BUSINESS LESSONS FROM #ON2017 & #Baad2017

Photo From L-R: Nabila Fash, Oritsefemi, Caroline Danjuma

For business owners, #ON2017 was A hit too. It was the Dolphin in the Nigerian Instagram sea while #Baad2017 was the Shark. The only difference was that there was nobody to pull an Ebuka. Caroline came close, pulled an Ebuk, but you know there can only be one Ebuka. Lol

Oh, just in case you don’t know what the hash tags #ON2017 and #Baad2017 mean, they are trending abbreviations couples (mostly in Nigeria) now adopt during the build up to their wedding ceremony. While #ON2017 stands for "Oritsefemi and Nabila 2017", #Baad2017 on the other hand stands for "Banky and Adesua 2017." Oritsefemi and Banky W are both popular Nigerian musicians.

READ ALSO: LESSONS FROM EBUKA'S AGBADA

I wouldn't want to compare the statistics knowing that Banky W has 2.1m followers compared to Oritsefemi's 1.3m followers.

But, here are the Talking Points And Lessons:

While people were talking about #Baad2017 cake, the baker, Ebuka's agbada and the designer... For #ON2017, it was about Oritsefemi's classic hair Style and his barber.

Oritsefemi looking classic in his wedding hair style

While Ebuka stole the show at #Baad2017 with his Agbada and got Instagram world talking and celebrating his designer- Ugo Monye... For #ON2017, It was about Caroline who literally dethroned the queen of the day (Nabila the bride) with her EbukaRistic dress.

But do you know the difference?

Ebuka's designer was prepared and ready to enjoy his social media cakes. He had everything in place even before the blow out. 

The baker too, was strategically positioned and set to take advantage of #Baad2017 and the popularity that would follow.

For two of them, it was like the day of Pentecost, they gained thousands of followers and believers.

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Not just that, right now in Nigeria, the only person that will mention top designers or bakers in Nigeria without mentioning "Ugo Monye" & "Cakesbysaycheese" respectively is probably not living in this world. Talk of visibility and awareness, they have gotten it now.

That's how you take advantage of digital disruption, that's how your business pulls an Ebuka on social media and make your competitors look like Masterkraft.

Photo From L-R: Ebuka, Masterkraft

What about Oritsefemi's barber and Caroline's designer? Chai, they "fall my hand" like APC.

As I'm typing this, we still don't know the stylist who cut Oritsefemi's hair. Caroline's designer is known, but her perspective to social media marketing is not different from that of my great grandmother. What a missed opportunity!

Many of us pray for opportunities everyday, but we forget to also pray to God to open our eyes to see and maximize seemingly insignificant opportunities that abound around us. I don't want to sound like I'm playing the Judge here, but if Caroline's designer had maximized the power of the social media before now, imagine the impact that would have had on her business after Caroline rocked her design at #ON2017 and everybody was talking about the design.

As a business owner, is your business on the digital map so that when people search online for products or services you can offer, they will find you? Or do you allow your competition to "Ebuka" everywhere while you complain of poor sales?

It's not just about having business pages on social media, but it's also about getting the best results from your online marketing efforts.

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Professional soccer players especially strikers understand the need for strategic positioning. You cannot be a successful striker like Drogba if you don't know how to position and take chances.

We miss customers, investors, life partners, friends, etc, because we are not always strategically positioned and ready for the opportunity.

According to Benjamin Disraeli, "the secret of success is to be ready when your opportunity comes."

You cannot afford to be everywhere, attend every event and walk around aimlessly anymore. It's time to be strategic about everything and be ready for opportunities all the time.

Don't be like Oritsefemi's barber or Caroline's designer who due to lack of adequate preparation missed a golden opportunity to enjoy the same fame Ugo Monye (Ebuka'a designer) is currently enjoying.

Remember, it's better to be prepared for an opportunity and not have one, than to have an opportunity and not be prepared.

Please share.


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