Article by Mike Anderson (NSBC Founder & CEO)
We see a positive road ahead for SMEs in 2022. SMEs must embrace the best in technology to help overcome the challenges today, accelerate growth and boost profits.
As doing business regains a sense of normalcy, new business trends are emerging, and understanding them can help SMEs find their way forward again.
Business owners need to be aware of the trends and innovations that are driving business in a new world. Here are three key trends of ‘what works’ that will help SMEs significantly in 2022 – to accelerate growth and boost profits.
Virtual events – the biggest trend for 2022
Virtual events will be the biggest SME trend for 2022. Here we are talking about conferences, meetings, and trade shows. Don’t let the trend of virtual events scare you off. Don’t miss the boat, get use to this. By 2030 more than 80% of global trade shows will be virtual.
Exhibiting on virtual expos allows you to: get your businesses out there, secure many more customers, smash your sales expectations, accelerate growth and boost profits quickly and cost-effectively.
Attending delegates can expect every good and positive experience of a traditional event but with no travel costs, ticket prices, parking costs and hassles, expensive foods, pushy exhibitors, flu-carrying co-attendees, worries or inconvenience at all.
Attending these events is peaceful and easy. There is no rush hour to fight, no lines to wait in, and no aggressive sales person. Just you, your computer and your favourite chair.
By exhibiting your business on a proven virtual or online expo, you now have the opportunity to market to the 21st Century business decision maker, a higher quality audience: The digital generation.
B2B virtual networking – a hot trend for 2022
Virtual networking is the hot trend of 2022. Instead of growing alone, business owners can multiply their efforts exponentially by connecting with potential customers, fellow entrepreneurs etc. in a safe, at-home environment. Networking in this fairly new environment – the virtual world; helps generate leads and referrals, seek out new ways of doing business, learn new business trends, and form relationships that inspire and fuel each other’s growth.
In all our surveys, it is overwhelming to see how many business owners find virtual networking far more successful than the traditional physical networking.
Digital marketing – this puts SMEs back in the game
Business owners should accept that digital marketing is here to stay and cannot be ignored. Its cost and time efficiency presents unmatched opportunities. Seize those opportunities to reach a targeted audience consistently.
Digital marketing is an affordable and cost-effective option for all businesses. A well-executed and effectively targeted digital marketing strategy can reach potential customers at a much lower cost than traditional marketing.
This puts SMEs back in the game. By giving them resources that were previously only accessible to larger corporations, these businesses now have the ability to compete for the same traffic as those with much bigger marketing budgets.
For more info on South Africa’s most cost-effective and powerful digital, virtual, and networking opportunities e-mail: twane@nsbc.africa
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