Social media and Nigeria’s market/brands
Author: yinkaolaito
Yinka Olaito is happy,excited and passionate Brand Communication, Social Media expert, Trainer and speaker. Yinka Olaito helps brands(Profits and Non-profits)with effective communication and positioning for premium service delivery and returns.Yinka Olaito also has special interest in Development Communication and has consulted for noted UN Agencies. Yinka Olaito is the CCO of Michael Sage consulting and African Child Right Inc.Lagos Nigeria
When it all started, very few people gave this baby, new trend a chance of survival. There were one thousand and one reasons why people thought it could not survive. The low level of infrastructure, cost of access to Internet was not within the reach of average person on the street. But few of us saw the possibilities of universally connected people, communities and brands that shared opinions and exchanged pleasantries as friends.
After five years of sticking to it and advocating the possibility of a new world where the voices of the voiceless, so called underdogs who could not afford the cost of putting their opinions on the pages of the regular media now have a new found love, opportunities in the social media platforms. The advent of social media is premised on the need to communicate, share opinion in an environment that encourages cordiality and relationship building.
Aside from the major platforms like facebook, home-grown platform like Nairaland is becoming a strong platform for bonding with different sections created for auto sales and expression of opinions on various national issues. Over the years, the dynamics of social media appreciation is changing. The level of awareness is increasing especially since the beginning of the year. As our nation gradually moves towards developing strategy that will move us out of the recession, brand custodians are looking out for ways to cut cost and their eyeballs seem to be strolling towards social media.
Though what we noticed is that many are yet to take a decisive action in learning the rudiments or establishing social media position in their organizations. While we keep up the advocacy, there seems to be encouraging news that there is a silent crave to know more among the youths and middle age people. At least, the acquisition rate of Nigerians into facebook is presently put at ten thousand every two days. If that continues, we will have millions online in the next few months. This is a great opportunity for brands that know what to do. They may need to learn as much as they can to take advantage of the vast potentials. At the beginning of rebranding exercise led by Prof. Akunyili, I noticed they were not using social media and I have once discussed that on this platform. After an intimate discussion with one of the technocrats invited to craft the rebranding document, I learnt that it was part of what was submitted but never executed.
When there is a will there is a way, we woke up this morning with a newspaper report that the President- Dr Goodluck Jonathan promised to open a facebook account to reach Nigerian youths, and it will be a channel to get feedback on electoral reform that is ongoing. That is breakthrough. At least it has started to gain national recognition, awareness and application. It is our prayer that right people will be given right assignment. At our own level, we have noticed the demand for more knowledge on social media surged after our national conference on social media and brand positioning in February 2010. Even though we have also stepped up advocacy in reaching more professionals and individuals as we have the capacity. I have enjoyed various forms of interviews from regular media and we just hope this will continue in the months to come.
One of the challenges I have also noticed is the fears associated with social media. Many still believe it exposes people to a lot of risk, wastes management time (because of its addictive nature), but all these could be put in proper shape when objective is defined and standards are set in place. One of the greatest challenges to social media application in Nigeria is lack of verifiable data that will support decision making process on whether to use them or not to. I was at a television programme last Saturday where the anchor was insinuating we have two million members on Facebook. As far as we are concerned that is a controversial figure, what we are working with presently as professionals is one million two hundred. So if experts do not agree on figures, how can we convince clients? That is why we are working on having a verifiable data that can help decision making process for users. Around the world, people, management and decision makers have access to such data. This project will be packaged in E-book form and free of download for anyone around the world. This project is opened to sponsorship to any corporate organization that wants to take the advantage of visibility, brand awareness, equity that is often associated with such publications.
Promo:
To enhance our community’s knowledge on social media and how it affects business goal, we are planning a day intensive seminar with the title: Social media and business goal’. It hopes to expose practical, useful ways of using social media to personal and corporate advantage. The facilitators are seasoned experts who have gained varied experience. Dayo Adefila(Head, Strategy and planning at Insight Grey) is an experienced creative , Brand, digital marketing and communication expert; Azubuike ishiekwene , a former director in punch Newspaper will be speaking on finding the confluence between regular and social media for business goal, kingsley Obom- Egbulem-CCO of HCDI and Serenade communications will help to expose trends in corporate communications, marketing while i will also be speaking on other issues. This event comes up June 15, 2010 and cost only twenty five thousand to participate.
I am not actually sure if best methods contain emerged almost stuff like that, but I am confident that your large job is clearly discovered. I was wondering if you offer some subscription near your RSS feeds because I would be very interested.
I will visit your blog regularly for some latest info.
great post and creative ideas. I am happy to visit and read useful articles here. I hope you continue to do the sharing through the post to the reader. and good luck for the visitors site
I consider you about what you have posted during the editorial on top of. yet what if it then turns out all the thins you have written meets these people burden never fit with certainty. the things you are willing to adjust all you have issued on top of? but overall the art you’ve presented at the top is amazingly good and interesting to read simple things. I favored your content and preserve prose good content many others. Greetings with me and that i will frequently visit your blog over the another situations. knowledge
Your piece is truly pretty proper, it also could well be wonderful if you can present more samples once more for people who see your content fails to get bored rapidly. I wait for the following items, I hope what i really possess made in this article sets you additional agitated again to write better well written articles and much more. Greetings with me and pursue to develop the quality of your articles better. knowledge
I am really thankful to this topic because it really gives great information ;`-
@Racquel, thanks and welcome
Hi, I just wanted to say that I found your website interesting. It truly is outlined in an orderly fashion, and your articles are well-written. Are you a professional article writer? You seem to have the writing competencies to make a good living. Anyway, just a though.
Take care!
Once again a great job….Always very informative and well thought out. Look forward to the next one!Your advice is very useful. Thank you
I’d come to see eye to eye with you on this. Which is not something I typically do! I love reading a post that will make people think. Also, thanks for allowing me to speak my mind!
You’ve got a splendid site here, so much truely useful information! I want first of all to thank you for so useful and interesting info. As a constant reader of your blog I should say that your writing skills are superb.
the things you are willing to adjust all you have issued on top of? but overall the art you’ve presented at the top is amazingly good and interesting to read simple things. I favored your content and preserve prose good content many others
Truly happy i found it on google.I was talking with friends yesterday on this topic and I have to say you cleared out a lot of stuffs
I was reading through some of your blog posts on this internet site and I believe this site is very informative ! Continue posting .
Your Article about Social media and Nigeria’s market/brands | The Branding Gavel Rattling good visual appeal on this web site , I’d value it 10 10.
Hiya very cool site!! Guy .. Beautiful .. Superb .. I’ll bookmark your blog and take the feeds also…I’m glad to seek out numerous helpful info right here within the post, we want develop more strategies in this regard, thank you for sharing.