Konbini Nigeria hosted a discussion and brought with them some of their Lagos team members at Social Media Week Lagos. The discussion hosted by Daniel Orubo and Odunayo Eweniyi properly articulated the market and how Konbini wants to change the world
Konbini is barely six months old in Nigeria but when you look at their influence on social media and pop culture it’s hard to believe this basic truth. From well-crafted stories that bring out the optimism and enthusiasm of Africans and Nigerians, to rich brilliant images that tell a thousand stories, the sauce is ready and all of Nigeria on social media is slurping and begging for more. Perhaps Konbini’s strength is in their mode of operation; their homepages are their social media profiles and not necessarily their websites. Shareable content is all they are about in their pseudo newsroom and their social media manager is king in crafting headlines that compel any reader or even anybody to take the extra step; to engage in a conversation, to share the content with their friends and family, to lend their voices.
With the plethora of sad news on the Internet about Nigeria, Konbini is the voice of optimism. Nigerians see the need to feel like a part of something and be in on the ground floor of the new artists and Nigerians generally doing incredible work. Nigerians also have a desire to know new things, more things than the next person – Konbini offers this and more. Konbini within its community helps create new communities and opportunities for discourse on social issues as well as new artists and their art. With the simple strategy of studying reader behavior and writing it the simplest way to inspire and to entertain, Konbini has everything figured out.
The greatest win with Konbini, however, is the user experience for their readers. There are absolutely zero ads or visible advertisements on the website. Konbini instead goes into partnerships with agencies and brands to craft special content that appeals to readers while spreading their messages.
With a fantastic team in Nigeria led by a brilliant editor, Damilola Odufuwa, and freedom provided by the parent company in France, Konbini is here and will be redefining content in Nigeria and Africa.