DIGITAL: Life is a hustle in this city and if you are not creative, you will not survive. Robert Mugumya took advantage of the changing times to find his means of survival. Two years down, he is counting profits.
What kind of business do you do?
I am a digital marketer.
What kind of digital marketing do you do?
Content marketing, public relations and social media marketing.
When did you start this business?
I have been doing this business for two years.
How much did you invest in this business?
I invested Shs2.2m and I used Shs1.8m to buy a laptop and Shs45k to buy a good phone.
Where do you operate from?
Digital marketing is an online business. I have clients that I have never met face to face.
Why digital marketing?
Digital marketing has plenty of room for techs, creatives and business people. Being a learner, digital marketing always has something new to learn. Also, I have a computer science and video production background.
How much do you charge for your services?
That depends on the customer; monthly retainers have a wider distribution than hourly rates and projects. I sometimes charge 100K or 200K, depending on the work done.
How much profit do you make from this business?
I will not say I am making a lot of profit yet, but I earn about Shs300,000 a month. Digital marketing is not regrettable, at least I can say.
How many clients do you get in a week?
I cannot estimate, since it is an online business. But in a month, I can have about four clients on project works and eight on social media networking. It is not a predictable business.
What challenges do you face doing this business?
The biggest challenge is budget. Digital marketing is still seen as a cost centre, not a means of profit. Also lack of resources and enough manpower is not simple. It is frustrating seeing other marketers come up with excellent ideas while you are stuck in a marketing rut.
How have you benefited from this business?
Working from everywhere and with enough experience under my belt, I am able to command a sizeable income without having to clock-in at the office. The downside is that you might have to work harder to find and keep clients. Social media being a contact spot, I have found myself so many connections online from different artistes and celebs.
