Social Media Week Lagos 2017 has been awesome. From panel discussions & masterclasses to the networking events and pop ups, there has been ample opportunity for every attendee to learn, share & network.
I am passionate about modern marketing and all the possibilities of digital & social media and I couldn’t help but chat with a few marketing enthusiasts to hear about their experience at #SMWLagos, what they have learnt and their thoughts on the future of marketing.
“I’m really glad to have been a part of #SMWLagos this year,” says Innocent Uchenna, Online Marketing Manager at Travelstart. “It gave me the opportunity to network with some industry experts which I’ve always looked forward to. It also feels good to have a share of their knowledge!”
For Kenechukwu Nwankwo, social media analyst at Tolet.com.ng, it was a networking experience as he got to put faces to the industry key players he always sees on LinkedIn and other social media platforms. At the travel event, he got inspired to re-orient Nigerian travellers through his work, so they know travel is not all about luxury but adventure.
Chioma Ahumaraeze, Digital Account Executive at Ziza Digital who is also passionate about women in technology had a lot to share too. She says “I’ve learned so much these few days. First, I learned that to effectively move from just being a business into becoming a brand (which is better) you have to be intentional about it. Leave nothing to chance. Everything from the brand logo, personality, colours, etc. must be well thought out and uniformly implemented. You must be unique and creative. You must also ensure your value proposition is clear and easily understood by your target audience. I also learned that if you’re a startup and can’t afford to dole out huge sums for branding and marketing, there are tonnes of free and useful online tools to help you establish yourself first. There are also thousands of free tutorials online on basically any subject you need more knowledge on, to help you save costs and learn on the go. The most memorable takeaway for me is that there’s a new phase of digital marketing emerging where brands will need to be able to preempt consumer behaviour by anticipating their needs beforehand and create products and services the consumers don’t even know they need yet. Only marketers who get to this point will survive in the future. Consumers need to be awed, to have their minds blown. If we can’t do that, we’ll get lost in the noise quickly and eventually die out.”
So there you have it. What have you learnt at #SMWLagos & what are your thoughts on the future of marketing? Let us know by tweeting at @SMWLagos