As the professional landscape continues to undergo changes, hundreds of jobs are dying as new ones come up. More than 10 digital-based jobs such as vlogging and social media influencing, totally un-heard of only a decade ago, have emerged as the best paying gigs today.
Coupled with the ever-changing trends, you must be on top of things to survive and flourish online.
Janet Machuka, a media scientist and director at digital Convex Africa Limited, discusses the opportunities, trends, ethics and pitfalls to avoid for those who choose to trade on the web.
Just to point out some digital marketing trends for 2019: Artificially intelligence, ephemeral content, personalized content and social media ads will create pressure for brands to invest. More people will be mobile first and Internet is becoming affordable. #DigitallyFitT
— Janet Machuka (@janetmachuka_) February 1, 2019
Role of digital influencers in business: Be it local or international brands, influencers are considered a critical component in promoting products to push sales. Companies such as Safaricom, even with their powerful marketing strategies and titanic budgets, still rely on digital influencers to promote their products and causes in the society. Unknown five years ago, influencing on social media is gaining traction in Kenya, and is the sole employer of hundreds of young people in Kenya, including students.
The beauty of social influencing is in its flexibility: You can represent as many brands as possible as long as you maintain distinct images for each brand. With an audience on social media, the right appeal and a smartphone, you are good to go.
Presence without knowledge on how to go about reaching the markets is equal to brands who aren’t present on digital space. I still insist on trainings. But the question is, how can employees develop passion in learning more about #DigitalMarketing? #DigitallyFitT @DigitallyFitT
— Janet Machuka (@janetmachuka_) February 1, 2019
Authenticity is key: More than ever before, consumption habits of a product are driven by how authentic it is. Before buying a product or subscribing to a service, people now scrutinise providers to ensure they are getting value for their hard-earned money. It is only through sharing accurate information that you build trust with your audience. No one will trust your brand if they suspect deception. Only this week, a number of celebrities came out to denounce a local digital marketer who claimed to help build their personal brands, conning hundreds of people in the process. It is possible to defraud people online by providing inaccurate information about your brand. But the truth always comes out eventually. If you wish to establish a lasting brand online, remember, the internet never forgets.
There’s need for Brands’ employees and employers to be trained about digital marketing and advised why it is important to be updated now and then of its changes. #DigitallyFitT https://t.co/xZLhfnrT9J
— Janet Machuka (@janetmachuka_) February 1, 2019
Content creators will continue to thrive this year: The so-called content kings and queens are creators of short vlogs, blogs and stories on social media that teach people how to apply make-up, cook, shine shoes and fold clothes. However simple and rather ordinary these tasks are, millions of people around the world like to Google them up and learn how to perform them to perfection. It is for this reason that Swedish YouTube vlogger PewDiePie, who reviews video games, has more than 83 million subscribers, the highest in the world.