The Nigerian market can be very difficult to crack. It is still a very fragmented, making it challenging for new businesses to know where and how to properly market its product and services. With the ever present large open-markets and the rise of modern retail outlets like shoprite, matched with the increased online presence, the Nigerian consumer can be reached through a variety of avenues.
Here are the most common ways of marketing products and services in Nigeria.
Radio:
Radio is still a very effective way to market your business in Nigeria. As a medium to reach a broad audience, a business can create brand awareness for its product and services. Businesses should however focus on the demographics of its target audience because certain classes of consumers listen and rely on radio more than others.
Television:
Just like radio, the televison is another way to reach a broad audience in Nigeria. As of 2014, 74.6% of Nigerian households own a TV and rely on it for the dissemation of information, especially the news. Businesses can reach their audience through targeted TV commercials (TVC) that visually promote their business in a way that radio can’t.
Online Content Marketing (Blogging, SEO, SEM):
With the increase of internet penetration across the country, businesses are using more online content to advertise their product and services to consumers online. There is no better time to advertise to a customer than when the customer is in need of your product and service. That is why marketers are taking advantage of Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and Search Engine Marketing (SEM) to market to the right customer at the right time by creating relevant content that addresses a customer’s immediate need.
Newspaper & Magazines:
A lot of Nigerians trust newspapers and magazines as credible sources of information. These traditional forms of media have built loyal readers over the years. Advertising your business in a newspaper or magazin that your traget audience trusts is an easy wasy to get your business in front of many readers.
Trade fairs & Forums:
Events such as trade fairs, forums and conferences are good places for business executives and owners to learn about the current affairs of their industry. One can use it as an opportunity to meet key industry palyers, potential customers and business partners. It’s also an avenue to market your offering in Nigeria either informally through networking or formally by having a corporate presence or stand at the event.
Social Media:
Digital marketing has seen a consitent rise in Nigeria over the years because of the increased mobile phone and internet penetration. Reaching customer through social media – facebook, instagram, twitter, linkedin, snapcaht – has become very important for marketers. It is however important to match your product or service with the appropriate medium. For instance, if you sell a product, using a visual medium like instagram would be effective. If you are selling a professional service, Linkedin may provide more value as a marketing tool.
In-store marketing:
This form of marketing is used by, but not limited to, a lot of fast-moving consumer goods companies in Nigeria. Having a sales representative in a retail store that can sway a customer’s purchasing decision at the moment just before purcahse is a very effective marketing tool. The effectiveness of this form of marketing is dependent on the likability and persuasion skill of your sales representative.
Posters & Billboards:
Nigerians spend a lot of their time outdoors, particularly in urban cities like Lagos, where most of the time spent outdoors is in traffic. Posters and billboards are used around the city to promotw new products and services.
Referrals & Word-Of-Mouth:
Ask a lot of Nigerian business owners how they get their customers and in most cases you would get a response saying “referrals”. Word-of-mouth can be one of the biggest marketing asset that a business can have in Nigeria. Nigerians tend to stick to brands they trust and they learn about new brands from people they trust (usually family and friends). Leverageing the power of “influencers”, family, friends and satisfied customers in your network can be very powerful to get the word out on your business.
Graffiti/Wall & Board Markings:
For a lack of better words to describe this informal form of marketing, we are calling this “graffiti” marketing. Although the graffiti artists out there would not call this art, it is hard to ignore the variety of chalk and paint writings on public walls and boards used as marketing in Nigeria.
“Drivers wanted? Call this number….”
“For professional cleaning services. Call Us Now”
I cannot tell how effective this form of marketing is, but it is used quite frequently.
Trusted distributor:
Another way to promote your goods is to partner with a local distributor who has expertise in selling the tupe of product you offer. This form of marketing is applicable mainly to businesses that are selling a physical product. By partnering and selling your goods to another business that has a customer base, your company will be leveraging years of local expertise and marketing skills of a distributor that is in constant communication with the end consumer.
These are the main ways to mrket in Nigeria. Once you have built a solid marketing strategy, you can use any of these platforms to get your marketing communication to the right audience.
Are there any ways to market in Nigeria that was left out? Let me know in the comments below.
