Author: Sandra Adodo

How to make use of Service providers during the festive period 

Posted on by Sandra Adodo

 

The holidays are here again, and like every other holiday, there will be loads of events to attend. But the exciting news is Bookings Africa has got you covered in many ways than one. If you are familiar with the talents on the Bookings Africa platform, now is the time to learn how to utilise their abilities best. 

We highlighted five tips for getting the most out of service providers during the holidays.

  • Become a certified client on the Bookings Africa platform 

The first step to getting the services of top-class talents on Bookings Africa is to register as a client. If you don’t know how to go about it, read our article here. Once you are certified, download the bookings Africa app and book your preferred service. 

  • List the services you will be needing. 

Bookings Africa has over 46,000 service providers ready for booking; this gives you room to book several services. As a result, the best strategy is to list the services you need even before you need them and plan towards them. If you need photographers for your event, write the number of photographers required. Apply this method to every other service you desire during this festive period. 

  • Create a budget for your expenses 

You must create a budget and stick to it. Booking service providers on Bookings Africa make it easy to stick to your budget as pricing is very transparent. All you need to do is search for talent, compare prices and services within the budget and book the best suited. With Bookings Africa, you get quality service without breaking the bank. 

  • Plan your booking

During the holidays, service providers are usually in high demand. Plan your bookings for the whole season ahead of time to avoid disappointments. With your budget and the list of services you have curated, you can book talents now, saving you the stress of sourcing for talent during rush hour. 

  • Enjoy your holidays 

While it is essential to plan when booking the best service providers for a memorable holiday, you should also remember to have fun. When your vacation is well-planned, you can relax and enjoy yourself.

The holidays are already here! Start making plans that will make this period an unforgettable one. 

We wish you a beautiful holiday season. Happy booking!

Why you should partner with Bookings Africa today 

Posted on by Sandra Adodo

 

 

In September 2022, Google announced Bookings Africa alongside other startups as beneficiaries of the Black Founders Fund Africa. While this might be popular, we thought it would be great if you also understood what we do and why you need to partner with us today. 

Bookings Africa is Africa’s largest online gig marketplace, connecting brands and clients with top talent to meet their business and industrial needs. We use cutting-edge technologies that allow clients to Search, Compare, and Book service providers without having to haggle. Our app makes it simple for service providers to be booked. Interestingly, we have amazing features that are unique to our platform which aid in simple and quick bookings. Visit our website to learn more about our services.

 

Some of the reasons you should partner with us include 

Track record of consistent successes 

In our Estee Lauder blog post, we revealed to our readers how our partnership with this top beauty and skincare manufacturer resulted in a significant increase. Our results at Bookings Africa are evident to the blind as we were able to scale our partners’ brands. 

We contributed to the success of the blockbuster film “Blood Sisters” in 2021 by giving the cast a tight deadline. Without a doubt, we provide the solutions our clients require to have faith in us and focus on other business activities.

 

Easy Bookings of top talents in various fields

Our digital solutions also include matching professional talent with the appropriate clients. The testimonials on our website amplify this point and demonstrate that we are exceptional at what we do. Currently, the platform has over 46,000 service providers with in-demand skills that clients are looking for. Signing up as a freelancer or client is simple, and you can start immediately.

 

Provision of quality influencers for your brand 

At Bookings Africa, we have a one-of-a-kind influencer marketing strategy. We have provided influencers for Betway, Mac cosmetics, Essenza, Coca-Cola, and many other brands. Before deciding to use an influencer for any campaign brief, we ensure that the influencer is tailored to the brand’s objectives. You can read the feedback of these listed brands to get a sense of the quality we always provide.

Bookings Africa is the future of digital work. Now is the time if you haven’t booked talents, partnered with us, or trusted us with your brand’s marketing through influencing. You can contact us via chat or direct message on any social media platform. 

We are ready to provide you with the best solutions for all of your business needs.

Types of Influencers

Posted on by Sandra Adodo

The influencer marketing industry seems to be taking giant strides into becoming one of the most frequently used industries every year. With this increase and the significant impact influencer marketing has had on the rise in profit made by different organisations; other brands are considering investing in the market.

While that seems like a good idea, you must note all the different types of influencers and how they best suit your business. Read on to see how to begin your search on the right influencer.

Categories of influencers and when to use them

 

There are four distinct categories of influencers available in the influencing industry.

  • The Nano influencers

These are the smallest category of influencers with followers between 1k and 5k. This type of influencer is excellent for businesses trying to target a specific audience that the nano influencer is managing. This influencer will do well with a particular product because of the credibility they have built with their audience and the consistency in representing a type of product. For small businesses with a small budget or those willing to pay with their products, partnering with a nano influencer will be cost-effective and be a reasonable positioning.

 

  • The Micro-influencers

These types of influencers are the ones with about 5k to 50k followers who are also committed to the content produced. Like the nano influencers, the micro-influencers also have a high engagement rate and are committed to communicating to their followers better. If the budget for influencing is a little above that for nano-influencing, the best option is to go for the micro-influencer category. If your company’s audience is active on social media, sourcing micro-influencers from the platform where they engage more will be a great move.

 

  • The Macro influencers

If you want to reach a larger audience of 50K to 500K followers, macro influencers will help your brand. These influencers have a strong understanding of influencing and would produce excellent content to promote top brands. All it takes for your brand to gain traction through these influencers are a few posts, and the message will be spread. However, because of the high level of engagement produced by the macro influencer, the budget required will be higher than for the micro or nano influencers.

 

  • The Mega influencers

This type of influencer reaches beyond your local community. They have a fan base of more than 500K followers and would get several reposts from loyal followers. Most influencers in this category are known as celebrities and usually have verified social media pages that show they are major influencers. Before partnering with mega influencers, you must sign legal documents as they are also brands. Note that you must exercise patience when working with such brands, as they are usually on different projects simultaneously. But they are worth the budget, especially if you want to reach a wider targeted audience at once. 

 

How to source for the different categories of influencers

 

The next big question is how to get the right influencer for your business. 

Depending on the budget, you can get nano-influencer by scrolling through the different influencers on social media or you can choose an employee who is ready to target your brand’s audience and has the range specified for nano-influencers.

For micro-influencers, the fastest way to reach them is through Instagram and the number of times they use your brand’s hashtags. If they fall into the category of micro-influencing and they already have an interest in your brand, then you can partner with them.

You will find macro influencers on Youtube, Tiktok, Instagram and any other platform used by content creators. By using platform tools, you can locate them quickly but check if they align with your brand’s goals before partnering.

Mega influencers are easily found as they occupy the social media space largely. If you have the budget and they are the right fit for your brand, you can get them on board effortlessly.

Bookings Africa has a bank of influencers that you can partner with for any influencing gig be it nano, micro, mega and macro influencers. Search, Compare and Book verified  influencers suitable for your business.

Collaboration: The Key to Business Growth in Africa

Posted on by Sandra Adodo

Launching a new business in the African market or anywhere in the world is a great move but building it requires more than your internal business team. The key you need to more growth is business collaboration. According to a high growth study conducted in 2022, business partnership ranks among the top ten techniques every business needs to grow in this age and time.

Interestingly, the technique of business partnership didn’t just begin in the 20th century; it has been a significant pillar used by ancient reputable businesses to scale up hundreds of years ago.

The idea is simple; every firm needs something another firm already has, and the best way to get it is to partner with the firm and grow mutually. This is more like trade by barter, but it has been proven effective today.

The major drawback in all these juicy benefits of partnering with other businesses is collaborating with the wrong fit for your company. To succeed in business growth through partnership, you must get the right partners and build strategically.

This article will delve into choosing the right partners and how best you can work with your business partners to achieve explosive results. Ready? Let’s get to it!

Choosing the right partner

The ideal business partner will do one or all of the following for your business;

  • Promotion 

Every business needs to be promoted one way or another, and it can be achieved through strategic partnerships. If you are just launching your business, you need a partner with a larger audience that can promote your product to more users. If your business needs to promote a specific product, you can partner with podcast, TV or radio stations to help with the promotion while you also contribute to the mutual relationship.

 

  • Distribution

You can also build a partnership with businesses to help distribute your product. This is a step further from promotion, as the distributors will ensure your product gets into the hands of their available audience. In this partnership agreement, your firm brings the sale while the distributor ensures the product gets to the end users. We at Bookings Africa use the power of influencing to get our products to the right audience. Partnering with us as the “marketer” will be seamless because we would do the heavy lifting with influencing while you focus on making the products solid and saleable.

 

  • Visibility/social appearance

This 21st-century partnership is the most common form of collaboration, as you wouldn’t need to be directly connected to the partners before you can build your business in the process. What this means is that you affect the community, and it automatically brings the audience you need and helps you sell your product. It could be through sponsorship of events, giving to an organization or other similar projects. In 2021, Bookings Africa partnered with Lagos State Employment Trust Fund (LSEFT), the University of Lagos and MTN to give back to the community by providing digital literacy. This partnership was aimed to help over 500 small Lagos businesses with smartphones that also act as POS machines. This type of partnership is also very effective.

How to collaborate effectively with potential business partners

Having discovered what kind of partnership you need for your business; the next milestone is to connect with the partners as soon as possible.

  • State The Goals of Both Partners

It is essential for every partnership to begin with a clear understanding of partners’ goals. If you need to share your brand manual to understand how to promote your business, then do so. Ultimately, both companies must know how they fit in and what they can do to help in fueling mutual growth.

  • Share Resources

If you want to grow faster, you need to understand your partners, and what they need to run effectively, then share the assistance needed. Even if there is already an understanding of the role of the partnered companies, it is also vital to ease off each other’s stress by sharing information. 

  • Strengthen the partnership

At every opportunity, show your partner that your company is a great asset. Let them observe the successes that have been achieved since the partnership began. In the same way you focus on your business growth, you should invest in doing the same for your partners.

Business collaborations are proven ways every business needs to build its growth. Whether you are a small business or just launching out, follow these tips to make your company grow faster and reach the desired goals. Happy collaboration!

Access new markets in Nigeria (Influencer marketing)

Posted on by Sandra Adodo

Are you looking to reach local markets in Nigeria and do not know where to start? You just hit the jackpot, as the answers you need are right here. The first thing to know about expanding beyond your conventional market sphere is that influencer marketing is one of the best allies to have. It doesn’t matter if it is a consumer or service business; you will have the upper hand when your customers can trust you through influencers that speak their needs.

The big question is “How do you penetrate the market using influencer marketing?” Read on to find out the strategies you can implement to access the Nigerian market. 

  • Find local talent

The first approach in finding talent in Nigeria is to source for local influencers. In searching for local talent, you must remember that the same approach in your country might not work in Nigeria, so you need to move strategically. There are different kinds of influencers; micro, nano, and macro. When you know what type of market you are targeting, it will be easier to select the influencer that fits the market.

  • Risk assessment

When expanding a new market in Nigeria or any other novel market, it is crucial to weigh the risk to minimise it well. If the influencer you choose doesn’t fit your brand but knows everything about the market, that can pose a challenge to getting value for the money spent. This is a major problem for businesses in a new environment as they have a limited understanding of the targeted market. Another risk is going into the market without brand awareness. This strategy will not be a wrong move if you have something planned with your influencer marketing agency or in-house team. But if not, it is a major risk.

  • Minimise the risk

While you can’t eliminate all the risks, it is possible to minimise them. How do you minimise the risk?

  • Start with a strategy – Make sure the strategy is in line with the goals of your company and the expected result you want to gain once started.
  • Get a good number of influencers – Many times, what you need the most is not just one or two influencers but having different capable hands onboard. This doesn’t mean you will start with plenty of influencers, but the right amount is the best way to avoid wasting money.
  • Research African influencers before hiring – You need to get familiar with the influencers before you start a conversion, which can be done when you do your research correctly.

After minimising the risks in the best way possible, you should contact an influencer marketing agency to support expansion. Whether you have an in-house partner or an external partner, any of them will work well for your expansion as they have the right knowledge you need. Bookings Africa is a significant influencer marketing agency in Nigeria that provides the services of different kinds of influencers. Infact, if you need other talents, we have them readily available for easy bookings.

With our help, you can book influencers matching your brand identity and reach submarkets in Nigeria. We have access to premium Nigerian influencers registered on the Bookings Africa platform that you can collaborate with as you expand your business. The team at Bookings Africa will also help manage influencers and develop strategies to target the right audience.

With the best influencers in your team, you can speak to your consumer and be confident they will trust your brand. So, to access a new market in Nigeria, take a cue from these four points and be guaranteed the right exposure your brand needs to scale.

How to hire African professional talent from North America and Europe

Posted on by Sandra Adodo

Africa is full of talented freelancers contributing immensely to the digital world. So far, the number of African freelancers providing top-notch services relevant to clients around the globe are increasing daily. Non-African employers looking to hire from Africa’s online marketplace will benefit greatly from such services, especially if they pass through the right channel.  

 

How do you hire? 

Before delving into hiring African professionals, there are some questions to ask yourself as a client. Do I need virtual services? Do I know a platform with service providers in more than one African country? Can I effectively communicate using the chosen platform? Is the hiring platform credible with reviews to show for it? 

 

Interestingly, Bookings Africa checks the list as we pride ourselves as a reliable platform for connecting talents with clients. Whether you want to hire an influencer for showcasing your brand in the African market or a photographer to capture events in Africa, they are all readily available on the platform.

 

The hiring process is simple – 

  • Create a client profile on the Bookings Africa platform 
  • Check through the services offered to choose a talent. Once you click on a service, you will see different skills charging different prices for their services. 
  • Compare the talents’ prices, choose one or more and book them. You can be sure with Bookings Africa that you will get quality services as all the service providers are verified. Plus, payment for the service will remain in escrow until you have approved a well-completed job. 

 

What services can be rendered? 

Depending on the services you want, you can make the selection and book immediately. Check through the list of virtual services on the Bookings Africa platform. But if you are coming into Africa and want to hire physical freelancers, there are many services on the platform. Trust me; Bookings Africa gives you a seamless hiring process at a great price. 

 

Why choose Bookings Africa for professional hires? 

There are so many reasons Bookings Africa should be a no1 choice for your professional hire. Some of them are: 

  • We are the largest online gig marketplace in Africa 
  • We offer the best connection between and clients and talents with our top-notch technology 
  • You can book a service provider within an hour and get excellent service delivered 
  • You can find a service provider that fits your budget through our app
  • Our payment method is safe and reliable 

So, If you want a credible firm to link you to the service providers required for your next big project, Bookings Africa is the best partner. Hire African professionals today and reach the many incredible talents from Bookings Africa. Happy hiring!

 

Exploring money-making ventures in Africa

Posted on by Sandra Adodo

According to a Forbes article, 2030 promises to be a year of massive increase for the freelancing community. However, few people working 9-5 will still not benefit from this shift as the freelancing world doesn’t look so appealing

There are so many money-making ventures online that Africans can benefit from, and it is not limited to conventional employment. If you are a freelancer in Africa and you want to explore the many options available for you, reading this piece is the first place to start. Ready? Let’s dive in.

  • Start from your locality.

Bookings Africa is an online gig marketplace aimed at connecting talents to clients when needed. The process of using Bookings Africa is seamless as clients can book service providers (freelancers) and pay them for the services done. How does this help your exploration? It is simple! If you have skills or talents you wish you could get paid for; Bookings Africa gives you a platform to make that exchange. For instance, if you are great at making sumptuous meals and someone needs to order a chef, your availability on the Bookings Africa platform will allow you to offer physical and virtual services and get paid. Whether in Kenya, South Africa, or Nigeria, you can use the Bookings Africa platform to earn from your locality.

  • Position yourself rightly

One thing you can be sure of enjoying on Bookings Africa is proper positioning. As a registered service provider, you will not only get booked from anywhere in Africa, but the necessary tools needed to complete the task are made available. If you are booked as a tutor, you have the video call feature to make it possible for live conversations on the Bookings Africa app. Also, when you are on the platform, you are trusted by any client, can work with them, and get paid immediately after the job completion.

  • Expand to other niches

Once you start earning big in a particular niche, you can add more skills and diversify to give you more earning capacity. Bookings Africa allows you to upload more than one profession to showcase your skills. With this option, you will be on your way to doing more work and earning bigger. It becomes even more interesting to know that you can be a top trusted service provider when you are consistently delivering excellent service. This achievement will earn you more money no matter your location.

  • Refer others

To expand your income streams, Bookings Africa allows you to refer others and earn. Learn more about our referral system. By referring others, you will help other people benefit from the money venture you just found.

With Bookings Africa, your search for money-making ventures online is over. Instead of getting scammed by the many unrealistic online platforms, join the train of freelancers and earn right from your home and neighbourhood.

Book talented actors in 1 hour 

Posted on by Sandra Adodo

 

Many years ago, we could only communicate with our loved ones through letters, which could take months to reach the receiver. Technology came, and the narrative was changed. We can now access our friends and anyone around the globe in seconds. 

In the past, we could only get the services of actors through recommendations or after advertising vacancies through posters and sometimes online ads. With innovative technology offered in Bookings Africa, you can bid farewell to the conventional way of bookings. 

By signing up as a client on Bookings Africa, you can get as many actors as you want in a project. The steps are simple. 

Step 1: Download the Bookings Africa app on your phone or PC

Step 2: Sign up as a client 

Step 3: Fill in your details 

Step 4: Wait for confirmation from the customer service team 

Step 5: Search for actors and compare their prices 

Step 6: Book as many actors as you want. 

In six easy steps, you can book the services of any service provider you need on the Bookings Africa platform. It becomes even easier and faster if you have been a client before, as you can skip the first four steps to get the actors, social media influencers or any other talents from the pool of top African talents. 

What are you waiting for? Sign up as a client today and enjoy the ease of booking service providers on the go. The Future of work is at your fingertips!

 

See what MAC cosmetics and Bookings Africa have been up to…

Posted on by Sandra Adodo

If you want to talk about makeup authorities worldwide, both for professionals and consumers, MAC cosmetics stands in the top three. Mac Cosmetics is notable worldwide and locally and has extended to the shores of Africa.

MAC cosmetics used influencer marketing agencies to penetrate the African market successfully, and Bookings Africa is one of them. Our partnership with this outstanding brand has led to the unveiling of many exciting products which are accepted in Africa and beyond. The recent expansion we worked on was on Re-think pink for makeup enthusiasts and agencies.

The redefining pink project targeted breaking the popular norm of red valentine and accentuating pink in its place. Who says pink can’t be romantic? Re-think pink has shown us how fabulous pink tones can be.

The exciting part about this project is Bookings Africa’s involvement in showcasing this fav lip shades to Africans. Bookings Africa helped with the campaign of this project, and we provided top influencers like Kaylah Oniwo. Kaylah showed lipstick lovers how great pink shades would look good on any outfit. She understood the brand’s voice and interpreted it in a way MAC cosmetics consumers could better relate to.

What not to love about this re-think pink project? The shades? The tones? The great price? The benefits? Whatever lipstick shades from these lists of pink will go well for any look or occasion. You can rock it for a romantic dinner or use a neutral tone for your everyday look. 

If you ever thought MAC cosmetics does well with producing red lipstick, you can be sure this new pink redefinition will be a boom. See what it looks like on any of our influencers and select your best look today.

 

 

 

5 Instagram Accounts You Should Check Out This Month 

Posted on by Sandra Adodo

 

Are you a service provider on the Bookings Africa platform and looking for ways to gain more recognition and scale up your niche? Then this is what you need to read. Many freelancers miss out on essential gigs because they are ignorant of certain information. But the truth is, information is everywhere, and until you get connected to the correct information, you will not scale up as you desire. In this article, we will be discussing five Instagram accounts that service providers on Bookings Africa can follow to get the right information. 

  • EbonyLife studios

When it comes to filmmaking, Ebonyliife films is one of the leading producers in Nigeria. They have produced major blockbusters in the past and the most recent one is Blood sisters that ranked first in many countries for weeks on Netflix. Interestingly, Ebony life films is one of our business partners on Bookings Africa. In fact, for Blood sisters, we provided them with more than 300 background actors from our platforms. That means if you can act but are not yet on the platform, you are not helping your brand in any way. Don’t waste any more time. Follow Ebony life studios, sign up on the Bookings Africa platform and get a chance to feature in a big debut in the nearest future.

  • Essenza

This is a top luxury retailers of prominent brands like Estee Lauder, Tom Ford, and they are interestingly, one of Bookings Africa client. Because Essenza deals with selling sophisticated beauty products, they often need social media influencers, and we make them available for them through the Bookings Africa platform. We have helped significant influencers on our platforms like Kaylah Oniwo, Denola Grey, Tania Omotayo and many more get booked to promote Essenza brands in the past. You can be one of them today by following Essenza and registering as a social media influencer on the Bookings Africa platform. 

  • Kaylah Oniwo 

We cannot stop mentioning this great social media influencer on Bookings Africa as she has gradually built a brand worth emulating. During our last #Meet a Service Provider series on our blog post, she shared how she scaled up in the influencing world and how other aspiring influencers can do the same. Kaylah Oniwo has worked for major brands like Net-a-Porter, Hermès, Estee Lauder, Pandora, Hillary says and many more. If you have not read the post, this is the best time to do so. Plus, make sure you don’t just read it; follow her and learn from the wealth of knowledge she often gives out. 

  • Africa Business Radio

Another major partner at Bookings Africa is Africa Business Radio. The Africa business radio is a big online platform that help business publish their audio messages on major platforms like Spotify, Apple and many others. We have worked with them in the past and are still in partnership for bigger collaborations. You can listen to season one of Bookings Africa podcasts on Spotify. The Episode 1 talks about how Fadé Ogunro, the founder of Bookings Africa, started the online gig marketplace we all enjoy. If you want to know about the features of Bookings Africa, listen to episode 2 and see what you will gain on the platform. You can also check the Africa Business Radio website for more podcasts to give you the information you need to scale up your brand. 

  • Zainab Ashadu

If you are into fashion, you will learn a lot from  following Zainab Ashadu. She is the founder of Zashadu Ltd and is an award-winning creative. She makes luxury handbags and is also a Bookings Africa client to check out and follow-on IG. Notable leaders like Chimamanda Adichie, Beyonce and many more have worn her designs and she has also been featured on blogs such as Lioness of Africa and you can learn fromhave written about this renowned director of fashionable handbags. By following her and signing up to the Bookings Africa platform, you get updated on the latest fashion bags and how to complement your outfits better. 

The game plan is simple! If you are looking for more accounts to follow, then one or all of these 5 can suffice. Check them out today and start following already!