NAIROBI, Kenya Oct 30 – Kenyan companies risk losing customers and damaging their reputations by ignoring what consumers say about them online, with new research showing that nearly seven in ten internet users now turn to social media to investigate brands before making purchases.

Digital communications strategist Shemi Ignatious says many businesses are yet to adjust to the changing behaviour of Kenyan consumers, continuing to use their social media pages as advertising noticeboards instead of platforms for meaningful engagement.

Ignatious argues that the comment section has become one of the most important parts of a company’s brand identity, with consumers increasingly trusting online conversations more than carefully designed advertisements.

“Most Kenyan companies run it like a noticeboard,” Ignatious observes, warning that businesses are missing an important opportunity to build customer trust by failing to respond to questions, complaints and criticism.

The shift is highlighted in Dotsavvy’s State of Social Media in Kenya 2026 report, published in August, which found that 69 per cent of Kenyan internet users research brands on social media before buying, compared with 48 per cent who use search engines.

Ignatious says the gap between how Kenyans use social media and how companies manage their platforms has become a major risk for businesses.

The strategist points to a recent incident involving a US television host who claimed that American cities were beginning to look like Nairobi.

The remarks triggered widespread reactions from Kenyans on X, with users sharing photographs of Nairobi’s skyline, the Expressway and the city’s matatus to challenge the comparison.

The online backlash eventually prompted the host to apologise on X before making a further apology during a television broadcast.

Ignatious says the incident demonstrated the power of ordinary Kenyans to shape public conversations without the involvement of advertising agencies or organised campaigns.

He argues that the same online energy is increasingly being directed at companies, with customers expecting businesses to respond quickly when they raise concerns.

“The same people demanding respect for their city on X are demanding responsiveness from brands,” he writes.

According to Ignatious, consumers now routinely move between platforms when making purchasing decisions.

A potential customer may see an advertisement on TikTok, check comments and reactions on social media, and then contact a business through WhatsApp to ask questions before making payment.

Ignatious warns that many Kenyan businesses still operate their social media accounts through rigid approval systems that make it difficult to respond to emerging issues.

He describes a common situation where companies prepare content weeks in advance, assign social media accounts to junior employees and require multiple approvals before responding to customer complaints.

In some cases, businesses continue publishing promotional content even when major national events have changed the mood of the country.

“Silence on social is no longer neutral. It is a position, and it gets screenshotted,” he cautions.

He argues that even when a company has a good product, poor communication and delayed responses can become the main talking points surrounding its brand.

The strategist also notes that negative reactions can spread beyond public social media pages through WhatsApp groups, making it difficult for companies to track or control conversations about their products and services.

Ignatious identifies three major changes businesses should consider if they want to remain relevant in the changing digital environment.

First, he says companies should give their social media teams greater authority to respond to customers without waiting several days for approval from senior management.

He recommends establishing clear guidelines on what employees can communicate publicly, alongside having a senior executive available to handle sensitive matters when they arise.

Second, businesses should treat their comment sections as an important part of their products and services.

He argues that community managers should not be viewed as junior support staff because they are often the first people customers interact with when dealing with a brand.

Instead, companies should invest in training, pay them properly and involve them in campaign planning.

Third, he urges businesses to focus on conversations and customer service rather than simply publishing promotional material.

According to the Dotsavvy report, WhatsApp is Kenya’s favourite social media platform, while more than three in four internet users access TikTok every month.

Ignatious argues that businesses should therefore strengthen their presence on platforms where customers actually communicate and make purchases.

He describes Instagram and TikTok as the shop window, while WhatsApp is the till, warning that companies need people who can respond to customers promptly, including those asking about deliveries to remote areas such as Migingo and Moyale.

Ignatious says companies do not necessarily need bigger marketing budgets to respond to the changing digital environment.

Instead, they need to rethink how they interact with consumers and give their digital teams the authority to address issues before they grow into public relations crises.

He warns that customers who can organise online campaigns to defend Nairobi against criticism can also mobilise against businesses they believe have treated them unfairly.

“Imagine what they will do to a brand that overcharges them, ignores them or lies to them,” he writes.