digital-marketing-in-pakistan

1. Digital Marketing in Pakistan

2. HowtobecomeadigitalinnovatorinPakistan Anna O'Donnell February 14, 2016 Wherever you live, and provided you have access to a computer and the Internet, you can now take online courses, work internationally or collaborate with other young people from around the world. For Pakistan, these new connected communities could well provide an excellent short-term solution to the problem of job creation. Nearly 100 million Pakistanis are under the age of 24. Creating more and better quality jobs for this new generation will constitute a major challenge for the country's development. According to its own estimates, Pakistan will need annual growth of 7% to bring all these young people into active and productive economic life. However, constraints in energy supply, budget and public capacity will make this objective difficult to achieve in the short term. Working in Pakistan over the past few years, we have seen the beginnings of a shift in attitudes towards self-employment and entrepreneurship, which are now seen as more acceptable pathways to employment for young people. Given the obstacles mentioned above, which constrain the national economy and prevent it from absorbing all the young people who enter the job market each year, many of the employment opportunities in the future will come from business creation . Furthermore, the information and communication technologies (ICT) sector has experienced strong and sustained growth in the country in recent years, with the potential to drive growth through the development of new business models, the creation of start-ups and innovation. However, as we were able to observe on site, although many young people are interested in how the Internet and ICT could allow them to access employment, they generally do not know where to start. How to get started in digital? For those looking to access the skills and networks needed to work freelance, there are online resources that allow them to train. Many of the main freelance work platforms offer introductory materials allowing you to acquire the basics necessary to launch into this type of activity, such as DMT Software house and Training center. Independent online learning sites also offer courses and certifications, one of the best known being Coursera. But, above all, the independent worker must work to build his “book” and show all his talents: graphic design, coding, website creation, Photoshop, content writing, blogging, etc. Check out this page (a) for an overview of the best courses available. Pakistan also has very active communities of freelance workers on Facebook (a). Pakistani self-employed people include some of the most renowned freelancers in the world. To get inspired, follow these free tips here and here. We are also seeing a proliferation of shared work spaces (coworking) in large Pakistani cities. These include Basecamp in Peshawar (a), IVY in Islamabad (a), DMT (a), Tech Hub (a) in Lahore and Dotzero (a) in Karachi. By integrating these communities, a freelancer or budding entrepreneur will be better able to create networks which can be of capital importance in finding the right support structures. As for digital entrepreneurs who have more ambition and the makings of an innovator, they can count on a booming system, that of incubation programs, which combine training, mentoring and support to support new ideas until 'at the marketing stage. And although the financing of these young start-ups is only in its infancy, there are several initiatives aimed at formalizing business angel networks, which contributes to an important aspect of business development, but also to strengthen the digital entrepreneur community as a whole, by building support systems for future innovators. All these elements taken together form a true innovation ecosystem capable of boosting Pakistan's growth over the coming decade. And it is the involvement of young people in this new digital economy that will lead to the socio-economic changes the country needs, revolutionizing many aspects of Pakistanis' lives, from dealing with traffic fines to buying a house in through the uses of music and the practice of carpooling. So many changes which are also based on the creativity, ingenuity, passion and motivation which drive Pakistani youth and on the ambition they nourish for their country.