and digital best practices.

External links:
15 Examples of great integrated
marketing campaigns

25 Clever content marketing
examples with amazing results‘Learn from the best: 8 Inspiringcontent marketing examples

10 Most powerful marketing
campaigns of all time

10 Digital marketing tips forsmall business owners

5 mistakes to avoid when
designing your logo

Four steps to identify yourtarget markets

In conclusion
Marketing is a long-term investment. It’s about developing and keeping a lasting relationship with your customers.
As an SME, it’s important to start with a marketing plan from day one. Keep measuring every activity and revisiting
your plan every year to optimize your approach. Don’t be afraid to ask questions and try new approaches.
Remember that not everything will work. But you always have the ability to change it.
For more tips, tricks and resources on running your business, sign up on Biz4Afrika.
Did you find this toolkit valuable? Please share your feedback with us:

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We graciously acknowledge the following contributors:
Name

Title

Company

Comark Maloba

Web Developer & Marcom Manager

Chase Bank

Lavinniah MuthoniMarketing Manager

Intel

Ngumo Kahiga

Marketing Manager

Co-operative Bank

Peter Waweru

Marketing and Communications

Barclays

Samuel Karima

Business Development Executive

Samstar Business Solutions

James Kabiru

SME Representative

Olive Tree Media Limited

Charity Wanjau

Brand Marketing Manager

KCBCharles Mugendi

Creative Director

Disruptive Group Kenya

Nginda Nganga

Marketing & Communications Manager

Mimi.co.ke

Sam Kihanya

Associate Creative Director

JWT (Advertising Agency)

Tabitha Wambua

Marketing Manager

Mount Zion Organic Farm

George Kijana

SME – IT Consultant

Brietech Solutions

Don Baraka

Digital Marketing Manager

Embrace ICTDavid Ndungu

CEO Digital Marketing agency

Voila Digital Marketing Agency

Emmanuel Mutuma

Marketing Manager

Brighter Monday

Lizzie CostabirMarketing Manager

Buy Rent Kenya (Online property
listing company)

Wycliffe Sawo

SME Respresentative

Blue Gate Technologies

Roy Njoka Kirianja

Brand Marketing Manager

Safaricom

Thank you for all the contributors to this Marketing Toolkit and updates on it over the last numberof years, including Brian Smith, Diego Micheletti, Mohamed Salah, Sarah Hermann, Olivier Durand,
Kevin Mwaura, Daniel Odongo.

Notes630
560

Notes630561

Biz4Afrika
Visit Biz4Afrika.com© 2015 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. This document is for informational purposes only.
MICROSOFT MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS, IMPLIED OR STATUTORY AS TO THE INFORMATION IN THE DOCUMENT.
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