Effectively promoting an innovative venture is crucial for any entrepreneur as it can open doors to numerous opportunities. These opportunities can include increased demand for the product or service, potential collaborations, partnerships, and networking prospects. Such avenues can enable entrepreneurs to tap into a new customer base, broaden their reach, boost sales, and ultimately improve their chances of success.
One of our partners, OURSPACE (OURS), demonstrated the power of diverse promotional strategies through the success of their Edtech Xchange event. This event highlighted how implementing diverse strategies to promote their innovation can boost visibility and demand within the communities they serve.
Through their innovative device, OURS offers support to educational institutions and early learning practitioners by providing affordable and uninterrupted access to digital learning resources in rural and peri-urban areas, as well as urban areas, where existing data infrastructure may not be sufficient and/or costly. This solution aims to improve learning outcomes by providing quality educational content and improving access to online and offline learning resources.
Connecting Leaders and Enthusiasts
In June the OURS team hosted their EdTech Xchange event in Cape Town to connect educators, tech enthusiasts, and innovators to come together and explore the trends and advancements in educational technology. Different players from the Educational Technology landscape came together to highlight the important work young people do in creating innovative solutions in the education sector. Ecosystem players included teachers, principals, EdTech startup founders, impact investors, policy makers and youth.
The event served as an opportunity to foster collaboration and knowledge sharing within the EdTech ecosystem and promote OURS’ innovative device to potential practitioners. The aim was to engage in critical discussions around the challenges that practitioners face regarding industry policies, lack of resources and bridging the digital divide in the education sector. The discussions were also centred around the challenges that startups and investors face in this dynamic landscape.
Event Success
The event provided valuable insights into the key challenges teachers encounter at the grassroots level. Several participants, including leaders of forums with around 300 practitioners each, attended and expressed eagerness to learn more about the benefits of OURS’ device in educational centres. These forums played a vital role in spreading the message about the positive impact the device has had in various early learning centres and the broader community.
Here are some successes from the event:
- Approximately 10 practitioners present at the event expressed interest in the device. Consequently, OURS received invitations to attend forum meetings in the communities of Khayelitsha and Mfuleni to further showcase their solution.
- OURS had the opportunity to meet with several heads of early learning centres in the Western Cape to discuss a phased approach for engaging with other forums.
- In addition to boosting their visibility, the event also resulted in a potential sale of the device to a school in Gauteng, highlighting the growing interest and demand for it.
- Since the event, the OURS team has hosted three successful ECD forum meetings in the Western Cape, connecting with new practitioners, including several who attended the EdTech exchange in June. These engagements provided the OURS team with a platform to further exhibit their innovation, share success stories from the practitioners who are already using the device and gain traction with practitioners.
OURS’ Journey Over the Years
The OURSpace team is dedicated to empowering young transformative leaders through digital learning solutions. They collaborate with award-winning content providers to deliver high-quality educational materials designed to prepare learners for the future.
Effective Strategies Entrepreneurs Can Use to Promote their Innovation
Promoting a venture’s innovation effectively can lead to numerous opportunities.
Here’s how entrepreneurs can ensure their innovations get the attention they deserve from potential partners and investors:
1. Networking and Building Relationships: Building a strong network and attending industry events where entrepreneurs can connect with ecosystems players and potential partners can assist boost interest in the solution.
2. Utilising Demonstrations and Prototypes: Show, don’t just tell. Allowing potential customers to experience the solution firsthand through free trials or live demos can help display the value of the offering.
3. Fostering Customer Testimonials and Case Studies: Showcasing real-world examples of how the innovation has positively impacted users including testimonials and case studies can provide social proof and enhance the credibility of the innovation.
4. Collaborating with Fellow Industry Players and Experts: Partnering with individuals who have a strong following in the industry and ecosystem can promote the venture’s innovation. The positive endorsement of fellow industry players and experts can lend credibility and extend the reach of the solution.
5. Engaging in Thought Leadership: Entrepreneurs can position themselves as an expert in their field by contributing to industry publications, speaking at conferences, or hosting webinars. Sharing insights and knowledge can build credibility and attract attention to the innovation. Organising online events and engaging directly with potential customers and audiences to educate them about the solution can increase the visibility of the product or service.
6. Collaborating with Strategic Partners: Partnering with other businesses or organisations that complement the entrepreneur’s innovation can help the solution reach new markets, amplifying promotional efforts and tapping into new customer bases.
7. Telling a Story: By sharing the story behind the innovation and highlighting the problem it solves, the process of development, and the impact it will have, entrepreneurs can captivate potential customers, investors and partners.
8. Utilising Analytics and Feedback: Continuously monitoring the performance of the promotional efforts using data and customer feedback to refine the strategies and improve the outreach.
9. Leveraging Content Marketing: Creating valuable content related to the solution including blog posts, videos, infographics, and case studies can highlight the benefits and features of the solution. Entrepreneurs can also increase their visibility by sharing updates, engaging with followers, and using targeted ads.
10. Offering Exclusive Previews or Beta Testing: Allowing select users to experience the innovation before it’s widely released can generate buzz and an opportunity to gather valuable feedback for improvements.
By connecting practitioners, leaders, and stakeholders, the EdTech Xchange event not only highlighted the value of digital learning solutions but also fostered meaningful discussions around best practices and emerging trends. As interest in these transformative tools continues to grow, the connections made during the event can be used to drive positive change in educational environments, ultimately benefiting practitioners and communities alike.
Innovation Edge is committed to enhancing the lives of our youngest citizens in their early years. By supporting our partners’ innovative initiatives, we can foster a strong foundation for our young children and enable them a bright and promising start in life.
Author: Lerato Kau – Communications Analyst at Innovation Edge