A meeting titled "Marketing: Pain, Love, and Neural Networks" was held as part of Vazifa Talks, a series of open lectures and discussions dedicated to the development of IT and the digital economy.
The event brought together representatives of startups and marketers working with IT products. The discussions were focused on real cases, not abstract theories, exploring what works in Tajikistan and why.
AI that understands Tajik slang
One of the speakers, IT expert Malik Malikov, presented his startup Lido, an AI-based business assistant. The product has already been adapted to the Tajik language, including its dialects, typos, and slang.
According to Malikov, the use of neural networks in marketing in Tajikistan has increased fourfold over the past year. "This shows the growing demand for technologies that automate routine tasks, such as communication with clients via Instagram," he explained.
The AI assistant, he added, is capable of handling conversations 24/7, without losing to a human operator. "This is especially important for small and medium-sized businesses, which often lack the resources to maintain a full-fledged support service," Malikov noted.
Promotion in the age of neural networks
Shahriyor Mirzaniya, an e-commerce and digital marketing expert, raised the question: what’s more important — developing a good IT product or knowing how to promote it?
"The answer is obvious: both are important. Creating a great product is only half the job, without proper promotion, even the best developments can fade into obscurity," he pointed out.
He also emphasized that marketing for good IT (and non-IT) products should avoid template solutions. "For example, you shouldn’t blindly spend budgets on advertising with popular bloggers without assessing its effectiveness. It’s important to understand which promotions generate real sales and which only lead to likes and comments."
Many fall into the trap of blindly copying Western practices or running ineffective ads with bloggers. Without understanding metrics and analytics, it’s impossible to measure advertising effectiveness, and thus, scale the business," Mirzaniya said.
Faridun Zamonov, the head of marketing at HUMO, also noted that Tajik businesses often face one of the major mistakes: placing excessive focus on sales-oriented content without understanding its effectiveness.
"Many companies post content just for a 'checkmark' on social media, without measuring the real outcome. However, likes and comments don’t always translate into sales growth or brand recognition," he explained.
Zamonov insists that promotion is not just about posts and stories; it's a systematic effort that should have clear performance indicators and specific goals.
Conclusion: neural networks and marketing — new horizons for Tajik business
The participants of the meeting agreed that the active development of AI should be adapted to Tajik realities and utilized by local companies. AI is already helping to automate processes and expand the boundaries of what’s possible, and experts are confident that those who learn to properly integrate new tools will be able to take their business to the next level.
The time for neural networks, innovations, and bold decisions has come. And TechnoHub continues to be a platform for those ready to not only talk about the future but to create it today.
