Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in Kaduna State are increasingly leveraging social media platforms to cut operating costs, and expand their customer base amid rising inflation, and declining walk-in patronage.
A cross-section of business owners interviewed on Sunday July 12 said social media platforms had become essential marketing and sales tools, enabling them to reach customers beyond Kaduna without the huge costs associated with traditional advertising and physical stores.
Mrs Fatima Musa, a fashion designer in Kaduna metropolis, said the shift to online marketing via Instagram and her WhatsApp status became necessary as transportation costs increased and customer visits to her shop declined.
Mr Ibrahim Sani, a furniture maker in Rigasa, said short videos showcasing his products on TikTok and Facebook had significantly increased enquiries. Miss Zainab Usman, a cosmetics retailer, said she has built customer confidence via live product demonstrations on TikTok.
Mrs Aisha Mohammed, who operates a home-based catering business in Kaduna South, said she now attracts customers and orders via Facebook and Whatsapp referrals. Similarly, Mr Emmanuel Yakubu, a shoe and leather crafts producer in Barnawa, said online platforms, like Instagram, had exposed his products to customers outside Kaduna.
A business development consultant, Mrs Grace Johnson, said digital visibility had become a major determinant of business survival, adding that consistency, prompt responses and excellent customer service matter just as much as product quality.
She advised entrepreneurs to protect customers by providing verifiable business addresses, transparent payment channels and prompt communication to minimise online fraud.
Despite the growing adoption of digital platforms, many entrepreneurs identified high data costs, unreliable electricity supply, poor internet connectivity, logistics challenges and online scams as major obstacles to growth.
They collectively called for sustained digital literacy programmes, improved electricity supply, affordable broadband services and stronger consumer protection measures to enable more SMEs to benefit from Nigeria’s growing digital economy.
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