For Africa Social Network Sites Take Over The Advertising Industry

By Cornelia White


Globally, networking sites are taking over several markets. Marketers are running their campaigns through online media, while consumers are still increasingly signing on to a variety of old and new platforms. The trend is no different in Africa. Where well over 10 million users interact online daily. For Africa Social network platforms haven't yet fully developed, which leaves plenty of room for growth in the coming decade.

Most networking fans in Africa prefer using smartphone media, but the world's biggest networking sites are almost as popular. In South Africa, digital network membership has passed the four million user mark, and there are three million people using instant messaging applications.

Audiences have highly specific ways of interacting online, and their behavior must drive the way marketing campaigns are run. Strategic advertising must be tailored around the hours users spend on the internet, as well as the most active times of day. At the same time, different types of posts generate different types of leads and levels of attention. News feed advertising is generally not as popular as that of profile page marketing.

In the coming years, marketing through digital media will no longer be an optional extra but a necessity. The year ahead will demand integrated marketing efforts but once two years have passed, it is expected that it will be almost impossible to maintain market share for businesses who are not using networking campaigns.

Networking websites offer three distinct ways to generate publicity. As always, generating direct revenue is key, but it is not the only facet. Generating leads and referrals is crucial for businesses who want to exploit the full potential of such sites. The highest goal is a viral campaign, created by provoking shares among users.

The Holy Grail of today's marketing is the viral campaign. It is the only way for a business with a low budget to attract millions of audience members without a lot of effort. It is far from easy to achieve virality, so marketers need to develop core skills. It has become crucial to pinpoint the newsworthiness, memetic interests, and cultural focus of demographics when trying to create a guerrilla campaign that appeals to the masses.

Fortunately, online behavior is easily measurable using algorithms and digitized analytics. These tools make it possible to first assess which keywords, posting methods, and tactics to employ. Thereafter, analytics allow campaign managers to adapt their strategies in real time according to the popularity of every aspect of their techniques. Never before has it been quite so easy to analyse the success of a campaign according to individual user preferences, timing, and tactic.

Traditional marketing strategies are as important today as they were in the past. Today's business owners still need to develop their brand identities. They need to make use of their influencers, and the power of word of mouth advertising. Each campaign needs to be started with a comprehensive definition of demographics.

For Africa Social network marketing is a powerful tool. There are several obscure networks that are gathering their own popularity. African audiences use many different media, ranging from picture sharing sites to smartphone apps. The amount of potential this creates for businesses is immense. It allows for integrated campaigns across many platforms.




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