The Brand Evangelist

It is an awesome revelation to see how social is changing the way business is being done. I once wrote an article titled; 'The end of business as usual' I am however shocked, why many still do not get social media.

Early this week, I got an e-mail from a prospective client, who wants to build a blog and spread her influence via the social web. I was however shocked when she exclaimed; 'Are you charging me for Facebook? I thought Facebook is free.'

While some are still satisfied with doing business as usual, they should be disturbed by the future, why? the amount of interaction, sharing, conversation and engagement going on online is immense and growing as shown by the chart below. It is better to come on board now, as your competitors are already using social media and positioning themselves for the big kill. Plus, it is easier to collect data, analyze the user data and use it to improve the product or service delivery.

Infographic credit - SocialBakers.com

A vital question.

Who is selling to your prospects who are online 24/7?

If you decide not to tap into the social web, to grow your business and engage with your online customers, it is very likely your competitors are engaging with them already. What would happen the the overall base of your client eventually? the more the people who come online increases, the riskier it is for your business, if you do not take position and start engaging with them.

My Internet Data service

I found out my Internet data service went out, fourteen days after I subscribed. I have access to 5GB for 30 days. It has always lasted me for 30 days. In this case the situation was different, it was exhausted on the 14th day. I tweeted about my displeasure and that I was going to try another network. My provider, picked the tweet and responded (they were listening on the social web). I got a call from them this afternoon, asking me how they can help me resolve the issue. 

That is an example of how you can catch up on a share of the market if you engage with your customers online. I happen to be very influential online as to what service provider to recommend. If I am not happy with them, it is more likely I would not recommend them to other people. 

Social is the new driver

Facebook, twitter, LinkedIn, foursquare, e-mail marketing, webinars and blogs are all new routes that businesses are becoming more social. Only recently did TED.com introduced a means by which audience can contribute to the content on the site. This was not the case before now.

worldwide the number of Facebook users are 662 011 520. in Nigeria we are over 3,000,000 with 18 - 35 yrs. old making up 72% of users online. They spend more time on Facebook than watching television.

The top engaging brands in Nigeria are; GTBank , Always Nigeria, MTN project fame west Africa, Samsung Mobile Nigeria and Sony Ericsson Nigeria. Where are the other brands?

Content is the Key

To engage more with the huge number of people who go online as shown by the statistic, it is important to create contents that are relevant and engaging. The best way to know what content is appropriate is to listen to the online conversation and apply the content to you target market, local or international.

User age distribution of Facebook in Nigeria source

Mobile Technology is the platform that makes it very possible for more Nigerians and Africans to engage online. As an individual or corporate brand, this is the time for you to take position and start engaging with your prospects online.

What are the challenges you are currently facing, stopping you from making your business social?

What benefits have you derived from social media marketing?

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