Amanda Nze Of iVoiceAfrica On The Top 5 Ways To Market, Advertise & Promote An Ecommerce Business Today
An Interview With Eric Netsch
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As a part of our series called “The Top 5 Ways To Market, Advertise & Promote An Ecommerce Business Today”, we had the pleasure of interviewing Amanda Nze.
Amanda is the Content Manager at iVoiceAfrica, an African translation and localization company. She assists brands in discovering their identity and establishing their online presence in their respective industries.
Her enthusiasm for helping people connects businesses to customers and vice versa through effective marketing techniques. Ultimately, her goal is to engage clients and ensure they are satisfied with the company’s products or services.
Thank you so much for your time! I know that you’re super busy. Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?
Thank you for having me, Yitzi.
There are two things I love dearly — being valuable and making monumental changes. If it’s within my abilities, I’m there.
Currently, I work as a Content Manager, creating and establishing brand awareness and identity for businesses. You see, there are tons of businesses out there that provide services that many people require, but somehow, they’re unable to reach them. It’s almost like there’s a missing bridge between them. So, I partner with the different teams at work to bridge this gap, and it makes me so fulfilled.
Can you share the most exciting story that has happened to you since you began at your company?
Well, International Translation Day is coming up, and I’m working on a very unique presentation that embodies the diverse cultures in Africa and what multilingualism really means to the people as well as translators. It’s just an opportunity to truly represent Africa and I can’t wait.
What’s the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? What lesson did you learn from that?
Oh my! I had a scheduled meeting with a client, but I had issues with my set-up and account, so I could not turn on my video. I had the entire meeting forgetting that my profile photo was a cat. Because my set-up had issues, it was too late to change it. I was utterly mortified. This happened relatively early in my career, so I test run these things before every meeting to avoid situations like these.
What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now? How do you think that might help people?
What a great question. Currently, I’m working on localization, African content localization, to be precise. It’s so exciting for me because, as I mentioned earlier, I love to add value and help people. And this project is bound to help tons of businesses and people worldwide.
For people unfamiliar with the term “localization,” it is the process of getting a product or message to feel as though it were designed for a certain target culture. It basically includes translating languages, imbibing cultural elements to the look and feel of a product or service to give a sense of belonging.
So, content localization creates specialized content for a specific region. It considers a particular area’s cultural nuances and customs; in this case, I’m talking about Africa.
I get excited when I think, “Why restrict yourself to one region when you can reach different regions across the world?’
Content localization aids businesses of all kinds to expand beyond limits without cultural limitations, and also aids customers to easily access what they want. It’s a win-win situation!
The beauty of content localization comes in two folds for me — the beauty in helping everyone and the beauty in the details. For example, a French speaker probably won’t search for a “perfume”; instead, they’d search for a “parfum”.
Understanding these little elements and implementing them helps many people individually and businesses.
So far, I have to say that this is the most exciting project we’re working on because we keep getting exposed to so many emerging markets and learning about the different cultures is just so beautiful.
You’re a successful business leader. What are three traits about yourself that you feel helped fuel your success? Can you share a story or example for each?
Oh, thank you, Yitzi. That’s a kind thing to say.
I’d say I’m flexible and creative, and I trust myself.
Flexibility allows me to adapt to different unexpected changes. The other day I had to rework my content calendar in the middle of the month and take up new tasks I hadn’t envisioned. The project and I would’ve been a total mess if not for flexibility. Little changes like this are like drops of water; they make a massive difference in the long run — a mighty ocean.
Being creative saves so so much time. It allows you to think on the spot, solve problems and increase productivity. In my line of work, how fast I respond and tackle issues matters a lot. Creative thinking often looks like brainstorming, having ideas no matter how impractical they might be. It allows for innovation which is necessary for every workplace.
And this leads me to trust myself. Quick responses are necessary, and because we’re human, we always have moments when we doubt ourselves and our abilities. We might think our ideas are useless and ineffective, but we can’t let this keep us down. We’ve got to trust ourselves and our abilities.
Awesome, thanks so much for sharing that. I want to shift gears and talk about eCommerce. In my work, I focus on improving shopper engagement, so I’m very passionate about this topic. As you know, mobile has taken center stage in terms of how people are engaging and transacting with eCommerce stores — leading a lot of stores to lean into mobile-first shopping experiences like mobile apps. Can you help articulate a few reasons why an eCommerce business should consider creating its own mobile app?
You’re absolutely right. Mobile is taking center stage in terms of how people communicate and interact with E-commerce stores worldwide. But, I’d like to share some insight into African markets specifically because that’s where my expertise lies.
African tech has pushed beyond the boundaries of the developed world and is moving even more with innovation. If e-commerce businesses in Africa can get this topic right, they will most definitely make their mark.
Improving shopper engagement drives sales, but at the end of the day, shopper engagement can only be achieved when the user experience is at its greatest. User experience will always drive a business. So whatever you have to do to make things easier and smoother for your customers? Do it because that’s what will keep them. This reason alone is enough for eCommerce businesses to create mobile apps.
There are lots of surveys and even real-life examples that show users’ expectations for mobile apps.
Apps are generally more convenient, faster and easy to browse. In July 2021, 81.8% of Facebook’s mobile users accessed the platform via the app on Android devices and only 3.4% of Facebook’s mobile users accessed the platform via a web browser! And even in our day-to-day lives, I know that I’d access Facebook via the app, and the reason is simple! It’s convenient!
Apps work almost 2x faster than websites because data is saved locally on the device, unlike websites, so I can make an order with just a few clicks in a few seconds. Google even states that mobile websites’ bounce rate gets worse with every second it takes to load a page, which is no surprise. Not only is slow load time annoying to customers, but it’s also detrimental to eCommerce businesses.
According to the same survey, a mobile landing page must load entirely in at least 22 seconds, and if it takes more than 3 seconds to load, 53 percent of users leave and abandon their cart. Now that’s a serious issue because eCommerce businesses can lose so many of the customers they worked hard to get.
If a mobile app loads 1.5x faster than websites, then you know what your customers want. Go where your customers go if you still want to be in business.
The cost of paid ads is at an all-time high. What are some alternative strategies to reach your target consumers that don’t involve paying a third party like Facebook and Instagram?
Maximizing SEO, partner marketing, and even leveraging social media are all cost-effective and alternative strategies to consider. I’ll explain.
With search engine optimization you can drive organic traffic to websites using search intent. You can also leverage social media without paying for ads. To attract customers, demonstrate competence in your area with relevant content, give guidance for your goods or services, and use hashtags relating to your niche. Doing these with proper management will help reach your audience without running an ad.
For partner marketing, you can join a non-competing company with similar target audiences to advertise a product or service. The idea is that both brands benefit from each other’s existing customer base, and some crossover will occur. A vivid example of this is Apple and Mastercard. The companies do not sell the same product, but working together created a revolutionary way to shop.
Ok super. Here is the main question of our interview. Based on your experience and success, what are your “Top 5 Ways To Market, Advertise & Promote An Ecommerce Business Today?” Please share a story or an example for each.
Alright. But this is in no particular order.
1. Building an online presence for your brand is the first and most crucial step. Today, the world is more digital than physical, and stats show that most customers check out stores online before walking into shops.
I’d consider social media because over 50% of social media users use these platforms to research products, connect with their favourite brands, and more.
For example, earlier this year, at our company, we held a little contest on our Instagram. We reached over 20 different African nations and connected with our target audience. This was exactly what we wanted — to reach more Africans, and this is just one of the many times social media has helped us build brand awareness. Of course, this differs for businesses, but the idea is to know where your audience is and go there.
2. Use proper local SEO practices to reach your target audience.
But SEO wouldn’t exist without content. So what am I saying? Blend and scale up your SEO content with storytelling. Find keywords and phrases related to your target audience, then choose the ones that best represent your business. Create your final message after naturally incorporating these keywords into your brand story. You can also integrate SEO into your social media. SEO is rather broad, but these are just the basics for eCommerce businesses.
3. Collaborating with complementary brands is a great way to promote your e-commerce business. As I mentioned earlier, Apple and master card is a perfect example. They’re right up each other’s alleys and have created a fantastic shopping experience. A more basic example would be a shoemaker for men collaborating with a men’s clothing store. Both businesses aren’t competitive. Instead, they’re complementary, and together they’re bound to reach new and relevant customers.
4. Micro-influencer marketing. Micro-influencers are individuals in specific niches with a significant online following. They make recommendations or endorsements to help your brand expand its reach and generate leads. They can also help minimize your campaign’s advertising cost per action while widening your brand’s reach. Although their followers may not be as extensive as celebrity influencers, they can generate more impact per impression. Micro-influencer marketing is also expected to grow faster than traditional influencer marketing.
Some may share similarities in their influencing platform, but they’re not necessarily the same. So, I’d advise working with influencers who have expertise in each channel and can engage their target audience in various digital places. Use only influencers that can resonate with your product/service because the influencer category determines their followers, impacting their audience purchasing decisions.
Pro-tip, Instagram is the preferred social media channel for most brands who engage in influencer marketing because they drive direct sales.
5. Email marketing has been around for quite a while. It is still one of the best ways to communicate with customers, as 90% of adults and, surprisingly, over 70% of teenagers use email regularly.
Email marketing strategies commonly seek to achieve one or more of three primary objectives, to build loyalty, trust, or brand awareness. Start sending out e-newsletters, promotional mails, and cold emailing.
You are a person of great influence. If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. :-)
Albeit cliche and repetitive, it would be to eradicate poverty through employment creation, empowerment, and education. I’d love to establish organizations that cater to the poor and provide above the basic needs of life.
How can our readers further follow your work online?
You can check out our blogs and news updates at www.ivoiceafrica.com and all our socials @ivoiceafrica
I want to thank you so much for your time and for sharing your expertise with us. I wish you continued success!
Thank you so much. I enjoyed every bit of this. Hopefully, we can do this again sometime.
About The Interviewer. Eric Netsch is the co-founder and CEO of Tapcart, a codeless mobile app builder that helps Shopify’s fastest-growing brands to create an owned marketing channel so that they can reach, engage, convert, and retain their audience without ever relying on another entity for access. Eric has been featured in TechCrunch, Business Insider, The Verge, etc. To launch your mobile app, visit Tapcart.com.
