Digitization in Africa has been on the rise with the advent of inclusive digital platforms that allow enterprises to digitize their operations. The tech sphere on the continent has been abuzz with spectacular inventions reaching across a wide scale of beneficiaries. The scope of digitization includes fintech platforms that allow enterprises to apply for funding to run their operations, digital platforms to track or monitor their commodity levels as well as digital apps to carry out simple book keeping depending on their scale of operations. Not left out of the list is Ecommerce platforms that allow for product sales to customers across the continent as well as logistics platforms that will ensure tracking and delivery of goods.
With the digital wave riding the continent, we still find a disconnect with marketing digitally to customers. Being cognizant of the fact that a vast majority of the population in Africa is within set ups with low connectivity, the implementation of digital marketing should still be able to reach these key customers in their locales. Are entities shy of implementing digital marketing for the majority of African populations?
Our experience allows us to detail how a digital a marketing campaign would unfold. Taking into consideration that a large majority of the population in Africa use communication platforms with chat or call functions, a digital campaign would be well placed to include marketing on these. A strategy to reach this population would be to create marketing collateral that allows sending to these platforms where the vast majority would then engage with these. Possibility of creating collateral that allows for a link back to a simple web platform should be considered in order to guide the audience to these to allow for interaction with your product offering.
Further, social media use has been on the increase. A means to reach a majority of the African population would be to optimize social media marketing in order to engage with your brand on social media. A good digital marketing strategy will be strong on content in order to allow a build up of audiences eager to interact with the content. This strategy could cascade to increased engagement through deployment of gamification strategies on your social media accounts.
A sure way to hit the search engine platforms when carrying out a digital marketing campaign would be to build significant online presence that becomes optimized due to your ability to win and retain audiences. It would be prudent to start to build content that you could place on the wide range of online platforms available. Within this content ensure to use words that articulate your expertise that would lead search engines to link back to your content.
The combined use of online and offline platforms is a sure win in Africa. This allows brands to reach audiences within or without areas with connectivity. Deployment of such endeavors would require a mix of collateral and platforms to use in order to ensure a continuous sharing of the brand message.
Digital marketing on the continent thus requires use of a good combination of online and offline tactics that will ensure brands enjoy airtime with their audiences of choice.
The choices to implement for reaching audiences digitally in Africa are quite diverse. The continent remains one rich with opportunity for those who take the step.
Nyangi Consultants LLP 