Facebook Mobile Use Statistics in Africa(Nigeria Leads in Number of Users)

 
Millions in Nigeria and Kenya Embrace Facebook on Mobile to Share and Connect with Others

Facebook’s mobile momentum grows in Africa
Facebook has shared new statistics revealing that 2.2 million Kenyans use Facebook every day and 4.5 million each month, while 7.1 million Nigerians use Facebook daily and 15 million are active every month.  Almost all these people are coming to Facebook on a mobile device: 100% of Nigerian monthly users are active on mobile as are 95% of Kenya’s monthly users.

This follows the recent announcement that Facebook’s active user population in Africa has grown 20% to 120 million in June 2015 from 100 million in September 2014. More than 80% of these people access Facebook from their mobile phones. Now, 60% of all Internet users in Africa are active on Facebook.

Nunu Ntshingila, newly appointed Head of Africa at Facebook, said: “At Facebook, we have a saying that we’re only 1% done, and this couldn’t be truer for Facebook in Africa. I’m only beginning this journey, and I’m already incredibly inspired by the power of connection - from the smallest moments to fostering global conversations. Everyone on Facebook has a story, and I can’t wait to hear the stories from Kenya and Nigeria firsthand.”

Ntshingila continued: “Mobile is not a trend; it’s the fastest adoption of disruptive technology in history of communication. It’s also an incredibly personal device regardless of where a person lives or how they connect, and businesses need to reach people where they are, not where they were, in an authentic, personal and relevant way. I look forward to spending time with businesses across Africa to understand how we can work together.”

Facebook recently opened its first office in Africa to further the company’s commitment to help businesses connect with people and grow locally and regionally. The new office is the next step in furthering Facebook’s investment in Africa and its people. The team in Africa will focus initially on Kenya (East Africa), Nigeria (West Africa), and South Africa (Southern Africa).

Ari Kesisoglu, Facebook’s Regional Director for MEA, said: “We are committed to creating solutions tailored to people and businesses in Africa. We continue to spend time with businesses to learn about how we can work together to create better, more flexible and less fragmented ways for businesses to reach people in Africa.”

KEY STATS

Global: Q2 2015

Facebook’s usage and engagement continues to grow:
•          Daily active users (DAUs) – DAUs were 968 million on average for June 2015, an increase of 17% year-over-year. Now 65% of monthly active users are also daily active users.
•          Mobile DAUs – Mobile DAUs were 844 million on average for June 2015, an increase of 29% year-over-year.
•          Monthly active users (MAUs) – MAUs were 1.49 billion as of June 30, 2015, an increase of 13% year-over-year. (This is half of the world's internet population of 3B)
•          Mobile MAUs – Mobile MAUs were 1.31 billion as of June 30, 2015, an increase of 23% year- over-year.
•          Time spent: Across Facebook, Messenger and Instagram, people are now spending more than 46 minutes per day on average.
•          65% of people who use Facebook come back every day.

Kenya: Q2 2015

•          2.2 million total daily active users (DAUs)
•          2.1  million mobile DAU
•          4.5 million total monthly active users (MAUs)
•          4.3 million mobile MAU (95% of MAUs)

Nigeria: Q2 2015

•          7.1 million total daily active users (DAUs)
•          6.9 million mobile DAU
•          15 million total monthly active users (MAUs)
•          15 million mobile MAU (100% of MAUs)

South Africa: Q2 2015

•          7.3 million total daily active users (DAUs)
•          7 million mobile DAU
•          12 million total monthly active users (MAUs)
•          12 million mobile MAU (100% of MAUs)

Social Media Awards Africa (SMAA)

AMI and Development Diaries Announce Social Media Awards Jury and Advisory Board

 The African Media Initiative (AMI) is partnering with Development Diaries Ltd/GTE to present The Social Media Awards Africa (SMAA) – a premier continental initiative established to recognize and celebrate excellence, creativity and impact of social media.

Toby Daniels, Founder, Social Media Week; Fred Swaniker, African Leadership Academy Founder and Eric Chinje, Chief Executive Officer, African Media Initiative (AMI) are amongst eminent professionals announced as members of the Advisory Board and Jury respectively for the Social Media Awards Africa (SMAA).

Upon successful completion of the nomination phase, the planning team for the Social Media Awards Africa has formally announced the members of the Jury and Advisory Board. In a statement from the SMAA Secretariat, ‘We are really pleased with the overwhelming response and enthusiasm of organisations and individuals across the continent’.

Judging the 2014 edition of the awards are: Fred Swaniker, Founder & Executive Chairman, African Leadership Academy; Eric Chinje, Chief Executive Officer, African Media Institute; Ken Banks, Founder, kiwanja.net; Hetal Shah, Director Operations, Mara Group of Companies; Francis Ebuehi, Vice President, VAS, Airtel Nigeria; Dr.Kasirim Nwuke, Chief, New Technologies & Innovation, UNECA and Louis Onyango Otieno, Director, Legal & Corporate Affairs, Microsoft Africa.

Others include: Thebe Ikalafeng, Founder and Chairman, Brand Africa; Abubakar Suleiman, Executive Director, Strategy & Finance, Sterling Bank Plc.; Ryan Silberman, Chief Operating Officer, Popimedia, South Africa; Dele Fatunla, Communications Co-ordinator, Royal African Society, London; Obi Asika, Founder, Dragon Africa; Duncan Onyango, East Africa Director, Acumen; Odo Effiong, Special Adviser Communication Technology Development – Cross River State Government; Muyiwa Moyela, External Relations Lead, IBM West Africa, and UdoJude Ilo, Nigeria Director, Open Society Initiative for West Africa.

Members of the Advisory Board serving to oversee the entire process are: Abdul Tejan-Cole, Executive Director, Open Society Initiative for West Africa (OSIWA); Toby Daniels, Co-founder and CEO Crowdcentric; Ini Onuk, Lead Consultant/CEO, ThistlePraxis Consulting; Tunji Lardner, Executive Director, West African NGO Network and Prof. Francis Nyanmojoh, Head of Social Anthropology, University of Cape Town.

The Social Media Awards Africa initiative was unveiled at a closed event on Tuesday, September 30, 2014 to a cross section of media professionals and social media influencers in Lagos, Nigeria. Nomination into 4 categories opened on October 1, 2014 at www.smaafrica.com until midnight on October 27, 2014.

A total of 923 nominations were received during the nomination period as follows: Personality Based (468), Platform Specific (266), Institutional (115) and Indigenous (74). Also in the window period, over 5.5 Million Connections, at least 821,886 Retweets and 29 Million accounts were reached through all 22 social media platforms where the messages were promoted.

Winners will be announced and celebrated at the ‘Night of Virtual Wonders’ holding on December 6, 2014 in Lagos, Nigeria.

Each winner will take home a cash prize of $1,000 USD and SMAA Plaque. Other benefits such as: Social Media Training, Access to memberships and attendance of Social Media events, Publications on Social Media and Complimentary advertising on Social Media Africa Portal.

The Social Media Awards Africa is sponsored by:
Sterling Bank Plc
AIESEC Africa
West African NGO Network (WANGONeT)
Zisat Technologies
FAN Milk
Beat FM
African Media Initiative

Chloride Exide Ltd -Sauti Sol's "Lipala" Dance 'Meme':Are Kenyan Corporates Catching up on Social Media Trends?

Music Videos are becoming a powerful tool in modern day business environment especially in the social media scene, ever heard of  viral video meme remakes of Psys Gangnam , Beyonce's " All The Single Ladies” Carly Rae Jepson’s “Call Me Maybe,” and now the" Sha Nay Nay"(made after the legendary Martin Lawrence character 'Sheneneh Jenkins')  dance trending in the USA. Well corporates and Ad Agencies in the West have discovered the powerful marketing effect available in such self made videos and have gone ahead to make renditions of the same shedding the all suit and tie perception and painting themselves as Social, Friendly, Caring, Engaging...




A Kenyan firm Chloride Exide Ltd with marked presence in the East African Region has caught up on the trend.Here is a video of the firms employees dancing the  MTV EMA best African Act Award 2014 winner " Sauti Sols"

Lipala Dance !The video has over 4,000 views as at 30 October, 2014 though it was published on 27 October, 2014.Will it go viral? talk about free advertisement !

Social Media Awards partners with Deloitte

July 2^nd 2013: OLX Social Media Awards have partnered with Financial Services Advisory firm Deloitte for the audit of nominations which closed yesterday after 26 days of entries.

Deloitte East Africa will provide quality assurance in the voting exercise which has so far attracted thousands of entries and judges have a fortnight to select winners from the nominees. 

“We join hands in this venture as a sign that we fully understand the critical role that social media now plays in brand visibility,” said Martin Oduor-Otieno, Deloitte East Africa Partner in charge of Clients and Markets and a senior advisor in Financial Services Industry.

“Social media is now one of the key platforms used by firms to build image, brand and disseminate information on services and products offered.”

Rapid rise in the number of internet users in Kenya has accelerated the use of social media, igniting a steady increase in the number of businesses using social media platforms for brand awareness and customer service.  

Presently, 17 million Kenyans, 36 percent of the population, have access to internet according to the Communications Commission of Kenya. However, there are grim statistics that indicate the businesses are yet to optimize the use of social media platforms.  

For instance, 56 percent of customer tweets to companies are being ignored; this is according to all AllTwitter, an unofficial twitter resource. Martin Muli, one of the organisers of the recently unveiled OLX Social Media Awards, says most organisations have dormant social media accounts, and the active ones often bombard the public with bland company information.  

A quick review of comments from SOMA Facebook and Twitter accounts shows a serious contest between Safaricom and Kenya power shaping up for the customer care category of the Awards, with Orange and Faiba battling for the video of the year category.

Churchil Show, Tujuane, The trend TV are equally emerging as the favourites under the show of the year category, with Maina kangeni and Larry Madowo winning the minds of “netizens” for the media personality category as the voting process begins.

 “The OLX Social Media Awards are meant to spur professional use of social media and sustained conversation on these platforms,” says Mr Muli.  The Awards will bring together different social media enthusiasts and organizations to celebrate the tremendous contributions brought about by social media and at the same time appreciate and acknowledge those who have immensely contributed to the growth of social Media in Kenya.

“The power has truly shifted to consumers. A recent survey by TNS RMS, a research agency, showed that in contrast to Global internet use, Social Media is far more relevant then e-mail in Kenya. The survey actually discovered that out that 57 % of Kenyans believe that what other people say about brands online can be trusted more than what the brands say,” Peter Ndiangui, the General Manager of OLX, the leading online market place.

The Awards will culminate to a gala event to be held on 9th August 2013. “This is a first in Kenya, we’ve roped in experts from various fields to make sure the Awards are a success,” says Mr Muli. Other partners in the award include Trinc Media, the Public Relations Society of Kenya and Thinck, a content development firm, Bloggers Association of Kenya and Niaje.

Introducing Google+ (Plus) Communities !

On 6 December 2012 Google Senior Vice President Vic Gundotra  announced via Google Blog the introduction of a new exciting product into the Market :Google+ Communities .This "may" perhaps be one of the most significant products that may just elevate the search giant in the social media arena to rival and perhaps ultimately defeat Facebook.


At present pundits and techies alike are musing on whether Google + Communities may just be the death bed of Message Boards and many valid arguments are raised in support and against the statement.For now it may just be too early to tell the effect that Google Plus Communities may have in the World of Social Media but on the preliminary it is safe to say the impact will be "significant" enough for the dominant player Facebook Inc to be exponentially concerned.



So What is Google +  Communities? Many of us are acquainted with Facebook Pages...Well Google Plus Communities is much more.The above YouTube Video i believe illustrates what it is and what you can use it for.You can learn more however at this official page. Coupled with Google Hangout -Google communities is a serious contender for the attention of those disposed to socially interact online for business,pleasure, education, entertainment...etc.Google Plus Communities is the gathering place..the rallying call for the diverse interests.




Take for example are you a passionate Kenyan Blogger...there is already a community for you to share your thoughts, inspiration ,challenges, network... etc.This is significant due to the fact that Google + Communities is hardly 6 days old and you get such ventures already going on.

Go ahead give it a try...engage a community!

"Free the Press”: Leadership for the Future

(Editorial by D. Bruce Wharton, Deputy Assistant Secretary, AF)

Information is life. People cannot make a living, hold their governments accountable, or educate their children without a healthy supply of free- flowing information. Citizens need accurate, timely, independent news they can trust. So do businesses and markets…and governments.

Media freedom keeps societies and economies vibrant, energetic, and healthy. When the free flow of news and information is cut off, individuals suffer. Societies and economies suffer. Media freedom is enshrined in the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which states: “Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.”

Leadership of the media – whether for print, broadcast, internet or social media – is critical to the development of a free press. It provides the vision and ethical framework for reporting and journalism that earns and maintains public trust. The true leaders of the media industry in Africa are those who mentor and inspire the next generation of journalists to overcome the challenges they face – lack of access to information, censorship, personal threats, and even attacks in some places. They serve as the moral compass that leads by example to enable the media to play its role in the consolidation of democratic governance.

We’re watching enormous changes taking place on the African continent, and the United States is proud to work with African partners to support those changes. Through democratic elections and new constitutions, economic growth led by innovation and entrepreneurship, renewed focus on education, and the inclusion of women and young people in decision-making, the progress is tremendous. The implementation of a Freedom of Information Act in Nigeria is a great example of how access to information is strengthening democratic governance.

There are many examples of emerging best practices that demonstrate how the media is changing, too, to keep up with political and economic developments. Collaborating with local organizations, the U.S. Embassy in Harare created a mentoring program for women journalists, giving them the tools and resources to contribute to the public conversation in that country. The African Media Initiative, with its African and international partners, launched the African News Innovation Challenge, a comprehensive and long-term program to support professional development and leadership in journalism, expanding networks across the continent and internationally.

The media's continued develop of leadership and professional standards will help safeguard and advance progress in other spheres. Transparency, accountability, and integrity are fundamental concepts that apply to all sectors, including journalism, and media leaders should model that behavior and mentor it in others. Too many challenges remain in Africa - in human rights, hunger, disease, war and conflict. As in business, media entrepreneurship requires thinking big and taking risks to address those problems. Owners and directors must be prepared to take risks, supporting journalists who are taking them day in and out.

As World Press Freedom Day approaches, the United States calls on all governments to take the steps necessary to create space for independent journalists to do their work without fear of violence or persecution. We pay special tribute to those courageous journalists, bloggers, and citizens who have sacrificed their lives, health, or freedom so that others could know the truth. And we honor the role of free and independent media in creating sustainable democracies and open, healthy societies.

Finally, we recognize that, as agents of change, media leaders serve good governance and economic development by raising their voices and building the platform for open societies to grow. Strong leadership that values and supports ethics in reporting and journalism will help shape this new conversation across Africa.

Global Voices Summit 2012-Coming to Nairobi

The Global Voices Summit  will this year be held in Nairobi(The City Under The Sun)-Kenya on the 2nd July and 3rd July 2012.The  event convenes bloggers, activists and technologists for public discussions and workshops about the rise of online citizen media movements worldwide and will feature both local and international GlobalVoicesOnline contributors,editors and authors.The last event was held in Santiago Chile in the year 2010

The twitter handle for this years event is: #gv2012.The fact that the event is being held in Kenya goes to highlight the rise,prolific nature and development  of the Kenya Internet,technology and Communications(ICT) sector and its global appeal. It is my sincere hope that the Kenya ICT board will take advantage of such forums to highlight Kenya's gains in developing ,promoting and enhancing internet connectivity which makes it possible for the utilization of social media platforms by a wider majority of the population and the creation of local content and expression of diverse opinions.

The Global Voices Citizen Media Summit 2012 is being sponsored by: Google, Hivos, MacArthur Foundation, the Open Society Foundations, Adessium Foundation, Knight Foundation, Omidyar Network, and Yahoo!.

As a Kenyan author i will be privileged to attend the conference and will keep the readers of this blog informed about some of the interesting and insightful snippets that will be discussed at the workshops.

Fourth African Media Leaders Forum Tunis Declaration 2011

Here is a reprint of the a declaration of intents made by African Media Leaders forum held in Tunis hereinafter dubbed the" Fourth African Media Leaders Forum Tunis Declaration 2011"

 We, the owners of African media organizations met at the Fourth African Media Leaders Forum (AMLF) in Tunis, Tunisia, during November 10-11, 2011, to discuss the state of Africa’s media sector, and work collaboratively to strengthen and develop Africa’s media industries for economic, political, social, and cultural change.

With nearly 350 participants from 48 African countries, the Tunis meeting was a landmark and the largest and only gathering of media owners and operators representing the African continent. Since launching the AMLF in Dakar, Senegal, in 2008, both the AMLF – and its parent body, the African Media Initiative (AMI) – have grown in scope, stature, and expanse of operations, united by the common purpose of creating ethical, sustainable, diverse and pluralistic African media.

Aware that the African continent is at the cusp of a promising economic transformation, and as demonstrated by the Arab Spring that was born in Tunis, media have a profound role to play in social transformation, giving voice to people, and promoting freedom. Taken together, these developments hold out the promise of greater participation by citizens and increased pluralism.

Cognizant of the need for us to work together to strengthen the media sector as a partner in development and viable platform for investment, we therefore commit ourselves to becoming a more integral part of Africa’s development success story by expanding coverage of development topics, placing people at the center of our reporting, and focusing our effort toward changing Africa’s stereotypical narrative of death, disease, disaster and despair into one of hope, innovation, insights and interests, as well as opportunity. As media leaders, our commitment is to the overarching goal of improving access to good information and positive development of the continent.

Responded to these challenges by focusing our discussions in Tunis on key issues impacting Africa’s media sector, namely:
 

•Role and Relevance of Traditional Media. African media leaders see the rise of social media as an opportunity for traditional media to enable citizens to bring about social change. The media sector in Africa needs to continue its focus on improving the quality of content and timeliness of reporting by harnessing the strengths of new media technologies.

• Challenge of Building a Coalition for Media Development in Africa. We recognize our role as purveyors of news, ideas, and innovation, and believe that the cause of the public good is better served by telling the untold success stories of development in Africa. The role of media in nurturing debate is central to the process of sustainable development itself and for improving the lives of ordinary Africans.

• Strengthening Role of Media in Consolidating Democracy and Good Governance in Africa. We believe the media sector can play a hugely supportive role in the expansion of democracy through an informed citizenry, and support processes of good governance through exercising the traditional watchdog function. Deficits in democracy and governance are inimical to the growth of Africa’s media sector.

• Expanding Financing Sources for Africa’s Media Sector. Africa’s media sector has been hampered by lack of capital, and adequate financing is critical for advancement. We need to deepen discussions with a broad range of stakeholders – development partners who want to see development returns, financial institutions such as banks and venture capitalists, and mobile operators who want to see financial returns – so that the media sector can begin to attract newer sources and develop innovative models of financing that are critical for it success.
Our meeting in Tunis was successful on several fronts. Following on earlier workshops held in Cameroon, we looked at revenue and business models for media, discussed digital transitions including advertising and strategies for the near to mid-term future, debated improvements in newsroom management, convergence, streamlining, and other issues relating to media development. These discussions helped us to define the next steps for strengthening Africa’s media sector, improving the professional skills of journalists through enhanced training opportunities, and the need for AMI and AMLF to work collaboratively with governments and civil society for expanding access to information. We therefore:

Commend the progress that AMI and AMLF have made in the past four years, and thank the AMI Board for the leadership and guidance it has provided for strengthening Africa’s media sector;
Appreciate the AMI’s pioneering effort to develop the “Leadership and Guiding Principles for African Media Owners and Managers,” and see this as a central pillar of the overall push toward improving the viability and sustainability of Africa’s media industries;
Endorse the creation of national associations of media owners and operators in all African countries so that there is greater engagement and interaction at the national, regional and continental levels. The establishment of AMI’s Office in Kenya is a welcome development, and we look forward to finalization of the AMI’s host country agreement with the Government of Kenya;
Welcome the support received from the African Development Bank and look forward to greater engagement with other multilateral institutions such as the World Bank, International Finance Corporation, the African Capacity Building Foundation, international donors and civil society. We acknowledge and thank the Konrad Adenauer Foundation for its support to AMI, and thank all our donors and partners for their continuing collaboration and assistance. We urge that a technical meeting to discuss innovative financing be held before the 2012 Forum.
Entrust the AMI Secretariat to review the various offers received for hosting AMLF 2012 and inform the membership accordingly.

Issued on November 11, 2011, after the Tunis Forum.

Kenya's War on Al Shabab Goes Social !

The Kenyan military is updating its citizenry and enemy combatants alike using social media outlets such as Twitter. The Kenya Army spokesperson Major Emmanuel Chirchir has set up a Twitter account at Twitter Handle @MajorEChirchir whose timeline has featured tweets requesting Kenyans Dealing in Donkey trade along the Kenya Somalia border not to sale their animals to Al Shabaab.The  Kenyan Military is using the hashtag #operationlindanchi to update its twitter followers.

 His recent post provides a link to video clip featiuring Kenyan Navy sinking an Al Shabab boat near the town of Kismayu on the Indian Ocean. This kind of update is a first in the Country and indicates that the military is not lost behind in the social media trend.

Heres a screen shot of the Army Spokesman Twitter page:

Major EChirchirTwitter Page Screenshot

Employers Now Screening Your Facebook Profile !

Are you job seeking at the moment? Your Facebook profile may just affect your prospect of being hired or not, hence you better start watching what you are posting or sharing around on social media !Statistics reveal that there are more than 750 Million Facebook users at present and 70 % of this users are outside the USA. 50% of the users log in to facebook on a daily basis and what they do inside their Facebook account will now affect their future career prospects.

It is true that use of social media screening is not yet big in Sub Saharan Africa but that does not mean 'its not in use'.While the statistics in this article focus on Facebook screening by employers in the USA the reality is that due to popularity of use, employers outside the USA are finding this form of screening more reliable as it is a credible picture of the personality of a user over a period of time which is not very easy to derive from a face to face interview that lasts a few minutes or hours or as may be demonstrated by academic qualifications.
 
 Career Builder.Com did a survey on Facebook/Social Media Screening in America in 2009 and the results are astounding.Their survey revealed that social media screening of potential employees by employers increased from 22% in 2008 to 45% -that is an exponential increase.According to the survey what are employers looking at from your profile :

• Whether profile provided a good feel for the candidate's personality and fit within the organization -- 50 percent
• whether profile supported candidate's professional qualifications -- 39 percent
• Candidate was creative -- 38 percent
• Candidate showed solid communication skills -- 35 percent
• Candidate was well-rounded -- 33 percent
• Other people posted good references about the candidate -- 19 percent
• Candidate received awards and accolades -- 15 percent 

Negative Attributes from profile that affected employees employability are :

• Candidate posted provocative or inappropriate photographs or information 
• Candidate posted content about them drinking or using drugs
• Candidate bad-mouthed their previous employer, co-workers or clients 
• Candidate showed poor communication skills
• Candidate made discriminatory comments
• Candidate lied about qualifications 
• Candidate shared confidential information from previous employer

In essence the survey reveals that your online habits matter.If you are on facebook those you befriend online also matter.You may just need to sift through their profile photos as it is a ready picture of your kind of social networks and perhaps behaviour.

Crude and provocative behaviour online is not private or just a virtual affair anymore it affects your reputation, business prospects and employability in the real World. With this kind of revelations i guess its time users started watching what they post!

Monitoring Social Media For Brand Perception

Monitoring social media has become not only necessary- but vital for modern day businesses in order to gauge brand perception and awareness.A few years back blog posts and its other social media variants (YouTube, Facebook, Twitter a form of micro blogging)were  considered simply as  merely online quips or  random rants of no persuasive value.Social media was more or less 'social play' that had little value for any business save for entertainment purposes or communication between employees.


But much has changed in the last few years. As we move to 2011 we now expect more businesses and organizations to shade off the " cautious engagement "mode of  engaging social media and move to "full deployment".International companies such as Shell & BP learnt that Social media can have tremendous influence over brand perception influencing sales even on an international level. BP 's Gulf of Mexico Oil spill crisis received massive social media backlash last year (consider the following articles on Globe&Mail  and Urlesque websites) the effect of which cannot be ignored. Hence other international brands are taking cue to monitor and respond effectively to brand perception online.

Dell Technologies Social Media Listening Command Centre:

Case in point is Dell Technologies which has established the first of its kind 'A Social Media Listening Command Centre'.According to Mashable Dell's aim is to ensure that they tracking the largest number of possible conversations across the web and making sure that they ‘internalize’ the feedback — both good and bad…



In fact according to this emarketer article  in 2011 , 4 in every 5   American businesses with atleast 5 employees will not only monitor social media but actively engage social media by marketing their products on online social platforms.This is an anticipated 42 % rise from previous years.In fact social media is the new adlib in the marketing mix.

SOCIAL MEDIA AND KENYAN BUSINESS BRANDS:


A question may arise what about local businesses? The local arm of  the communication group Young and Rubicam (see this News item on The Standard Newspaper ,Kenya) recently commisioned a research study that indicates some of the largest Brands are still slow in engaging Africans online especially on social media.But it is anticipated that this will change as market perception morphs.

It goes without say that Safaricom ,Orange and Airtel -the communication giants in Kenya have embraced impressive social media strategies to engage their users on the various social platforms. For example Safaricom has moved from the traditional aspect of having a facebook page to engaging the followers sometimes by carrying out random questionnaires whereby followers stand an opportunity to win airtime. I believe that is a first having monitored social media in Kenya for the last 7 years or so.However i hope that the brands will show more ingenuity in this arena.

How to approach and engage social media seems to be perhaps the enigma of local Businesses. There has been a recent upsurge to utilize PR firms to engage bloggers and social media 'thespians'.In fact most of the Press Releases in Kenya are now being done via Social Media as this is timely ,prompt and cost effective(atleast for the moment).It is suffice to note however that social media may not be as cheap as it seems. In the Western World businesses are having to review their budget as to what sums to deploy when dealing with social media next year .To paraphrase an article on Adage.Com.

Social media is free, right? In some business sectors, the thinking still holds that social media is free, or nearly free. Although earned media -- the value that companies get when their marketing messages spread virally -- is indeed free publicity, there is almost always a cost associated with it, whether it be staffing, creative development or monitoring the results.

The good news is most marketers say they are increasing social-media spending next year. But the actual dollar amounts are all over the map.

PR 2.0 is morphing and it seems to be the dominant propelling factor of Social Media-Business relationships in Kenya.Where it will take us, we adopt a wait and see attitude but notably "Brand Perception online" is the 'In Thing' in successful business marketing now!

Mazda USA Giving a 15 Thousand Dollar Car on Foursquare

Social media never ceases to amaze me.It takes a good investor and a keen eye to fully appreciate the immense opportunities that social media has created for businesses. It is true that social media marketing is hardly anything in Kenya at the moment but things are bound to change, atleast the corporate scene has began to morph in the rescent past but i am more immpressed by how foreign Companies such as Mazda are ingeniously utilizing the online socialsphere to pitch their sales and create brand loaylty.

I was particularly more than amazed when i came across this Foursquare (Twitter on geo-location perspective)campaign by Mazda .I am yet to see a Kenyan Blue Chip Company sales manager make good use of the social media scene to effectively brand and sell their products but the rest of the World is not sleeping!The win a Mazda competition has employed the following rules;

The apricipants/prospective winners have to :

1. Follow Mazda on foursquare

2. Check-in at specific locations to unlock any 2 of the following 3 badges: MAZDA2 Beat Junkie (concerts and music spots), MAZDA2 Style Guru (nightlife haunts, boutiques and fashion events) and MAZDA2 Button Masher (gaming competitions and retailers)

3. Once step 2 is complete you will automatically unlock the special MAZDA2 Inner Driver badge and learn the next, important step to easily qualify to win a brand new MAZDA2 So just follow Mazda, check-in at relevant locations to unlock 2 of the 3 badges (MAZDA2 Button Masher, MAZDA2 Beat Junkie, MAZDA2 Style Guru), earn the Inner Driver badge and follow the next step!'











One noticeable point about the campaign is that it will not only recruit fans but keep the fans engaged as they eagerly watch out for periodical tips that may come via Foursquare, Twitter and Facebook. Mazda's give away illustrates what a successful social media marketing plan should entail ...not just informing the masses or getting the most number of fans on Twitter or facebook but actually continuously engaging the fans.(For more effective tips and techniques/consultations you can email the author at the link provided on the blog)

Antoine Dodson YouTube Video -A Rise To Fame !

Antoine Dodson YouTube Video -A Rise to Fame!

Antoine Dodson, a 24 year old resident of a rundown estate in Lincoln Park Huntsville, Alabama(AL) has in an overnight risen to fame thanks to a video he posted to YouTube ranting on how an alleged rapist/intruder who broke into their house and  tried to assault his sister.   On a local Television News Channel Antoine Dodson made the following comments on the event:

“Well, obviously, we have a rapist in Lincoln Park,’ he told local news channel WAFF-TV ‘He’s climbing in your windows, he’s snatching your people up, trying to rape them. So you need to hide your kids, hide your wife, and hide your husband because they’re raping everybody out here."
The local police in that State have commenced investigation with attempt to arrest the intruder. However for Dodson his YouTube Video rant turned viral attracted  over a Million Hits (reminiscent of the Kenyan 'Makmende's'- Just A Bands ,Viral Music Video).The Dodson Video has inspired the Gregory Brothers to produce a song entitled "The Bed Intruder Rap".The song  has soared to No.3 in the R&B soul chart ranking better than  rapper Eminem  song in the list of best selling songs on iTunes. The simple YouTube Video has not only propelled Antoine Dodson to Fame but has generated him enough income that he is now considering moving his family to an up market area safe from such intrusions(SEE his website).

The Antoine Dodson story simply illustrates the power of social media to thrust seemingly simple idea/issues across a broad spectrum audience resulting in a measure of success. Something’s and or issues are not as simple as they look; social media makes them relevant as people begin to identify with the opinions expressed.

Crowdtap: Getting Consumers Engaged !

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Crowdtap. All opinions are 100% mine.

Marketing and public relations is rapidly changing in the era of digital /online marketing. Engaging consumers with an attempt to maintain their loyalty, building brand awareness and creating feedback is the in thing! Imagine working or rather innovating  with  leading brands,start-ups, non profits... etc  to create an award winning product and earn some rewards( may be in the form of cash, freebies or gift cards/vouchers) in the process-all that is possible thanks to a whole new ingenious web platform that you can access if you  Tap In at Crowdtap.com



What perhaps may endear you to Crowdtap is that you as a member, you will have the opportunity to help a charity of your choice anytime you earn cash. 5% of earnings will automatically be donated to the charity of your choice and Crowdtap will match that 5% to make the impact even greater.If you feel more generous you can increase the level of money to be donated to your select charity.That is indeed truly endearing.

The more you engage at the site  by answering questions, completing your bio,surveys  contact info, inviting friends  etc the more points you earn, the points will eventually translate to rewards $$, hence ensure that you sign up at Crowdtap,get crowdtapping and enjoy the benefits of social media marketing .

At the moment Crowdtap is in Beta testing and is enrolling US residents only .However the promoters of the site have assured us that Crowdtap will soon roll out internationally especially in consideration of  its exponential appeal ,potential  and growth!

FourSquare.Com- Twitter in Geographic Perspective !

Foursquare .Com is the next big thing to hit the technological world of social networks.Pundits including Mashable are on to the smart phone application .Whereas, Twitter without doubt has grown to be a powerful social media and marketing forum, however the thing about Twitter is that often the tweets and friends one receives are often not geocentric.

As was the case with Myspace and Facebook ,some two genius minds have come up with a concept/social media networking forum(the service was created by Dennis Crowley and Naveen Selvadurai) that enables one to post Tweets that are geocentric about places and events and a plus to the application is that the Tweets or review about the event or place will permanently remain attached to the location. Poor service providers best beware, your customers may just be onto you!

The site includes a Google maps integration widget to enable the user point out where they are at , what is going on, a review of the place... etc and this will remain embeddable about the specific location. Now that's a powerful marketing tool.

The Foursquare mobile phone application that allows you to “check-in” to a particular foursquare location is compatible with the following smart phone's Blackberries, iPhones, Androids and Palm Pres.The application using GPS or closet cell phone tower can determine about where you are. You then choose from a list of nearby locations or enter in a new location.Once checked in, a user can write a review of wherever they are.The review stays permanently connected to that particular location in the foursquare world.The application has led to the development of the term "Geo-social Networking" and boasts of over half a million users Worldwide.

Thus if you visit a hotel and you like the service you can notify your Foursquare friends, if you come across a major sale taking place and you want to notify your friends and leave directions,Foursquare will do that for you. As you visit more places you start to earn points or badges for the places you check-in. This adds an interesting gaming element to the network, which has proven very popular on social sites like Facebook. Even better than collecting badges is the chance to become the “mayor” of a location. You are named “mayor” of a location if you are the person who has checked-in the most and a lot of locations are starting to offer special deals to the “mayor” so they keep promoting them.

Will Foursquare prove popular in Africa ? Of course but unfortunately most people in the continent dont find Twitter to be so relevant. Foursquare is about to change that because of its potential and the reward effect.For example in Nairobi one can imagine the perks a famous restaurant such as the Carnivore Restaurant would love to give for its most frequent Foursquare visitor i.e "Mayor".In effect they will be receiving free social media advertising by genuine customers.For now as i learn the application i extent the invitation to my twitter buddies in Kenya please join me up at FOURSQUARE  and lets create our virtual cities !