Will PLATS Training In Digital Marketing Skills Transform Local Businesses?

Platform Selangor empowers local entrepreneurs by building essential digital marketing skills to boost revenue, expand brand reach, and drive long-term business growth

The persistent absence of practical digital marketing skills remains one of the major obstacles for small-scale businessmen that are looking to establish their businesses beyond their current limits. Operating in saturated markets forces regional companies to deal with some serious challenges while trying to attract new customers.

To directly overcome these hurdles, the Selangor State Government initiated the Platform Selangor (PLATS) program as a dedicated channel aimed at upskilling local merchants with modern commercial strategies.

• Direct hands-on instruction covering core online promotional methodologies.

• Targeted support structured to broaden public brand reach and revenue channels.

Participants across the region report swift operational turnarounds after implementing the core lessons taught within these state-backed workshops. Highlighting this positive shift, Bakeri Kak Ain founder Nur’Ain Chow Sook Mung Abdullah detailed her personal growth journey during the recent Platform Selangor Awards Night (MAPS).

“PLATS has helped me a lot in terms of providing knowledge about digital marketing and how to practise it in my business. This initiative has effectively helped to further increase sales in my business,” - Nur’Ain Chow Sook Mung Abdullah

Her hard work has been rewarded, and she became the winner of the renowned U-PLATS Digital Outstanding Entrepreneur Award together with the cash prize of RM1,000.

The process of creating brand awareness and capturing customers is a continuous challenge for developing companies. Minah Satay founder Norminah Syafrial stressed that breaking through market noise demands structured direction and strategic persistence. “For me, the main challenge is in terms of branding and marketing, where introducing our brand to the public is the most difficult thing,” she revealed. Her performance earned her the MAPS Special Award featuring an RM18,000 cash prize.

• Mastering complex digital storefronts to capture diverse consumer segments.

• Building sustainable affiliate networks to drive consistent long-term demand.

Hands-on practical training allows local merchants to set ambitious long-term goals while scaling their operations effectively. Using effective marketing tools makes it possible to gain the required confidence to increase the product range and improve the economic situation in the local communities. Norminah shared her idea of using her broad recognition to help her sales agents and promote the business.

Sustained public initiatives designed to cultivate digital expertise remain critical for modernizing small-scale trade and strengthening regional business networks. By equipping business owners with up-to-date tools, communities ensure that local merchants adapt swiftly to evolving consumer habits and shifting market demands. CIO Bulletin views this development as a vital framework for empowering regional economies.