Accra: Mobile Telecommunication Network (MTN) Ghana has built the capacity of some artisans in the Upper West Region to leverage social media as a tool to boost their businesses and enhance incomes.

According to Ghana News Agency, a total of 40 artisans, including hairdressers, dressmakers, tailors, and barbers, participated in the two-day training on social media content creation and usage as part of the MTN's annual Y'ello Care programme. Speaking at the workshop in Wa over the weekend, Mr. Seth Owusu Nyamekye, the MTN Territory Manager in charge of the Upper West Region, encouraged participants to take the training very seriously.

He stated that effective use of social media platforms such as Facebook, TikTok, and Twitter could transform their businesses by targeting clients beyond their localities. 'As we speak now, you can't do anything without social media, and it is something that, if you leverage it as a business, it is going to increase your profit margin because you are not going to target people just within where you operate. Social media has become the norm of the day, and the best way to drive your business is through the social media platform,' he explained.

Mr. Nyamekye urged participants to apply the knowledge gained at the training to help develop their businesses and share it with colleagues who could not attend. He indicated that all artisans at the workshop would receive MTN merchant SIM cards for easy and seamless financial transactions with their customers.

Mr. Abdul Fatawu Mahabub, the Media Assistant at NoniHub and workshop facilitator, guided participants through social media marketing, creating posts, and crafting engaging captions about their businesses. 'It is going to help them reach a wide range of audience and also increase their sales,' Mr. Mahabub told the Ghana News Agency in an interview.

Some participants expressed hope that the skills acquired at the workshop would significantly impact their businesses. Madam Rashida Seidu, a hairdresser in Wa, noted that she was previously unaware of the importance of social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter for her business development. The participants expressed gratitude to MTN Ghana for the initiative and hoped it would become a regular support to help them grow their businesses.