Digital marketing industry in Asia is never going to be the same again. I know this after I caught up with Muhammad Fayyaz. He is the Founder of Inncelerator. He shared with me recently how Inncelerator is disrupting the digital marketing scene in Singapore and across the region, and how they have succeeded so far in helping businesses in Singapore with their digital marketing efforts
Hello Muhammad Fayyaz. I’d like to understand more about Inncelerator, but first, tell us, who is Muhammad Fayyaz as a person and professional?
I was born in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, I moved to Singapore in 2005 when I was 18 years old. I’m a foodie and enjoy different cuisines, spending time with family and friends, and unwind by working out in the gym and reading. Being brought up in a heterogeneous and dynamic city like Dubai, I had exposure to different cultures very early in my life and I believe this is one of the factors which led me to be appreciative of those around me and inspired my creativity to drive innovation.
After graduating with a degree in banking and finance, I have been involved in my family business of Handmade Carpets. In order to diversify our portfolio, I was on the lookout for another industry to tap into and I turned to my two passions – travel and food.
In 2010, Fayyaz Travels was born. We recently celebrated our 10th anniversary and over the last decade, we were able to bring out new developments and approaches to the business by offering unique, luxurious, and highly customizable tours and itineraries all over the world to individual and corporate clients. Then in 2019, I ventured into the F&B space with my first restaurant.
This year with the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s been extremely challenging for everyone worldwide and I saw a lot of businesses having to shut down and people losing their jobs, impacting their livelihoods and mental health. During this time, I knew that I wanted to do something that would empower people to achieve their dreams. I wanted to help those people willing to take charge and overcome the barriers of entry into entrepreneurship by giving them a platform like Inncelerator which offers clients modular solutions to creating a digital presence for their business at subsidized rates.
Things are changing with operations and strategies going digital and despite us having some great initiatives in Singapore offered by the government, there are some gaps for example not everyone is eligible for business grants so, through Inncelerator, we are helping individuals and businesses to follow their dreams and make their mark in the industry.
Growing business in the era of the COVID-19 pandemic is crazy I must say. It can be tough if you’re not equipped with the right strategy and tools. How do you see the businesses are coping with the new normal at the moment, especially in Singapore?
One thing I believe is that when you are clear about your end goal and what you want to achieve, nothing is impossible. When it comes to coping with the new normal, of course, it’s a change and with any change, it takes time to adjust but we need to understand that things will not be the same anymore. Based on that, your previously successful strategies will not necessarily work now either.
With the pandemic coming into play, businesses have had to change their strategies to cater to the current rules and regulations and we have seen a rise in start-ups, not just in Singapore, but worldwide. The problem with many businesses, however, is that they are not using resources to their maximum potential.
Optimizing strategies and maximizing resources is vital. With the new norm, digitization was the only option for businesses to sustain – not just in reaching out to customers but also their internal operations – and for many businesses, especially those that traditionally relied on a brick-and-mortar model, it has been a difficult transition because they can no longer just rely on footfall.
The problem for older corporations is that they have the resources, but they lack the general skills and guidance to use them to their full potential. With movement restrictions put in place to control the pandemic, we have seen an influx in digital advertisement. Many companies have tapped into the digital market, got the government grants and funding to use but return on investment on digital marketing strategies are low. I noticed that many businesses have started to believe that digital marketing does not work for them and they are being put off by the idea but in reality, they do not have the proper frameworks and the right messaging in place to attract their target audience, resulting in poor results. Companies need to focus on creating a brand and company image and use the right tools and channels to target their audience.
What are the top 3 things you’ve learned out of the observation?
The top three things I have learned through observation are:
- Nothing is permanent and past victories do not guarantee future success. I think this is something we can all agree on now given how the pandemic has impacted some of the most successful industries in ways we could not have imagined.
- We should always be learning; times are changing, and you need to be upskilling to keep up with the current trends because, without that, you will not be able to grow.
- There is no such thing as the ‘right time’; Act now. Some of the biggest opportunities people miss are because they are waiting for the right time and what I have learned from personal experience is that the only thing that makes it a “right time” is you and how much you believe in yourself and your own skills. Make the effort now and take the opportunity before you miss it.
Now, tell me more about Inncelerator.
Inncelerator.com is the world’s first and only ‘online’ platform offering modular business solutions to launch, market and grow your business. It offers a new approach to all your digital needs, where we aim to create a legacy for your brand.
Seeing as how 2020 had undoubtedly been a year full of hardships for everyone globally (with businesses suffering, unemployment rates increasing and the economy struggling), Inncelerator started with the mission to support all businesses and people to achieve their dreams by providing them with a means for which they can increase their presence. We are a premier company with a simple aim – To empower start-ups and small businesses to navigate in the world of digitization.
From content marketers to developers, designers to writers – our industry experience is something we take pride in. With a large array of 23 modules and growing services including Search Engine Optimization, Digital Marketing, Influencer Marketing, Web Development, app development, there is nothing we can’t do for you.
We know that oversized and traditional digital agencies are not a luxury every business can afford. Therefore, at Inncelerator, we have taken a conscious decision to subsidize our costs and depending on your budget and goals, you can focus on the area that is your priority with hassle-free packages and an experienced team. We intend to transform businesses into a digital entity, thus providing you with opportunities to reach a larger market in a way that is clear-cut, easy and cost-effective.
Our promise to all our clients is to be beside them in these tough times by offering packages designed to support businesses and help them grow.
Which part of Inncelerator that makes it different from other digital marketing agencies or platforms out there?
We have a lot of great digital marketing firms and offline agencies however what makes Inncelerator different is that we have tackled and eliminated the issues we know many entrepreneurs face by disrupting the digital space with our modular solutions, thus making it 100% transparent in its process, prices, and services.
Typically, when approaching a digital marketing company, you would have to speak to a consultant to get a quote, wait for days to get a quote and based on what they believe would be the best approach for you- although this works in many cases, it can have a lot of costs and you may be pushed to increase your budget to fit their marketing plan. With Inncelerator, you have full control of your package and you do not need a big budget to set aside. All the information you need is available on our website so you yourself can make an informed decision on what services will benefit your business.
If you need additional assistance, our team is available through chat, email and call to guide you in the right direction.
Secondly, the subscription model offers a low commitment opportunity and makes it very easy for startups and small businesses to shift gears or optimize existing strategies if the need arises.
We are also expanding on our services based on feedback from our clients. For example, by the end of 2021, we aim to have additional modules, with an addition of business mentoring by building a safe-zone community where entrepreneurs, business owners and students can come together to ask and answer questions in a community forum.
Where do you actually see digital is heading to in the future?
Being in the digital space keeps you at the top of your game. There is no doubt that technology is the future and your presence in the market is based on how well you can adapt to the new technology and market your brand. From our clients’ perspective, digitization has so many benefits especially given the fact that the whole world is in the middle of a pandemic and despite many places being under lockdown, businesses are still able to run due to the exciting changes bought by these new technologies. We are seeing trends like Shoppable Posts and advertising on alternative social media channels. For B2B models, account-based marketing trends have seen considerable growth. In the B2C space, Neuromarketing will completely change the game with the help of AI algorithms to understand and influence consumer behavior. There will be a rise in Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) advertising as well. Many industries are already exploring VR – the travel and tourism industry, for example, by offering Virtual Tours since travel in person is not an option right now. In the near future, it is expected that these technologies will become the norm.
When you say Inncelerator is the only online web development and digital marketing platform making it easy for entrepreneurs, startups and SMEs to go digital, what do you mean by that?
Our services are quick and 100% online. Where other agencies will take a few days to a week to get you a simple quote, with Inncelerator you just log-on www.inncelerator.com, scroll through the services, see what you need, make your purchase and you are good to go. Should you need more guidance, we are available on chat and email to guide you on what is the best strategy, and you can sit back, and focus on other areas of your business, whilst we move forward with helping you achieve your digital goals.
Quite a number of brands decided to cut their budget on PR, Marketing and Communication during this pandemic. Are they wrong?
It depends on your industry as there are a lot of brands that have also increased their budgets, for example, streaming services and companies that facilitate work from home setups. However, during the pandemic, there are various marketing and communication strategies that no longer work and if the budget has been reduced to adapt to the ongoing changes then they are not wrong, especially, if you are in the tourism and hospitality industry or predominantly an offline business. You need to adjust your strategy so you can quickly recover when conditions are favorable. It is not necessary to have a big budget to reach your target audience, which you can find from Inncelerator, but it is rather more important to have the right strategy and know-how on digital marketing tools that will benefit your business.
What would be the challenges the startups or SMEs will encounter if they were to skip the Inncelerator’s platform?
One of the biggest challenges start-ups or SME’s would face if they skipped Inncelerator’s platform is on its time and costs. The story behind Inncelerator’s inception started from my own personal challenges faced as an Entrepreneur. Many businesses tend to think the bigger their budget, the quicker results/conversion rates they will achieve, however, this is not entirely true. Of course, it helps to have a bigger budget for Paid Ads, however, it all is dependent on the algorithm and the strategies used at the backend to reach your targeted audience which is what our team works on. You need to optimize your strategy consistently for it to work and even if you have a smaller budget, our team is skilled enough to get you the results, so you don’t need to entirely write-off digital marketing as part of your strategy.
What would be your advice to brands out there when choosing the right web development and digital marketing platform?
Pick a company you can trust, are genuine and offer you what you need. If you are running your own business, managing your digital marketing yourself can get overwhelming and this is something our clients have also appreciated with Inncelerator- they can create their websites with us and also not have to worry about managing their digital presence.
At the end of the day, you need to think about your company like your child whom you are giving to someone else to take care of. That is a big responsibility so make sure that whichever company you are choosing, has credibility. There may be many web development and digital marketing agencies out there but look for companies that will treat your business like their own and help you grow.
Personally, I like to go with reading up on the companies’ values and beliefs before going into business with them. If they are synonymous with yours, try them out.
How can our readers get in touch with you Muhammad Fayyaz?
You can get in touch with me via LinkedIn or if you are interested in exploring the services provided by Inncelerator, you can get in touch with the team here via our website, Instagram and Facebook. You can also email us here.
