Supercharge your Marketing in Africa

Reaching African audiences both at home and abroad is big business for the global marketing industry

Sep 18, 2021

Introduction

Africa, the fastest growing continent in terms of population size, but also in terms of economic power and influence. This power stems not only from domestic citizens but also from the huge diaspora abroad in countries such as the United States, United Kingdom and Western Europe more broadly.

Reaching these African audiences both at home and abroad is big business for the global marketing industry.

‘Brands and firms from sectors as broad as Fin-tech, SaaS, Healthcare & Education all have much to gain in reaching these consumers effectively’.

If you are a large Enterprise, a growing SMB, or a nimble start-up in any sector, see our breakdown below of how to reach these audiences, and convert Marketing dollars into a tangible Return on Investment (ROI)!

SPOILER ALERT… Google Ads might not be your best option!

Google Ads

For many brands, Google Ads are the first port of call. Targeting is simple and most marketers are already familiar with the platform.

Google offers marketers the ability to reach both Search traffic, but also their Display Ad Network across the wider web. A Google Search Ad might look something like this:

Disadvantages of Google Ads

You are encouraged to increase ad spend before exhausting other options

Instead of supporting businesses through A-B tests, personalised feedback on ad performance, and ad strategy, Google push you to increase your spend first.

For businesses who carefully manage marketing budgets this can be frustrating. Consumers in Lagos might typically have different needs to those in Lusaka or Luanda or London. So, to discover these differences, A-B testing will often be more important than budget increases.

2. Limited control over where your display ads are shown

Brand reputation is important. No matter the size of your business, your brand is your corporate identity. Place ads next to unsuitable content and you could realize some pretty negative results.

Are your existing Google display ad campaigns appearing alongside ’brand safe’ content 100% of the time?

If your answer to that question is no or you are unsure, this could be a cause for concern. Google is pretty good at ironing out the worst of the internet, but the best marketers demand 100% brand safe advertising.

Examples of non-Brand Safe content (Source: IAS)

3. Content is King. Long live the King!

What about content? The best marketing strategies include display ads alongside well-written editorial content as part of a singular and coherent marketing strategy.

So now we know that content is King, where do Google Ads fit in? ...In short, they don’t. The clue is in the name, Google Ads offer Ads and that’s it! Top marketers will need to organise their editorial content strategy separately and negotiate with media groups directly…

Possible, yes! Efficient, hardly!

Direct Marketing

Let’s first answer the question, what is Direct Marketing?

Direct Marketing implies advertising and promotional features directly with Media Groups, Publishers, Content Creators and Influencers without the involvement of big tech companies like Facebook, Google and Microsoft.

Benefits of Direct Marketing

Reduce Marketing Costs. Cut the Middleman.
Ensure 100% Brand Safe Marketing
Combine Display Ads with Editorial Content

1. Reduce Marketing Costs. Cut the Middlemen.

Did you know: Google is well known to take around a 32% revenue share on all Display Ad Spend. [Source: Google]

Direct Marketing removes Google, Facebook and other Big Tech from the pie so more of your Marketing Budget can be used to actually grow your business.

2. Ensure 100% Brand Safe Marketing

Going direct means you have absolute control over where ads appear. Having this control can also improve campaign performance ensuring ads appear alongside relevant articles and features.

3. Combine Display Ads with Editorial Content

Direct media relationships provide a greater number of marketing options compared to PPC ad providers alone.

To name a few examples, most media groups can offer editorial content, sponsored articles, press releases, special features, social media promotion alongside other specialised formats.

Combining high performing display ads with targeted content often serves to transform marketing campaigns and deliver significant results.

How do I take advantage of Direct Marketing in Africa?

DOT (yes that’s us) represent the largest Media Groups, Publishers, and Content Creators across the African continent.

Access the African diaspora abroad, and the domestic market at home with complete ease! Set up campaigns across multiple formats and media groups with a single point of contact and one monthly payment. You can book a demo with us here.

Alternatively feel free to learn more about our services.