SMALL and medium-sized entrepreneurs should work on all digital media platforms to enhance engagement with customers and boost sales, a digital media expert suggested.
Uraiporn Cholsirirungskul, chief executive officer and digital transformation consultant at Mirum (Thailand), said SMEs could be affected by major social media platform operators like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Line always updating their engagement systems to stimulate the participation of their subscribers.
This is particularly the case for SMEs that relied on social network as key platforms to communicate with customers, she said.
Uraiporn pointed to Facebook's Bot for the Messenger, a micro-application in a main application that offered benefits while using the main application. She said the new feature allowed a business to be exposed to targeted consumers.
She stressed that getting a consumer to make a purchase was not enough. E-commerce was used as a tool to get people to repurchase and to cross-sell.
On its website, Facebook states that bots can provide anything from automated subscription content like weather and traffic updates, to customised communications like receipts, shipping notifications and live automated messages - all by interacting directly with the people who want to get them.
Apple and Line are also developing similar tools to encourage business transactions via their platforms and devices.
"It is very important that Thai SMEs quickly adopt new technology which will be introduced in the near future," Uraiporn said." On top of that, to spread risk from this rapid change, they should have their own online store while using the main platforms to interact with consumers."
She also said businesses must analyse their strengths and support digital innovation to create more opportunities.
She said mobile phone users were now more interested in using their phones for accessing data, entertainment and financial applications than for making calls. Businesses should be aware of digital lifestyles that shape consumer behaviour.
"Data analytics is also important so all businesses including SMEs to understand the changes in consumer behaviour so they can listen to what consumers want as well as whether they talked about their brand either positively or negatively," she added.
"IT IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT THAI SMES QUICKLY ADOPT NEW TECHNOLOGY WHICH WILL BE INTRODUCED IN THE NEAR FUTURE," URAIPORN SAID." ON TOP OF THAT, TO SPREAD RISK FROM THIS RAPID CHANGE, THEY SHOULD HAVE THEIR OWN ONLINE STORE WHILE USING THE MAIN PLATFORMS TO INTERACT WITH CONSUMERS."