6 Digital Media Trends for Kenya in 2015

It's 2015 folks...and one thing is for sure; more gains are going to be made on the internet scene than ever before. A lot of hopes and predictions for this new year; a lot of marketers claiming to go the untainted route; a lot of brands climaxing on new media investments. All said and done, this is my view of the 2015 new media trends Kenya will experience:

1. Content Marketing

Personally, I’ve done several pitches this year and the one thing that sticks out like a sore thumb is the push from brands to have an online content strategy. Kenyans are getting more internet savvy thanks to increased connectivity via mobile devices; meaning they will have more access to brand information online. 
A quick glimpse of the consumer purchase funnel as we know it reveals that brand content is crucial in the interest and desire stages. In the 'interest' stage, consumers are gaining knowledge that will enable them settle for one brand/product instead of the other whereas in the 'desire' stage, they are seeking information that can assure them that the brand/product will surely fulfil their need. Content will therefore range from contextual product information to reviews and testimonials. To be more precise, 2015 is the year where brands will indeed become publishers.
 The key thing to remember in the content game is dynamism. Consumers’ lives are dynamic and brand content should mirror this by being creative and genuine. The brands that will win are those that will embrace conversation in their content strategy; don’t talk to the consumer, have a genuine conversation instead.

2. Online Video

As mentioned earlier, internet connectivity is no longer a strange phenomenon. And it’s not a Nairobi thing either!! With KDN creating free Wi-Fi hotspots in certain counties like Nakuru, an internet explosion is looming. 
Telcos (such as Airtel with their Unliminet offer) are lowering the cost of internet bundles thereby giving traditional ISP's a run for their money. As the cost of data decreases, video consumption (especially on mobile) is bound to increase. This inverse relationship is not as straightforward as it appears though. External issues such as video capacity of some mobile devices have to be factored before brands go all out on branded videos. Winning brands will be on the frontline customizing their YouTube channels or even acquiring private video players such as JWPlayer to give their audience a more custom experience.

3. Mobile Apps

The statement 'there must be an app for that' will definitely gain more traction in 2015. Today, more smartphones are being sold in the country than Pc's. For as little as Kshs. 6,000, you can arm yourself with an android or windows based smartphone. Mobile app uptake will however not be automatic; the consumer has to have had a pleasant ride through the purchase funnel and gotten to the point of loyalty where they finally download your brand app. Brands going straight into app development without auditing the consumer journey will fail miserably. In addition, apps will have to be efficient in data consumption and offer good user experience too. 
Currently, the local banking scene is awash with various apps which are transactional in nature. In my opinion, this will only take them so far. Smart banks have realized their consumers lives go beyond banking and have incorporated other lifestyle features in their apps. A good example is the KCBmobile app which even offers news & current affairs. The Barclays bank app too enables users to access discounts in certain restaurants. The winning brands here are those that will build apps with the end user in mind.

4. Social Media

A few years back, social media mostly meant Facebook and Twitter. The former has changed so much that some brands are re-evaluating their investment in this social channel. This is mostly because at the very onset, most brands were competing for fans on their pages. Ad dollars were therefore spent to buy fans but very little was done to develop useful content (thus zero engagement). Fast forward into 2015 and factoring in the numerous changes in algorithms, most brands are realizing diluted ROI on Facebook. And it’s going to get worse this year with Facebook punishing the reach of promotional posts on pages.

Twitter has taken a life of its own and serious brands are reaping huge ROI from it by being able to address customer issues thereby keeping their reputation. Every brand moment now has a hash tag to ensure social inclusion of KOT (Kenyans on Twitter). The partnership with Google is one to keep an eye on since it will further the reality of social search.

Instagram has made its debut as well but has received most uptakes with celebrities as opposed to brands. In my view, Instagram presents a unique opportunity for brands to bring out their 'sexy back' and interact with their audience (See Jambo Jet Instagram page). The winning brands for 2015 however are those that will leverage on whatsapp to create conversation within a community. Whatsapp can be the coal that fuels conversations on all other social media channels. The ease of sharing on this social tool makes it too unique to be ignored.

 5. E-commerce 

I unashamedly laugh at anyone who still believes Kenyans are not online. A quick check with Jumia folks reveals they are experiencing double digit growth!! Uber, the world renowned tech company, set up base in Kenya last month to rival Easy taxi. Point is, e-commerce is growing rapidly in Kenya and 2015 will see it grow by leaps and bounds due to the existing infrastructure. 
Mobile money for sure is the wind beneath this growth and reduced internet data charges will only make this wind blow stronger. Those in retail are the firsthand beneficiaries since they don’t have to necessarily create e-commerce platforms from scratch; they can team up with the likes of Jumia and instantly begin winning. Service industry providers have two options, either wait to be conquered by an external party (such as the case with the taxi folks) or team up and own their e-commerce platforms. There is huge opportunity especially for techprenueurs where they can invest in e-commerce technology to dominate certain sectors of the economy.

6. Data - The new currency

With all this uptake in internet technology, data will be the new currency. Online marketing is going to take a different dimension this year with marketers more than ever wanting to see the data behind the media. Consumers will try as much as possible to safeguard their privacy (or their illusion of it) whereas marketers will be on the prowl looking for a way to go beyond this boundary 'safely'. Ad dollars will therefore shift from generic online campaigns (such as non-targeted banners etc.) to more refined platforms with proven relevant reach. The net effect of this is that now more than ever, online audience will be tracked more viciously and privacy debates may be sparked later on in the year.

And that's my two cents with regards 2015 digital media trends for Kenya.

Website ranking....does it matter?

So, there's been alot of tussle concerning the rank of various websites. Every site owner wants to be seen ranking higher than the competitor or higher than his/her previous rank. It even appears like site ranking has been turned into some sort of sport....with the major focus being on whose no 1. or whose on top of the other (not literary). Frankly speaking, I don't give two hoots about website ranking and anyone seeking to market their brand online shouldn't primarily focus on this.Why? Because no one (including yourself) visits a site based on how it ranks!! Giving undue attention to the rank only shows how primal one's perception of online marketing is.

Obsession with website ranking is a perfect example of how rogue traditional media practitioners (who in effect are wanna-be online marketers) are contaminating the new media scene with their half-baked ideologies. You see, in Print, TV or Radio, it matters where you rank  because it directly affects the advertising spend you receive. That's why for example,the Nation Media Group will brag about 9 out of 10 people reading their print publication. Royal media on the other hand will run ads reinforcing the fact that they have the no.1 TV channel. The base theory here is; the more,the merrier.And this works very well for traditional media because of its broadcast nature. However, with the interactive nature of new media,this model is a compete misfit.

Lets step back and recall your last visit online. Did you have a specific website in mind? Or maybe a specific search term/phrase which you googled? Do you have some websites which you term as 'useless' due to the fact that either they didn't have the information or the user-experience was nasty? The point here is that when it comes to online,it's a bit personal. Personal because the online audience is time savvy,and very specific. They don't browse;they are task focused. What matters most to them is whether or not a certain website aids them in achieving various tasks. Of key importance to them is therefore the user experience i.e how fast the site loads, how specific and comprehensive the information is, how good the level of interactivity is etc. That's why we end up book marking sites that give us good user experiences. Marketers should therefore inquire more on the user experience of publishers as opposed to site ranking.

There are various tools that offer insight on website traffic. The free ones are most popular (obviously) and they include Alexa, Google ad planner, Google Analytics. Alot of debate surrounds Alexa ranking and how effective it is. Personally, I wouldn't pay too much focus on Alexa ranking because it relies on a toolbar which is only available for Internet explorer and Mozilla Firefox yet Google Chrome is the most popular browser with 52% of online activity. Also, Alexa doesn't have a mobile plug in and in this 21st century, mobile traffic is increasing by the day. Google ad planner is very helpful for online campaign planners since it gives not only traffic details but also demographic data. Google Analytics is a more sober tool and it can give an indication of user experience. Key data to focus on include the bounce rate (percentage of visitors who leave the homepage without visiting other webpages),average pages per visitor and average time per visit. These are more crucial metrics to focus on as opposed to where a certain site ranks. 

In Kenya, most online marketers marketers pitch nation.co.ke against standardmedia.co.ke since they are the two biggest publishers. Articles such as this http://bit.ly/Y8WPaB tend to insinuate a rank war between the two publishers. As I said before, Alexa ranking has serious shortcomings which cannot be ignored therefore it should be taken with a pinch of salt. Google ad planner on the other hand puts a 1 million gap in visitors numbers between nation.co.ke and standardmedia.co.ke with the former taking the lead. However, lets focus on the more critical issue of user experience.Which of these two websites offer you a better user experience?

New Media - the way I see it...

We now find ourselves in a pretty phenomenal world; and by ‘we’, I mean us folks in Africa. Going fast are the days when we would sit, paper and pen in hand, scribbling away a letter, a pen pal or even a post card for that matter. In fact, trips to the post office mail box have reduced significantly and some of us don’t run scared when the peeps at Posta lock the mail box due to delayed payment. We are now exposed to a new kind of lifestyle; one that reduces cost, seamlessly synchronizes with our busy schedules and gives us a larger degree of control. It’s a new exposure….thanks to ‘New Media’.

And it’s not only the ordinary folks whose lifestyles have been transformed. Companies too cannot stand in the way of New Media. Personally, I’d hate to be a corporate right now because after decades of communication control over the consumer, a sudden paradigm shift occurs and boom……..am no longer in control!! Didn’t they see this coming?? Or were they busy dismissing New Media as a ‘thing’ for the Western world that will get lost on its way to Africa? Either way, corporate entities can no longer hide their faces behind closed doors of mammoth skyscrapers. They have to open new communication channels, allow consumers to own these channels and be patient and tolerant to listen what the consumer really thinks of their brand/product/service.

Politicians too are running helter skelter trying to secure some online presence. They appreciate the fact that there is a voter who will neither attend the political rally nor stand by the road side to chant support slogans as their motorcade wades through the towns. In a bid to include this section of voters, politicians are now at the forefront of blogs as well as social media platforms. New Media gives them the opportunity to connect better with the increasing number voters who live and thrive online.  It gives them a platform where they can blow their trumpets and shape voter opinion.

Musicians have also joined the bandwagon and are having an easier time thanks too. They no longer have to beg TV and radio stations to play their music.And the best part is that its free of charge!! This actually has reversed the trend in the entertainment industry;the popularity of a song or its video in a way compels radio and TV stations to also feature it in their entertainment section.Again here,we see control shifting from the media owners to the artistes/fans.

Its therefore clear that New Media is actually having an impact in the society. Information access is unlimited and as a result,consumers know better.Corporates are therefore juggling between consumer expectations and perceptions on one hand and their policies and practices on the other. A smart corporate knows better than to fight this change. New Media can offer deep insight into the customers expectation thereby enhancing company marketing activites. It's time for corporates to stop the talk and start the dialogue.