Exploring the Power of Strategic Content Creation
Africa’s Global Bank, United Bank for Africa Plc, recently hosted another edition of the UBA Business Series. This event brought together digital entrepreneurs and influencers to discuss the secrets behind building impactful online communities. The session was themed ‘Content that Converts: Building Influence and Driving Growth Through Strategic Marketing’ and took place at the Tony Elumelu Amphitheatre in UBA Head Office, Marina, Lagos.
The session highlighted how authenticity, consistency, and passion remain essential elements of success in the ever-changing digital landscape. Content creators shared their first-hand experiences from their journeys across various industries and markets.
Commitment to Empowering Entrepreneurs
UBA’s Group Head, Digital Banking, Kayode Olubiyi, welcomed participants and panellists to the session. He reaffirmed the bank’s commitment to empowering entrepreneurs across Africa through knowledge-sharing and capacity-building initiatives like the Business Series. He emphasized that the quarterly event continues to serve as a vital avenue for supporting innovation and entrepreneurship. It equips individuals with practical insights to grow their brands and businesses in a competitive digital economy.
In his keynote address, Dr Lampe Omoyele, Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer at Nitro 121, said, “You can create something out of what appears to be nothing.” He provided insight into key trends to develop content that creates impact. He noted that content creation should go beyond aesthetics or trends to focus on value, purpose, and agility. Creators aiming to make a difference must develop a clear personal brand identity and remain consistent in delivering messages that resonate with their audience.
Insights from Industry Leaders
The panel session featured an impressive line-up of digital entrepreneurs and content creators, including Elozonam Ogbolu, a Digital Creator and Actor; Chinonso Egemba (Aproko Doctor), a Digital Health Educator; Catherine Kamau, a Kenyan Actress and Media Entrepreneur; Nasiru Lawal (Nasboi), a Content Creator; and Enioluwa Adeoluwa, a Digital Influencer who also served as the moderator of the event.
Lawal emphasized the importance of growth for younger creators, stating, “For the younger creators here, my best advice is this: please prioritise your growth. As a creator, the moment you become famous, you no longer move at your own pace; you move at the people’s pace. It is therefore important to ensure you grow consistently, and then over time, the recognition and the money begin to roll in.”
Elozonam agreed with Lawal, adding, “Content creators have to engage their audience with proper storytelling, because brands are always out to carefully choose their creators. For the brands, you must pick your influencer or ambassador very deliberately and work together over time to grow. That is when you will see a proper return on investment.”
Egemba suggested treating content creation as a business, saying, “If you’re building a business or doing content creation, treat content creation as a business. When you treat it as a business, it needs a proper structure. Otherwise, it won’t last. If you don’t put structure in place, you’ll end up responsible for everything, and that leads to burnout. You have to build structure because if you want longevity, structure is essential.”
Kamau stressed the importance of finding a balance and staying close to one’s community. She said, “It is important for content creators to find a balance and stay close to their community. What I realised is I have a community that keeps me grounded, and that’s family. When you get famous, you tend to forget where you come from. You know, social media is an illusion, and you start assuming that it is your real family until bad things happen to you. So please remember the real people in your life, because fame can get to your head, but those are not the people who are going to have your back when things go south.”
Emphasizing Personal Branding and Originality
The creators, while sharing their diverse experiences, collectively emphasized that building a personal brand should take precedence over chasing financial gain. They also underscored the importance of originality, urging young creators to find their unique niche rather than replicating what others have done.
Recognition of the Event’s Impact
Alero Ladipo, UBA’s Group Head of Marketing and Corporate Communications, commended the panellists for taking time to share their useful insights at the event. She celebrated the UBA management for organizing conversations like this, which, according to her, “remain impactful and will benefit not just individual customers but also economies at large.”
United Bank for Africa is one of the largest employers in the financial sector on the African continent, with 25,000 employees group-wide and serving over 45 million customers globally.