It’s not just about the big corporates; individuals are using social media to build personal brands to help them get jobs or to win fans.
More African CEOs and executives are becoming visible on social media, particularly Twitter, which makes networking your way into an opportunity easier than ever.
In creative industries, musicians and actresses are building huge social media followings that make it easier to monetise their work. Yagazie Emezi has leveraged her 38,900 Instagram followers to become a “visual curator” for brands like UBA Bank and Lagos Fashion and Design Week.
Journalist Tolu Ogunlesi has amassed a Twitter following of over 108,000 readers with whom he shares his writing everyday.
In the run up to Nigeria’s presidential elections, even President Goodluck Jonathan conceded to the power of social media, appointing Obi Asika (co-founder of Social Media Week Lagos) as senior special assistant to the president on social media, the first appointment at a cabinet level in Africa for the sector.
