Digital has transformed the way brands communicate with their customers, but many enterprises are still clueless on what to do to harness its potential.
Piccina Alvarez, president and chief executive officer of PurpleClick Philippines, said “digital” is the buzzword now, but there is still a bit of trepidation among businesses, especially small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
“We really want to show Cebuanos and Cebu businesses how easy it is to get into digital marketing and how many options are out there,” she told reporters at the sidelines of the “Bridging Islands Through Digital” event in Cebu City on Monday.
The event, headlined by executives from Google, Facebook and PLDT SME Nation, was focused on how digital has changed the way companies deal with their clients, making it easier for them to reach audiences in their own cities, neighboring islands or even across the globe.
With 1.86 billion people on Facebook, 400 million on Instagram, 310 million on Twitter, 1.3 billion on Youtube, it has become more imperative for companies to be digital-savvy.
It is only a matter of knowing which platforms to take advantage of and which audience to target.
Jonathan Joson, industry manager at Google Philippines, for his part, said businesses should make sure they adapt to a world that is becoming “mobile-first.”
Trillions of searches are made on Google each year, with roughly half of this figure happening on mobile.
Joson said enterprises should take as an opportunity the fact that people are always looking for something like in Google or Facebook.
He added that businesses should make sure they are present when customers look for them and that their assets are mobile-friendly.
Sheena Siao, SMB partner manager for Facebook in Southeast Asia, said mobile has changed businesses and social media has become essential media.
Around 80 to 90 percent of the Philippines’ purchasing population are on Facebook, making the platform a potent source for sales generation.
The event was organized by PurpleClick, a digital marketing agency from Singapore, which has been operating in Manila for five years.