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Marie-Claire

Reporter, digital marketing

Marie-Claire covers digital marketing and growth for Rwandan businesses — SEO, email, social media, and the strategies that actually move the needle in East Africa.

Based in Kigali, RwandaBeats: Digital Presence, Marketing, Insights
Where Marie-Claire writes from
Kigali, Rwanda

Articles by Marie-Claire

How-To

How to Set a Digital Marketing Budget

How much should a small business spend on digital marketing? Not as much as you think — but more strategically than most do. Here’s a practical budgeting guide.

May 15, 2026 · 6 min
Business Guide

Business Networking in Rwanda: Events and Groups

In Rwanda’s business culture, relationships come before transactions. Here’s where to build the network that builds your business.

April 15, 2026 · 6 min
How-To

Creating a Social Media Content Calendar

Stop scrambling to post. A content calendar lets you plan, batch-create, and schedule your social media for the week or month in one sitting.

February 25, 2026 · 5 min
Business Guide

Starting a Business Under 30 in Rwanda

60% of Rwanda’s population is under 25. Young entrepreneurs are building the country’s next economy. Here’s advice, resources, and reality checks.

February 15, 2026 · 7 min
Operations

Managing Employees When You’re a Small Business

Your first few hires change everything — your role, your costs, your legal obligations. Here’s what Rwandan small business owners need to know about managing a team.

February 10, 2026 · 7 min
How-To

How to Tell If Your Website Is Actually Working

A website without analytics is like a shop without a cash register. You need to know who’s visiting, what they’re doing, and whether they’re becoming customers.

December 20, 2025 · 6 min
Websites

Your Slow Website Is Losing You Money

Every second of load time costs you visitors and revenue. Here’s exactly how speed impacts your business — and what you can do about it.

December 15, 2025 · 5 min
Operations

Payment Methods in Rwanda: What Your Customers Actually Want

If you only accept cash, you’re leaving money on the table. If you only accept cards, you’re ignoring most of your market. Here’s the payment landscape in Rwanda.

December 5, 2025 · 6 min
Branding

Online Reviews: Why They Matter and How to Get More

88% of consumers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations. If your business has few or no reviews, you’re losing to competitors who do.

November 15, 2025 · 6 min
Websites

A Facebook Page Is Not a Business Website

Your Facebook page is not a substitute for a website. It’s a social profile on someone else’s platform — and it’s limiting your business more than you realise.

November 10, 2025 · 5 min
How-To

How to Respond to Customer Complaints Online

A bad review or public complaint isn’t the end of the world — but a bad response might be. Here’s the framework for handling online complaints professionally.

September 28, 2025 · 6 min
Operations

5 Things Every Small Business Should Automate Today

Automation isn’t just for big companies. These five simple automations save small business owners hours every week — and most are free.

September 25, 2025 · 6 min
Branding

Social Media Strategy for Rwandan Businesses

You don’t need to be on every platform. You need to be excellent on one or two. Here’s which platforms work for which businesses in Rwanda.

September 20, 2025 · 7 min
How-To

Product Photography With Just Your Phone

You don’t need a professional camera for product photos. Your smartphone, natural light, and a clean background are all you need. Here’s how.

July 25, 2025 · 6 min
Websites

Salon Owners: Your Website Is Your Best Marketing Tool

In a business built on visual results and personal trust, your website is the portfolio, booking system, and first impression rolled into one.

July 20, 2025 · 6 min
Business Email

When Your Business Outgrows One Inbox

You started with one email address for everything. Now you’re missing client messages because they’re buried between supplier receipts and job applications.

July 15, 2025 · 6 min
Operations

Cash Flow: The Number One Killer of Small Businesses

Profitable businesses go bankrupt. It sounds contradictory, but it happens every day. The killer isn’t losses — it’s cash flow timing.

July 15, 2025 · 7 min
Business Guide

Hiring Your First Employee in Rwanda: What the Law Requires

Your first hire comes with legal obligations — contracts, RSSB registration, PAYE withholding, and minimum standards. Here’s what you need to know.

July 10, 2025 · 7 min
Websites

Instagram Is Not a Website — Why You Need Both

Instagram is great for engagement. But you don’t own it, Google can’t find it, and Meta can change the rules overnight. A website is yours.

June 18, 2025 · 6 min
Business Email

Your Email Address Is Part of Your Brand

Every email you send carries your brand — or undermines it. Your @gmail.com tells a different story than your @yourbusiness.rw.

June 8, 2025 · 5 min
Branding

Local SEO in Rwanda: How to Get Found by Nearby Customers

“Near me” searches have grown 500% in recent years. If your business doesn’t show up when someone searches locally, you’re invisible to your closest potential customers.

June 5, 2025 · 7 min
Email

Best Business Email Providers for East African Businesses

Google Workspace, Zoho, Microsoft 365, or a bundled provider? A side-by-side comparison for businesses in Rwanda, Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania.

May 15, 2025 · 8 min
Operations

Why You Need a Business Dashboard (Even If You’re Small)

You don’t need to be a corporation to benefit from seeing your business data in one place. A simple dashboard changes how you make decisions.

May 10, 2025 · 6 min
Domains

One Domain, Two Benefits: Your Website + Professional Email

A single domain gives you both a website and a professional email address. Here’s how one RWF 15,000 investment unlocks your entire online presence.

April 30, 2025 · 5 min
Websites

80% of Your Customers Are on Mobile — Is Your Website Ready?

In Rwanda, over 80% of internet traffic comes from phones. If your website isn’t built for mobile first, you’re invisible to most of your market.

April 22, 2025 · 6 min
Websites

The Essential Website Checklist for Small Businesses

Before you launch (or relaunch) your business website, run through this 15-point checklist. Miss any of these and you’re leaving money on the table.

April 15, 2025 · 7 min
Business Email

5 Email Mistakes That Make Your Business Look Amateur

From mismatched names to all-caps subjects, these five email habits are silently damaging your professional reputation.

March 28, 2025 · 5 min
How-To

Setting Up Business Social Media Profiles

Your social media profiles are often the first thing people check after hearing about your business. Here’s how to set them up properly from day one.

March 20, 2025 · 6 min
Branding

The Complete Online Presence Checklist for Rwandan Businesses

Domain, website, email, social media, Google Business Profile — here’s everything your business needs to exist online, in order of priority.

March 15, 2025 · 7 min
Business Guide

How to Register Your Business Through RDB (Done in 6 Hours)

RDB’s online registration system lets you register a business in Rwanda in under a day. Here’s the step-by-step walkthrough with screenshots-worth of detail.

February 15, 2025 · 7 min
Business Email

Your @gmail.com Is Costing You Clients — Here’s the Data

Customers are 9x more likely to choose a business with professional email. If you’re still sending quotes from Gmail, here’s what that’s actually costing you.

February 6, 2025 · 6 min
Marie-Claire — Reporter, digital marketing · Kisimenti Times