Women urged to embrace digital marketing to grow businesses

Women entrepreneurs in the eastern region have been to embrace digital marketing if they want to grow their businesses and increase profits.

This was during a two-day training organised by Nation Media Group Uganda (NMG-U) in partnership with DFCU Bank’s Women in Business Programme, Uganda Airlines and Uganda Investment Authority early this week at Court’s View Hotel in Mbale City.

Under the initiative, Rising Woman, which is now in its sixth year, the training was aimed at recognizing, celebrating and promoting a culture of mentorship among women.

Ms Ruth Asasira, the DFCU's manager in charge of women in business and special programmes, said women entrepreneurs should embrace new technologies to scale their businesses to new heights at the fastest rate.

"As the digital landscape evolves, the call for women's participation in digital marketing amplifies as there are thousands of opportunities to tap into on the internet. Your phone can be a game changer in your business if effectively used," she said.

The training attracted women entrepreneurs, small-scale investors, and digital marketing experts who emphasised the significance of creativity, strategy, innovation, mentorship and networking as crucial avenues for women's advancement in business ventures.

They were trained among others in digital marketing, e-commerce, Agri-business value addition, manufacturing, consumer services and proposal writing, where the best three writers take home Shs15m, Sh10 and Shs5m respectively.

Ms Stella Akol, a senior manager of commercials, at Stanbic Bank, advised women to package and brand their businesses well.

"Let us package and brand our business to increase sales. It will be easy to scale up your business and it will also increase your revenues and cut costs,” she said.

Ms Catherine Kiodo, a successful digital marketing strategist said digital marketing is a level playing field where creativity, strategy, and innovation matter more than gender.

Ms Sandra Nakayenze, a coffee dealer and former winner of the proposal writing, said women in business should improve on their financial management.

"We need to improve on our financial management and entrepreneurship spirit. We need to know how to manage our finances," she said.

Mr Jonathan David Ssentogo, senior events promotions and activation manager at NMG-U said mentoring women in business is key to the growth of the economy.

"Male gender had taken centre stage in business and as NMG, we sought to get answers and we created raising women so that we can create mentorship among women in the country to compete favourably in the market because we recognize their immense potential, "he said.