Have you ever wondered what the best kept marketing secrets for Africa’s emerging markets are ? Your business is set up, your products are nicely packaged and you are ready to promote what you have to offer, so you can start selling. But right now, your market does not even know you exist or it simply doesn’t seem to notice you fast enough.
Marketing techniques and communication methods that work in other global markets may not necessarily bring results in Africa. Marketing on our wonderful continent works slightly differently. And even there, Nigerian consumers in urban centers, for example, may share some commonalities with urban consumers in Ethiopia, but you will still find different buying behavior, cultural discrepancies, and certain marketing preferences – this is why you should shy away from a one-size-fits-all approach.
According to Nielsen’s Emerging Market Insights research (2014) “Africa’s consumers are most aware of traditional channels: broadcast (83%) outdoor (78%) and print advertising (65%). Nearly half of respondents (49%) are aware of mobile advertising and about one-fifth are aware of online advertising.
And consumers aren’t just aware of marketing messages, they’re receptive to them. Nearly half (48%) of consumers interviewed said advertising has significant influence on their purchase decisions. Some 38% said that promotional activities motivate them to buy more of a particular product—and even give preference to that product over other brands.”
The Art of Africa’s ‘Business Elections’
When you travel to some of Africa’s major cities, you will get quickly aware of outdoor advertising. In Nairobi for example, nothing can prepare you for the giant bill boards that advertise products across the city center. And I mean the word ‘giant’ here takes on a whole new dynamic – some of these boards are almost bigger than the houses that support the monstrous constructions! At other times you will find a smaller version of the same board lined up on a street ten times….ahh, just making sure you don’t look the other way for a few seconds and possibly miss it.
And when you drive down the high road, or even worse, you are stuck in it for over an hour because of traffic, well….you can’t help but notice. Insurance packages, fast food delivery, and luxurious creams – there is no escape. In short, Nairobi looks all-year round like London or Frankfurt shortly before an election. And why not. In a market where you have ample space and little competition, you are indeed still fighting for leadership.
But while many African businesses count on the impact of bill-boards or radio to disseminate their message and build their brand, for us as Africa Business Jumpstarters, it is of little value: we need cost-effective ways to get us into the second gear in Africa’s markets. So how do we do that?
A few marketing aspects to consider
Let’s have a look at the definition of marketing according to Wikipedia: “Marketing is communicating the value of a product, service or brand to customers, for the purpose of promoting or selling that product, service, or brand.”
So marketing is above all a form of result-oriented communication. And for that we have to understand how Africans at large and in your particular market communicate, what attracts them, which tools they use, what traditional communication methods work to this date and what the upcoming trends in the context of modern communication technology are. Although Africa is really a fragmented market with 54 countries and a consumer base that can be split even further than that, I believe that we witness some marketing patterns that seem to hit the right buttons for African consumers overall.
Before we have a look at them, I think it is good to be aware of a few important points. It is probably correct to assume that the majority of us who are starting in Africa are targeting one of the following groups with enough spending power to actually buy our products or services from us – they are:
1) Africa’s affluent emerging consumer markets who have so far consumed and worked in an informal trade and service sector
2) Africa’s small and medium businesses that have so far worked in an informal trade and service sector
3) Africa’s well educated youth and young aspiring entrepreneurs who are tech savvy and adopt quickly to new trends
4) Africa’s upper middle and upper classes who have largely adopted Western style communication and consumer habits
5) Africa’s corporations and international business branches who use Western style communication and consumer habits
You will find communicating and reaching out to these groups using ‘mainstream’ and online marketing methods that are trending in the West will get more difficult the further you climb up right to Number 1, and that means that if your business targets certain segments in the first two or three population groups, you will most definitely need to choose more of the ‘offline’ marketing tools that work well for them. Be aware of that.
Finally, here is my list of cost effective marketing techniques for your Africa startup.
#1 Social Media – get it right
If you have started a business in Africa and you are not using the power of social media to promote your products or services, frankly you are missing out big time! Africa will top 300 million smartphone connections in 2017, according to projections in the Africa Telecoms Outlook published by Informa U.K. This means that Africans who are residing in bigger cities are increasingly getting as connected as the rest of the world.
Africans use Facebook and Twitter for news, personal engagement, and: to do business. Samsung and Adidas are just a few of the major brands using Twitter to reach their African consumers and what I found really interesting is that even renowned publications such as Forbes Africa have ditched the idea of a dynamic website, and are instead publishing their posts on Facebook; at least for now. In doing so they have actually something in common with a lot of small African businesses who set up their Facebook store, but cannot be found on a regular website.
Facebook and Twitter are the most popular social media sites in Africa, and if you want to get more insights you have to look at the report ‘How Africa Tweets’. Most tweets across the continent are predominantly written in English only a small portion is written in Arabic and French, followed by small fractions in local languages.
The majority of tweets originate in South Africa, Egypt, Kenya, Ghana, Nigeria, Ivory Coast, and Cameroon – in that order, and interestingly, Africans on the continent like tweeting during the evenings. Except for Ethiopians, who like to tweet around the lunch hour, Tanzanians who tweet most vividly just before lunch, and Nigerians who – once they get hooked on Twitter by noon – simply keep going. You got to love such insights!
This knowledge is indeed of value for everyone who uses Twitter to promote his business in African markets – if you are based in the Diaspora, make sure you adjust your tweets in a way it hits your target markets when it is the busiest, and that is in most cases after 6 PM on Tuesdays and Fridays.
Kenya hit one million Facebook users in 2010 and less than three years later, by the end of 2013 that number had more than doubled to 2,045,900. These are amazingly fast social media growth rates and even some people in the rural areas now use Facebook.
ACTION TIP FOR YOU: Make sure you put up a professional Facebook site for your business, and take these important points on board: To remain professional, complete your profile and add a banner that represents your business, post regularly (several times a week) and most importantly, post only things that are truly relevant to your business and target market! In other words, if you sell your organic juice brand keep the wonderful dance, music, jokes, and safari clips for your private wall and don’t share them on your business page! It will dilute your brand and message, come across as less professional, but will also attract an audience that may simply be interested in the entertainment you provide and less in your products or services.
Did you know that you can start promoting your Facebook site for just $5 a day? You can even choose the country you would like to target – say Nigeria or Ethiopia – and you get likes from potential future customers or clients in that particular market as they are now able to follow your online activity through their own news feed.
#2 Referral schemes and word of mouth
This has worked in Africa for many millennia and it is still one of the most powerful ways your products and services will be promoted in Africa: through trusted personal sources. I think it is hugely important to be aware of that, as it allows you to actively leverage this knowledge. Here is how:
– Providing excellent customer service and value, so people have something good to talk about you, ask them to refer a friend, family members, or colleagues to you.
– Include a very creative, innovative aspect, so people’s appreciation and curiosity are stimulated when they hear about you from others.
– Provide tools that enable and encourage people to share your brand – be it through your own amazing infographic that can be shared via social media or by offering a small reward scheme when people make referrals to you.
– Try to win the support of key influencers, such as community leaders or institutions, celebrities, influential business people who are already trusted and who would get the word out for you (that’s also one of the best ways to use Africa business or community networking events!). Africans at large often follow the advice of authoritative figures.
When I discussed with a Kenyan his business idea, he told me that his first stop would be his church congregation. He was convinced they would buy and spread the word for his new food product in the area to get him started. And he may be pretty much right about this. Think about certain community or industry groups you are already an active part of, or look for relevant groups and networks you can join to find support.
ACTION TIP FOR YOU: This method works with any products or service, but is far more powerful when you target a vibrant consumer market where you interact with individual consumers rather than companies. If for example, you want to sell personalized, luxurious wedding accessories you will find that referring friends and family members to you may soon work like wild fire, but if you offer an innovative book keeping solution for small companies the word may not spread quickly for you. Important is that you don’t just hope that people have something good to say about you, but that you actively encourage them and drive it forward as a valid strategy.
#3 Personally introducing and demonstrating your product
Reading through the experiences of African start-up entrepreneurs, I realized this very valuable lesson many have learned. Personal demonstration how their product works has been the breakthrough method for them to enable growth in their business.
Fayaz Valli, 25, is the founder of Tanzania-based software development company GetCore Group: I tried using flyers but it just did not work. From my experience what’s best is when I demonstrate to a potential client how the service works. I joined the global business networking organisation BNI through which I have met many other businesses who are now our clients. I also attend many networking sessions where I meet potential clients.
According to Ugandan entrepreneur Titus Mawano, when he first started Ffene, he spent a lot of time and focus on trying to educate customers on using new technologies such as desktop or mobile apps. However, to his surprise, he found that using new technology was generally not a major concern for his customers. “I learnt that when you are selling to consumers they don’t care what technology you use, they only care about what they can do with it.”
A leather bag you do not need to explain, but if you are entering the market with a somewhat innovative tech-related product, be it a computer software or a solar panel system, many entrepreneurs across the continent have stressed how essential personal demonstration was to where they have reached today.
ACTION TIP FOR YOU: Sit back and figure out if there is some potential in this marketing strategy for your product or service. Don’t assume it is easy or clear or straight forward, many people lack either the understanding or the trust in the product or technology you provide, but once you demonstrate it personally to them and you win their approval, be ensured that others in the community will hear and notice as well. While the first 100 or 200 clients may be a struggle, you will quickly see a fast positive ripple effect if they like what you offer. One more reason to exceed expectations during the start-up phase, it will pay off many-fold after a while, simply because word-to-mouth is still exceptionally powerful in Africa today.
#4 Trade shows, exhibitions, networking events
One of the favorite marketing methods you will come across in Africa is the so-called ‘road show’. It’s a hip word in some markets: ‘We’ll simply do a road show’, they say. Essentially what they mean is literally travelling across a city or between several cities and exhibiting their product or showcasing their services at various city venues or events. I have to confess, I do not know much about these road shows, but what strikes me is that some seem to take a very ad hoc one-fits-all approach towards it in terms of the target audience. But I may be mistaken.
What is however highly effective in Africa is the participation and exhibition of your products at one of the local or regional trade shows and exhibitions which are lead under a certain topic.
You will find that they are still pretty rare events across Africa for certain industries, and it is really worth the time and investment to attend and exhibit, because you will find a highly interested population segment of your market at these events.
They are some of the best ways to start marketing your products and services in Africa (especially if you are new to that market !), but is also a great opportunity to research competitors and market dynamics, identify gaps, and find valuable and professional partnerships.
Take toys for example. I did a coaching session for an client from Western Africa residing in the Diaspora who wanted to produce toys. We discussed many aspects and when it came to the marketing strategy I highly recommended that she would travel to South Africa for a related trade show, as it attracted stakeholders from the entire African continent, simply because they were no other shows on toys and early childhood learning around. I suggested she introduced her prototype there to test the reaction of parents and win potential buyers (such as kindergartens or traders), check out some of the products that were being newly exhibited, and above all engage with people in her industry for the very first time. It is such a great way to get you started effectively that too many overlook!
On a continent where you have no famous toy department stores to address and where you can count related e-commerce businesses on one hand – such engagements are your best bet when you are trying to sell in bulk.
ACTION TIP FOR YOU: Which industry are you in? Google related industry events in your African target market for 2015/16 – invest in it – register and market your products to a highly relevant audience (they paid to be there!).
#5 Content marketing
This is all about the first mover advantage. Content marketing is a fast growing trend in the West, and I believe it is a powerful marketing strategy for certain types of businesses operating in Africa where it only slowly gains traction. You may have heard of it or not, but in a nutshell: “Content marketing’s purpose is to attract and retain customers by consistently creating and curating relevant and valuable content with the intention of changing or enhancing consumer behavior. It is an ongoing process that is best integrated into your overall marketing strategy. Basically, content marketing is the art of communicating with your customers and prospects without selling.” Through a blog for example.
And the benefits of it? If done correctly it will get your website into the higher rankings of Google search engines, but it also positions you as an expert in a certain industry, because you generate relevant content. You become a small media arm of your own in your field if you wish. As a result, you create an audience, prospects, and trust among your audience and you can start selling.
Here is an example: Basically, this is what I am doing with my blog here. As you probably know it’s my business that I am keen to grow, it’s not a spare time hobby. I offer coaching, consultation, and related online products; by spending a lot of time researching and blogging I position myself as an expert, win trust, and also win a highly relevant audience of people who are interested in doing business in Africa. Content marketing is not an easy job when you regularly have to produce your own content. But you can also aggregate the content of others on your site and frankly it can shift the outcome of your business significantly to the better within a few months.
After the mobile revolution, an Internet revolution will surely soon follow suit in Africa, in fact, we are seeing the beginnings of it already in some markets. Africans on the continent love communicating online and use Google like the rest of the world to assist them with finding answers to their problems. If your site pops up during someone’s search, you have indeed created a powerful marketing tool. And the good news for you: Only very few businesses in Africa are following the fast growing global trend of content marketing – a lot of space for you to step in albeit it still comes with its obstacles in Africa!
ACTION TIP FOR YOU: Have you struggled to win customers or you are thinking about getting started on your best foot? Go the extra mile and consider content marketing. So if you are for example selling a luxurious creme brand, don’t just let the images sit on your website without context and hope someone will visit, notice, and order. Instead, integrate a blog on your site writing or collecting articles featuring beauty and black skin care advice for the African woman. People will then visit your site, because they find the content they were looking for, and eventually some of them will buy your products from you. It can work very well in particular industries such as travel, fashion, consultancy, self-help, media & entertainment, and beauty.
I hope you found the insights into some of the best marketing strategies on a budget for Africa helpful. Today I want to leave you with one of the oldest forms of communication on our beautiful continent: The speaking drum, which is especially used in Western Africa: Wonderful talent – the video image quality is not very clear, but I chose it, because it was one of the best musical demonstrations out there. I invite you to listen.
How are you marketing your business in Africa or what questions do you have? It would be wonderful as always, to hear your thoughts, so we can grow our engagement here on Africa Business Jumpstart.
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Add Pintrest. That seems to have taken off in Nigeria. Update Facebook once or twice a day. Once a week is not enough. Thank you again Harnet for the wonderful nuggets you share with us