HYDERABAD: Majority of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) in city are increasingly looking towards social media to improve their sales and promote their products. Done on 270 MSME owners, the study found that majority of owners between in 18-64 age group use social media but those above 64 refrained from the new technology.
The study, “Usage of traditional, digital and social media by micro, small and medium enterprises in Hyderabad, India” found that apart from traditional media like newspapers and digital spaces like television, MSMEs have social media to their armoury of potential spaces for making sales and promotion.
The main reason behind the increasing reliance on social media is that it is free. Traditional media like print and television charge a hefty amount for an advertisement. However, with social media one only needs an Internet connection and good marketing skills to make their product standout among others available online.
Social media is also giving a fresh breath of life for micro enterprises such as bidriware and age-old cloth arts. For instance, Khaleel a bidriware worker from Pathergatti, has a robust presence on social media. He also gets a much more profit margin when he sells online than selling to his official buyer, the Telangana State Handicraft’s Development Corporation. “If I sell it to TSHDC, I will get 900 for it. However, if I sell it online, I might get 1,200 for the same product,” he said.
However, despite the increasing social media presence, there is a major gap between having a profile and actually running a business online. “MSME owners create Facebook pages, Twitter handles, and YouTube channels, but in practice, they are not frequently updated. The reason usually cited is the paucity of time,” the study said.