Women entrepreneurs learn mobile phone photography and social media management

The popularity of digital technologies and online sales is growing: A large segment of consumers use the Internet to search for information about the products they want, make purchasing decisions based on this information, and often make purchases directly from the online platform. The current reality poses new needs for women entrepreneurs, who create a variety of products throughout Georgia. This production brings about the need for crafting a proper online presence in social networks and mobile applications. This includes enriching business profiles with interesting content and requiring constant, effective management of those channels. However, due to limited financial and human resources, as well as a lack of relevant knowledge and skills, small businesses face a number of challenges.

UN Women, as part of its support to women entrepreneurs, aims to promote and develop their activities. One such initiative was the practical workshops on photography and social media management for women entrepreneurs held in June and July.

The topics of the meetings were planned entirely in line with the needs of women entrepreneurs. Participants learned how to take appealing and effective photos of their products with a mobile phone camera, shooting with natural light or other available resources. They can now turn these photos into powerful sales tools, using social media and digital advertising to better present their products and increase sales. The meetings included lectures, practical exercises and short individual consultations.

Within the framework of this initiative, three two-day workshops were attended by a total of 35 women entrepreneurs over the course of three days. Among them was Nino Kavtaradze, who lives in the city of Jvari in the Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti region and produces various types of cheese, jams, candied fruits, dried fruits, tklapi and churchkhela under the brand “Ninoseuli”.

“For me, these types of meetings mean seeking new knowledge that will help me succeed in business,” Nino explained. “I came today because I want to advertise my products more effectively and bring them to consumers in an exciting way. I had been taking photos of my own products until now, but at the meeting I realized what it means to have a good photo that can impress your customers.”

It is noteworthy that in addition to gaining knowledge and skills, these meetings helped women entrepreneurs get to know one another, share new experiences and establish promising cooperation in the future. UN Women will continue to plan initiatives tailored to their needs to support women’s entrepreneurship in the future.

The workshops were held with the financial support of the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (Norad) and the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, within the framework of the Women’s Economic Empowerment component of the UN Women project “Good Governance for Gender Equality in Georgia” and also within the framework of the UN Women Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia regional programme “Women’s Increased Leadership for Resilient and Peaceful Societies”.