The decision by online classified firm OLX to shut down its Nairobi office has sent shockwaves in the e-commerce fraternity in Kenya. OLX, a pioneer in e-commerce left suddenly having failed to get its hand on the billions of shillings that were transacted through its online marketplace. For OLX, it was like an investor who spends a fortune building and maintaining a market only for it to be invaded by a mob of traders who won’t pay even a cent for using the facility. The exit has left a dark cloud on the future of e-commerce in Kenya and Africa in general, bringing into question the flexibility of online trading and the degree to which it can be legitimized. Already, there are fears that investors will start developing cold feet, fearing that e-commerce in Africa is nothing but one big black hole. “If OLX pulls out, not many people are…

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By Staff Writer Kendesk Digital Services Ethics is the study of understanding whether what we do is right or wrong. Digital marketing has become a very effective way for people to market a product, brand or service. It has however brought about new ethical challenges that affect the relationships between consumers and organizations .This constrained relationship may affect the organization negatively sometimes leading to brand failure, low profit margins as well as tarnished reputations. This has made the sharing of information on social media sites and within personal and professional blogs to be a rather mind boggling activity .People find themselves asking questions like, Is this ethical? Is this a professional or personal opinion? Does it matter to my audience? Should I post it at all? Will it get me in trouble? Where should I draw the line? It is thus imperative for people who are responsible for utilizing digital…

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By Danielle Guzman Before we meet someone for the first time—whether professionally or personally—most of us do what? We look them up online. Same goes for after meeting someone or seeing someone inspiring speak. How people come across to us through Google search and social media platforms directly influences what we think about them and how we engage with them. Over the next few years the amount of information available online about us will only increase, as will the number of people searching for it. The future of work will see businesses rely more and more on individual and organizational online branding to guide decision making. This means today, at this moment, we have an incredible opportunity to build and own our personal brands online. I know for some, the idea of building an online personal brand isn’t easy. I’m fascinated by how many of my colleagues hesitate about creating…

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As of 2018, all millennials, who are defined as being born between 1981 and 1997, are well into adulthood. This demographic of adults is so large that the number of millennials even surpasses the number of baby boomers! Millennials make up a large portion of consumers and it is becoming increasingly important to know how to appeal to this group of consumers. Many companies complain of being unable to attract millennials, noting they are always in search of something bigger and better. Millennials have been frequently described as disinterested and selfish, unsatisfied, unfocused and lazy, and comprise a group of adults entering the workforce with less security and value than previous generations. With the emergence of social media, millennials have turned to a world of immediate gratification, living a “post-worthy” and filtered life, and have changed the way we market. With all the stigma surrounding millennials, appealing to this demographic…

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Since its inception, blockchain has been a mover and a shaker; primarily a shaker due to how it is expected to disrupt industries such as banking and insurance. In reality no industry is safe from the revolution that blockchain technology is bringing upon us. If your industry deals with data or transactions, you will be affected. Take a business like digital marketing. Most would assume that blockchain technology would not create a big shift in such an industry right off the bat. However, dive into the details and you’ll see that the rise of blockchain has had an undeniable impact on the marketing world. The main pivotal areas can be summed up through changes in trust, customer experience and branding. The trust and transparency between brands and their consumers has drastically shifted. On both consumer and company sides, blockchain has begun to transform the way that business is performed. From a company lens, the way that ads are…

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By Brian Sutter Like change? Then social media is the place for you. Every day there’s some small evolution in at least one of the social platforms. Some days, there’s a big new product announcement—a new tool that could change the way you do business. This keeps things interesting, but it can make it hard to keep up, if you’re only looking at the details of how social media works. When you look at the larger trends, it all starts to make more sense. It gets easier to see the changes not as isolated events, but as trends. So while it’s hard to predict what might happen next on social media, it is possible to make an educated guess about some of the trends we’ll see in the coming year. This ends up being quite the pastime in marketing, actually—making predictions about social media trends. While researching this article, I came across more than…

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What exactly is digital marketing? Why is it so important in today’s world? The answer lies in an age-old quote: “Man is a social being.” The key to socialise is to share. It may be sharing of thoughts,  ideas, food, or simply, sharing of emotion. It is because of this basic nature in humans that platforms like Twitter and Facebook have become so famous. In this closer-than-ever world of people, business leaders must understand that to survive, one must adapt. Adapt to newer methods of marketing your products. Here a few tips to help you in digital marketing: Make a Tactical Plan A vague idea will not give endurance to a business. Business owners must understand that and plan in unique ways to take their company forward. It is true that SEO Optimisation is important, but at the same time, it is also necessary to formulate proper online marketing plans. Marketing plans must be…

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By Nathan Mendenhall With the recently announced Facebook News Feed Algorithm update, there’s been a lot of short-sighted advice being handed out in response. With the increased suppression of organic reach for brands, people have suggested everything, from focusing on Facebook Groups only, to abandoning Facebook altogether. In my opinion, we all just need to take a deep breath and think objectively about what we’re hoping to get from social media marketing. Why does it exist? Why is your brand participating in the first place? Now, this may not be a popular opinion with the social media purists, but social media marketing is MARKETING just like any other channel. The model is essentially to gather an audience, segmented by data, then sell things to that audience via advertising. That’s the way the process works. Misunderstanding this dynamic will doom your social media efforts when it comes to business results. So before I…

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By Jayson DeMers LinkedIn can be a powerful tool for individuals and companies looking to make new connections, generate leads, and build their brand. While it’s an important platform for all businesses, LinkedIn can be a true game changer for B2B (business to business) companies. This article will show you why your business – especially if you’re in the Business to Business space – shouldn’t wait another day to incorporate LinkedIn into your social marketing strategy. 1. LinkedIn is even more important to B2B marketers than Facebook. According to the 2015 Social Media Marketing Industry report, LinkedIn has now surpassed Facebook as the #1 most important social platform for B2B marketers. While only 21% of B2C marketers cited LinkedIn as their #1 platform, 41% of B2B marketers put it at the of their list (compared to just 30% who said Facebook was the most important). 2. LinkedIn is the third most used social platform among…

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