The Continuing and Distance Education Department prepared this webinar following the observation that digital marketing has pivoted (in some cases) dramatically since Covid-19 hit the globe. Lead Instructor Eric Harbison and email Expert Liz Willits led this discussion. In this webinar, emphasis was laid on four areas of digital marketing; Digital Communities, Newsletters and Email Marketing, Audio and Video Marketing and the use of Voice Search. Generally, marketing strategies thrive when one is intentional about building a community based on authentic relationships, providing value rather than marketing only for sales and being creative and unique.

Why do email Marketing strategies and platforms like Finimize, Daily Skimm, and Morning Brew continue to work when there are other channels such as social media? Email marketing will probably remain an effective digital marketing strategy because; one has more control since they are not dependent on algorithms like some social media pages, email marketers own their email list and do not need to buy followers. Research shows that consumers love email promotions from brands they have opted into. Email Marketing is an effective way to get personalized attention from customers. Marketers use email because it drives revenues, as it is the best platform to sell, launch and boost products.

YouTube is the second largest search engine behind Google and Podcasts. A video alone gives a more personal touch on one’s customers. A video is any outlet that allows you to provide sight and sound in motion. The big question is, how are you optimizing your video content? What are the YouTube searches that have increased in the last year? Optimization is key for traffic visibility.  Turn Frequently Asked Questions into the content. 80% of shoppers will consolidate shopping to make fewer trips than in previous years. Searches for “available near me” have grown globally by more than 95% since 2020. 67% of all shoppers plan to confirm online that an item they desire is in stock before going to buy it. Voice search is therefore a marketing strategy that one can also consider exploring.

In summary, find more ways to connect and develop virtual communities, build a community and then provide value and treat marketing like a relationship. Remember podcasts offer the opportunity to perform hyper-targeted marketing and finally, create content that addresses the intention of your customers; respond to commonly asked questions, showcase clear product details and provide easy how-to steps.

HOW TO ACE INTERVIEWS Hosted by ALX VA Program on 8^th July 2022

How do you prepare? What are some mistakes you might make? How do you get in there and convince the hiring manager that you are indeed the best match for the job? In this webinar, 3 hiring managers from top multinational corporations revealed what they look for in a candidate, common mistakes entry-level seekers make during interviews, how to make one’s dream job a reality and tips on how introverts can network authentically and successfully. The three speakers were Seth Trudeu – Founder and Managing Director Routine Chaos, Danai Mavunga – Talent Acquisition and Strategy Director of The Room, Mohaned Eltayeb – Chief Information Officer GE Gas Power.

The best way to shine in an interview that was reiterated by all the presenters was the ability to turn an interview into a conversation, not a session of answering back and forth questions. This can be achieved best by imagining a first date and how well one tries to articulate their profile with real life examples. In the case when one is changing roles/fields completely, they need to consider what they have done before that has value for what they’re going to do. Important tips to consider before settling on an organization are: will the problem be interesting to you? Will your colleagues challenge you? Will the manager support your growth?

Some of the common mistakes job seekers make either before or during the interview which affects their general interview performance (if they make it for one) include failing to package oneself well, lack of value-added activities that strengthen one’s profile, typos, grammatical errors and use of generic CVs or cover letters and lack of curiosity. Key skills/mindsets necessary for excellence are learning agility and adaptability, self-drive, growth mindset and grit, self-awareness and possessing a resilient spirit. During the actual interview, one should avoid regurgitating their CV when asked to “tell us about yourself” instead they should narrate the story that hiring managers have not read yet. Instead of providing abstract experience, one can give evidence of how they reacted to certain real-life challenging situations. When asked about one’s weaknesses, one should never shy from sharing their vulnerability, it demonstrates humility and positive self-reflection on improvement areas. It is advisable for one to turn it into a story about growth. On the other hand, however, strategy on sharing one’s weaknesses is key least one shoots themselves on the foot. 

Hosted by KCB Biashara Club in December 2021

A story is told of a donkey that was tied to a tree when a demon came and released it. The donkey entered the field of a farmer and began to eat everything. The farmer’s wife saw the donkey and was afraid that it would destroy the farm, took the rifle and killed it. The donkey’s owner saw the dead donkey, got angry and also took his rifle and fired at the woman, killing her. When the farmer got home and saw that his wife was dead, he killed the donkey’s owner.

The donkey owner’s sons, seeing their dead father, burned the farmer’s field. The farmer in retaliation killed them. When they asked the demon what he had done, he said: “I did nothing, I just released the donkey.” This story relates so much with the season we are in as a nation. One simple act or word can trigger the evil intentions of men’s hearts to harm one another. So, let’s think before reacting. Be careful with our actions because many times, the only thing politics does is “release the donkey”, our role should however be to “tie back the donkey” and the force is disarmed.

Kenya is often referred to as one of the most stable African economies with a comparatively advanced small business policy. Dennis Allego, a famous editor once said “to survive this political storm and counter the ripple effect after that, businesses need to come up with strategies that will assist in cushioning the unforeseen election outcome.” This sentiment is similar to what Dr K. N. Jacob, a corporate trainer, conference speaker and life coach who was the presenter in this webinar addressed.

He shared two things to consider in preparing for an election cycle; electoral cycle conflicts and electoral cycle opportunities. Jacob mentioned we cannot ignore the fact that there can be conflicts or emotional escalation during this period hence it is good to be prepared as to be forewarned is to be forearmed. He encouraged attendees to be alert and updated on current affairs by listening to the news. He also urged people to avoid politics at work as that is usually against business etiquette. In mitigating risks during this time business owners need to have insurance for their business, move or reduce stocks, secure doors, close down, especially in volatile areas or relocate and also reduce travel during the period.

Hosted by Ajira Digital on 25th February 2022

According to statistics, 93% of all online interactions start on such engines. 81% of customers research things online before they buy them. 84% of today’s customers think a website makes one’s business more credible than companies that only have social media profiles. These statistics reveal what was the main theme of this webinar as Hasnain Noorani the Founder and Managing Director of Pride Group, taught how Kenyan business owners could expand to the African market.

Tapping into the African market calls for growth in businesses. The secret to this growth lies in understanding the buyer problem; where purchasers are too busy to get to shops and hence end up relying on the same sellers due to lack of knowledge. CV is the solution to the buyer problem, the acronym stands for Communication and Visibility. These two, according to Hasnain, are key ingredients for growing any business. Communication calls for meeting as many people as possible and having one’s business card(s) during those conversations – networking.  Visibility involves rigorous activities in social media pages – branding. A dynamic and very active website is also key to visibility. Bill Gates says “If your business is not on the internet, then your business will be out of business.”

The pandemic provided a wake-up call to digitizing business i.e. digital methods of delivering products and services. Digitization reduces cost, automates business processes and reduces the reliance on manpower. Having an impact requires an online presence. No business in this era can successfully achieve optimum success without online sales. After all, how else will other business people in the African market get to know what one does? The challenge when it comes to visibility is that business owners have websites that are static and not updated, others lack the technical knowledge to operate the website, others find it time-consuming and expensive to maintain others are simply not connected to updated technology.

Differentiating between online existence and online presence is key. Online presence is what all business owners should aim at as it is the silent salesperson that deeply explains what one does. A good online presence is what attracts a valuable audience, not followers. Performing Search Engine Optimizations (SEOs) too is helpful.

Although there are limited platforms for the African market to showcase various businesses online, Amazon, Alibaba Group and Airduka.com are examples of platforms that have utilized the e-commerce business revolution.

Hosted by Bemerc Consults on 13th January, 2022

This was a master class webinar to help any sales person increase their sales from what they’ve previously sold. The presenter was Mercy Maina Kimani, the Performance Coach and Team Leader at Bemerc Consults. In the Webinar, Mercy shared essential pillars necessary for the realization of any business vision, the first one being a consideration of where one is coming from and where they intend to go hence sales goal setting. The goals have to be SMART in that they are Specific in terms of the processes and resources, Measurable by objective data, Attainable in that they can be achieved, Relevant to the vision and Time-bound by a deadline.

Once goals are set, a goal road map for each objective ought to be established. In the road map for each goal, one should consider the obstacles that are likely to hinder the achievement of that goal. It is healthy to view the obstacles as hindrances within one’s capacity, not some external locus of control. That perspective of analyzing obstacles will pave the way to the solution step of how to overcome the obstacles so as to realize the goal(s). If coming up with a solution proves difficult, then consultation with a coach, mentor or counselor then comes in handy.

Another thing to consider is feedback parameters for one’s business. Reviews, whether done daily, weekly or monthly help a great deal in providing feedback. They provide a platform to analyze one’s plan(s) versus the reality of what they have been able to execute in that plan hence preparing better for tomorrow’s goals. Maximizing repeat sales is also a winning strategy for any serious salesperson. These are things customers buy in order to replace the same services or products they had bought and consumed previously. Customer loyalty, that is trust plus quality customer relationship spearheads repeat sales. If one’s business model does not allow repeat sales due to its nature, then strategies such as leads and referrals would help to keep the business going. In conclusion, the webinar attendees were also taught the proven ways to position themselves as trusted advisors (focus on mutual benefit) rather than as product pushers (focus on price) . A trusted advisor is characterized by their communication skills, optimistic attitude, self-control, professional competence, confidence, customer-focused service provision and value addition. These attributes need to be seen at all levels of interactions; personally, relationally and professionally.

Hosted By Banking Transformed On 1^st September, 2021

“If everyone, including political leaders, is given the opportunity to learn the essential principles to smart money management, it will enable them to better plan ahead and keep their financial house in order and help others to do the same” Michael Ochieng Nyawino (2019). What the Executive Director at Christian Community Healthcare Foundation says was the heart of the webinar that was presented by Industrial Bank in collaboration with EVERFI.  

According to the Global index report; women in the developing nations, such as Kenya, have a 20% less likelihood of owning a bank account in a formal financial institution and 17% less likely to formally borrow money; deficiency in their financial literacy is one of the causes. Financial literacy is basically an individual’s comprehension of concepts such as debt, investing and saving which then contributes to their general definition of financial well-being; it begins with the awareness of matters concerning money.

For Industrial Bank, the aim is always to make a difference in the lives of their customers and employees even as they impact economic development in communities. Over time, they have achieved this by creating unique products and services that meet customers where they are and also supplementing the teachings of financial empowerment while still making money for the bank and mitigating risks. This is worth emulating in attempting to transform communities.

Information and a person’s ability to make sound decisions go hand in hand. Any business owner should therefore ensure that their customers can visualize and understand the elements of financial literacy. The simplest form of education to offer is how customers can save, invest and/or spend their income by clearly distinguishing their needs from wants. It is important to note that financial education should not be limited to schools and churches but other uncommon avenues such as jails and shelters. This is because financial literacy crosses all spectrums of age, sex, income, social status among others. Above all, in this COVID-19 era, the most can be attained by adopting digital approaches to financial education. 

Finally, there is a very strong association between financial literacy and social issues. It is said that financial literacy is a great equalizer in the battle against social justice. It contributes to the general decrease of stress levels in individuals and reduces chances of family discord. There is therefore an increasingly urgent demand for financial literacy in communities.

Hosted By Strategia Netherlands And Capacity Africa On 19^th October, 2021.

There is a great need for funds now more than ever before, resources are shrinking while needs are growing by day. Unfortunately, international donors are now investing in their own economy in the bid to realize the SDGs rather than the developing world, especially as we approach 2030. This, therefore, calls for a paradigm shift from money to the targets. Is it possible to meet the target with the available resources without necessarily looking for money? Coalition building, networking and leveraging on other organization resources are therefore important alternative strategies to achieve organizational goals. 

This webinar was more of a follow-up engagement following a similar forum that had been hosted back in June 2021. In that forum, an overview of how to raise funds and the lessons resource mobilization experts have learned over time were discussed. Some of the ideas were still emphasized in this recent webinar as discussed but greater chunk of time was spent to train on the different elements of proposal writing as this is the means to ensuring successful fundraising for NGOs.  

In the continuous process of identifying and obtaining resources for any organization, it is important to consider the following: timing, skill acquisition such as proposal writing, innovation and creativity, having a variety of funding sources, appreciating the fact that the donor is always right and being up to date with current affairs. The organization seeking funds needs to promise performance and credibility to the donors by optimally utilizing and accounting for all the funds received. This helps to boost trust and maintain a trustworthy relationship. The element of community ownership is very important to some donor agencies- it is easier to receive organizational funding than it is to receive individual funds for personal business; the former promotes accountability and shared responsibility. When it is all said and done, follow up and gratitude goes a long way in cementing the relationship; thank the donors within 72 hours.

 When it comes to the proposal writing, one needs to understand the different concepts used, the key proposal components in their logical sequence, a clear understanding of the environment and the steps in project planning and design.

Finally, the reason some projects never get funded is mainly because of ignorance. This may be due to insufficient donor knowledge, failing to introduce one’s organization before applying for funds or failing to follow the donor’s instructions and directions.

Hosted by CPF Consulting on 30^th November, 2021.

The guest speaker in this webinar was Mary Kimonye the Principal Secretary State Department of Public Service and also the CEO of Brand Kenya.

Branding is the purposeful and deliberate process of distilling, defining, creating and packaging one’s self-identity and image which are the two key pillars of branding. Branding allows one to tell their story as they’d want it to be told as well as establish oneself as an expert and leader while connecting with others in the industry. It is critical to mention that branding equals identity plus image. Identity is internal, it is about one’s personal definition; their true self, and appreciation of who one is. Image on the other hand is external; what others see, think, and perceive you to be, based on your projection to the world. It comes about with the choices, words actions and courses of one in life.  It answers questions such as: Who is feeling your story? When your name is mentioned what associations come to you?

Once the identity and image is established, it is necessary to clothe one’s brand with a brand identity. The packaging of a brand is what is left speaking after close of business. It is the silent salesperson. A brand identity can be in form of a logo, colour, anthem, tag line among others.  Another important concept when it comes to branding is the brand essence also known as a sweet spot. What best thing are you known for? Once a brand has established its sweet spot, it begins to attract attention, people, resources and networks hence soft power.

The building blocks of a brand include the ability to know one’s place in the world that is unique; the ability to know when to and not to speak who to speak to and who not to; the discernment to take on assignments one has skills to handle; having competencies that are well packaged and consistent; the ability to say no and mean it and being true to self.  The steps towards a successful brand are: clarify your identity; define the market you want to operate in and the target audience; understand the competition; communicate your goals and do so consistently.  In conclusion, a good brand lives in the hearts and minds of the people; have a brand proposition that speaks for the mother brand any other time you have more than one product.