Digital visibility experts advocate for social media adoption in German SMEs

Experts are highlighting the growing gap between traditional website traffic and the massive reach achievable through social media and AI-driven search. Katja Ahrens, CEO of havendo GmbH, notes that a single video can generate 45,000 views while a company website may only receive 300 visitors in the same period.

Ahrens emphasizes that businesses do not necessarily need to participate in viral trends like dancing on TikTok, but they must understand where customers and future employees are searching. This includes platforms like LinkedIn, TikTok, and AI-driven search engines such as ChatGPT.

In Middle Franconia, Constantin Kaindl, founder of wirdenkenlokal, is advocating for a dedicated social media conference to help regional companies better utilize digital potential. Kaindl, whose media brands reach 10 million annual views, argues that social media is a critical tool for visibility during difficult economic times, despite the challenges posed by rapidly changing algorithms and artificial intelligence.