Wole Oduwole, the CEO of SEOGidi, recently shared his belief that influencer marketing is a must-have for startups, especially in Africa’s growing tech industry. He feels this marketing approach is quickly becoming essential for building brand visibility and trust in a competitive market.
“Influencer marketing isn’t just for big telecom companies or consumer goods giants anymore. Tech startups are now using it to reach a much larger audience,” Oduwole said.
He provided several examples to support his point.
“In December 2021, Flutterwave, a leading fintech company, made a smart move by partnering with global Afrobeats star Wizkid as a brand ambassador. This investment, worth millions of naira, greatly increased Flutterwave’s brand reach and kept customers engaged,” Oduwole explained.
He also mentioned MoniePoint, another African fintech company that raised $50 million in its Series C funding last year. They brought rapper Olamide on board as a brand ambassador and sponsored the popular ‘Big Brother Naija All Stars’ show on DSTV.
Even newer startups are getting on board. PayDay, a tech startup that raised $2 million in pre-seed funding, used aggressive social media marketing strategies. They partnered with famous artists Davido and Joeboy, as well as popular skit-maker Layi Wasabi.
Oduwole also pointed out that startups shouldn’t just focus on big-name influencers. “Micro-influencers can have a surprising amount of impact. Startups can really benefit from using this unique marketing approach,” he suggested.
He went on to talk about SEOGidi’s achievements since its launch a year ago.
“SEOGidi started in August last year to address the challenges faced by African startups. Since then, we’ve onboarded 36 startups and successfully scaled 60% of them, achieving over 200% growth in reach and conversion. This success drives us to do even more,” he proudly stated.
Oduwole credits SEOGidi’s success to its team of dedicated growth specialists, who provide personalized digital media strategies tailored to each startup’s needs. With clear timelines and metrics to measure improvement, SEOGidi’s approach is detailed and focused on results.
Looking to the future, Oduwole has big plans for SEOGidi. “We aim to work with 1,000 businesses in the next year. Our commitment to driving growth and strategic marketing for startups in Africa and beyond remains strong,” he concluded.
