4 Marketing Lessons I learnt from Rural Entrepreneurs

Nidhi Saxena May 25, 2023 7 Comments

Irrespective of scale and geography of operation, Entrepreneurs are the best mouthpieces of their organizations. As a couple, we tend to go on mini vacations (usually to the Himalayas) to rejuvenate ourselves. This time we went to Jibhi, a beautiful green hamlet located in Himachal Pradesh. We had heard from a friend that it is still snowing (in the month of April, can you imagine?). So, we made a hush-hush trip to Jibhi and visited Jalori Pass, the Great Himalayan National Park, Chhoie Waterfalls. We also indulged in some adventure activities but a lot of surprises awaited us! During the trip, I had the opportunity to observe Rural Entrepreneurs. It was quite a learning curve to know how they conduct business, and how they marketed their service offerings. The trip surprisingly, turned out to be a great marketing lesson in itself.

The product is Paramount

Nothing beats a great product! I have witnessed umpteen Marketing campaigns eventually fail in the absence of a good, bankable product. While planning this trip, we found an amazing Hospitality product that offered Star Gazing with a cozy stay. Just imagine, waking up in the middle of the night and observing the stars. Or better still, if it’s raining, the sound of raindrops on your cottage ceiling made of glass – makes for such a therapeutic experience. 

If that wasn’t enough, the cafe at the property was equally amazing – a bit rustic and well-stocked with indoor games. While talking to the owner of the Star Gazing resort, I realized that the owner had given immense thought to what customers wished to experience in the Himalayas. He had quite successfully replicated his thoughts and created a unique experience for tourists. For explorers like us, we feed on products that offer an immersive experience and that is the marketing lesson 101!

Offer a Variety of Services 

Have you ever wandered into a retail store that offers all you ask for and has a huge variety of products in stock? Or better still, have you ever come across websites that offer lots of products and your shopping cart is full of Must-Have or Wish-to-Have items? Isn’t that the best experience ever? 

Circling back to our Himalayan trip! After checking in at our resort, we decided to venture out and accomplish some bucket list activities. Paragliding in the pristine Himalayan states was on our checklist. We came in touch with Mr. Lalit of Jibhi Adventures who offered Paragliding (dependent on natural conditions) and a Healing walk in the Forest (I had never heard of this before). Due to the differentiated offerings, we were all game for both experiences through one company, convenient, isn’t it? 

To top that, they also offered activities like Waterfall and Drydock Rappelling. But unfortunately, these activities were dependent on the weather and we couldn’t check these off our list. But this company was a one-stop shop for a variety of adventure needs! In a nutshell, having a wide variety of service offerings for your customer turned out to be a valid marketing lesson.

Explore Influencer Marketing

Now, this story will stay etched in my memory forever! While on the way to Jalori Pass (from where you can see and touch snow), our driver told us that he also owns a Homestay near our place of stay but it was booked for the weekend. We were curious! So, we asked him “Usually, are there a lot of bookings for your homestay?” He replied with a shy smile, “No, I have let it out to an influencer on a barter basis and she shall post stories and Instagram reels during her stay”.

Believe me, as a Digi-preneur, in my heart, I felt so proud of this young, polite guy! Here was this guy, applying the concepts of Influencer Marketing to build his brand among the youth! As soon as the conversation ended, it started snowing and one more activity was checked off from our bucket list! This short story was enough to make me smile throughout the day!

Check out our previous blog post on 3 Must-watch Netflix movies for an Entrepreneur

Focus on Customer Engagement

Last, but not least, one common thread among all the service providers in the valley was that their customer service was prompt, polite, and accommodating! We didn’t see anyone arguing over an over-the-top service request or during price negotiation. Moreover, during our visit, we didn’t witness any missed calls or no-callbacks by the entrepreneurs or their service providers. For a customer who is visiting a place for the first time, engaging with reliable service providers makes it worth the experience! This was indeed an important marketing lesson for us.

Conclusion

As a couple we keep taking mini-vacations to keep ourselves full of positive energy. Our trip to Jibhi was a great experience. Apart from checking adventure activities off our list, and watching the snowfall at Jalori Pass we also learnt a great deal from rural Entrepreneurs who are prompt, polite, and efficient in their conduct! Digital Marketing is the art of selling a concept in the subtlest manner. Thus, the most endearing part, which also inspired me to pen this post was that the fundamentals of Marketing were adhered to, by the Hospitality entrepreneurs in one of the remotest parts of India! 

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AboutNidhi Saxena

A flair for writing, reading and all things Literature, Nidhi Saxena has completed her Bachelors & Masters in English from Miranda House, Delhi University. With a solid 8+ years dedicated to penning down and executing numerous Digital Marketing campaigns with exemplary results, Nidhi has worked with a host of clients across public and private sector. Besides the Agency-side experience, Nidhi has also worked client-side and made a difference too. She has worked in tandem with numerous UN organizations and global organizations like ILO, Interpol, WHO, FAO, UNESCO, UN Women etc. during her stint as Social Media Coordinator for Nobel Peace Laureate Kailash Satyarthi. Currently, I run a Digital Marketing Agency where I handle a marvellous team of talented and driven individuals, always brimming with ideas.