Tag: Kenya

How to Create Your Online Masterclass: Set Yourself for Success

Posted on by Sandra Adodo

One of the ways to build authority and show expertise is to host online masterclass sessions. You can be an expert in your unique field and be unknown until you take a step to show a more extensive audience your expertise through sessions like masterclasses. By teaching a topic in your niche, you will not only be creating a name for yourself, but you will make money whilst doing so. 

At Bookings Africa, we help individuals or organizations to host their masterclass session by using our online learning platform. Through hosting masterclasses you can build and increase brand awareness to a prospective audience. 

In this blog post, we will outline the essential steps you need to host a successful online masterclass.

Top tips for a successful masterclass 

  1. Know your audience 

When planning to host a masterclass session, one of the things to not overlook is finding out what kind of audience you will be speaking to. Many people often assume that all their audience falls into the same category, but that is often not true. There are three categories of audience you are likely to meet.

  1. The experts- those skilled like yourself looking for new information in your niche 
  2. The learners – those looking to become like you
  3. The onlookers- those who just want to know what you have to say because the topic interests them.

To satisfy these three categories, you must be able to share educational information, ingenious ideas and acknowledge them all. With that, you will be able to deliver effectively to all three classes of people. 

2. Choose a high-demand topic or content. 

Have a Masterclass checklist with a list of topics you can choose from (Take note to include value-add topics). Understand the problems you want to solve and have answers for definite questions your audience might likely ask. Going through a checklist would ensure that you have all your i’s dotted and t’s crossed.  

3. Use storytelling to construct content 

One of the significant-end goals of a masterclass session is to reach a bigger picture: online courses or webinars. Hence, if the content of your masterclass is not convincing or exciting, they won’t take action on any call to action. A good way to make your content engaging is through storytelling. By telling stories or relating the content to a story, it will help fuel the audience to listen to you more and even refer to your content. 

4. Drive engagement always 

A masterclass session is a live event, which means your audience needs to be captured throughout the lecture to encourage you to continue. During a session, you must ask questions to keep your audience engaged. Sometimes, the level of audience interaction will drop, which is possible if they need to attend to other things. Regardless, you can still keep the remaining people focused on you by throwing in a giveaway that many would love to respond to.

5. Check the competition. 

Without a doubt, your content will not be the first in the market, which means there are competitors to study. Before pushing your content out, look at what your competitors are offering and what they are yet to offer. This will help you differentiate what you bring to the table and that of your competitors. Plus, you can address the topic differently from how others have been delivering. It will be more interesting for your audience to listen to a different method of delivery which is what you will aim at. 

Here are your go-to tips you need to prepare for a successful masterclass session. Need assistance with setting up your first masterclass? Send us an email on the Bookings Africa platform.

Bookings Africa App: How it Works and Top Features 

Posted on by Sandra Adodo

Everyday, the number of Bookings Africa app users are increasing, but many are still under-utilizing the interesting features Bookings Africa offers. Bookings Africa is a pan-African leading gig- marketplace that is technology personified as the conventional method of sourcing talents has been replaced with a seamless process. With the features on our app, talents can be found and booked on the go, thereby helping young African entrepreneurs utilize their skills across different industries.

Currently, Bookings Africa has more than 15,000 service providers, but not everyone fully knows all the features on the app or even how to use them. 

This is the problem this guide addresses, as a good grasp of all the features will help both service providers and clients connect better. 

So, whatever questions you might have on navigating your way through the app, this guide is what you need to read. Ready? Let’s dive in!

Top features to enjoy 

As a client, 

All clients on the Bookings Africa platform have the liberty to access three major features. 

Search – Compare – Book 

The ‘Search’ feature – once a client is registered on the platform, they can source for different talents registered as a service provider. For instance, if you need a makeup artist, you can use the search column to get varieties of makeup artists closest to you, which you can contact right away. 

The ‘Compare’ feature – When the search feature has provided the list of your desired talent, you can compare prices and choose the one that falls within your budget. If you have a budget of #10,000, you can book a service provider within the range of #5,000 to #10,000. 

The ‘Book’ feature- It allows you to choose a particular talent and start working with them. Once you click on the button, you will pay into the service provider’s wallet (escrow) and then the service provider accepts the booking, relieving you of the stress of unnecessary haggling.

Aside from these three main features, clients can track the service provider before and after booking them. That means, if I am in Lekki, Lagos, I can search for a photographer near me and Bookings Africa will connect me with those around me, and you can do likewise. When the booking process is done, you will still be able to see the live location of the service provider you just booked. Isn’t that super cool? Well, there is more! You can also book for more than one service provider and still be able to see the live location of each of them. So, if you need models for a shoot and don’t have a makeup artist or photographer, you can get all of them using the app without going through any stress. Interestingly, clients can also rate and give feedback to every freelancer hired after the work is completed using the ratings feature.

As a service provider

As a registered service provider on the bookings Africa platform, you have access to all the features listed below:

  1. Profiling 

Booking Africa allows you to sell yourself to potential clients as a service provider. On your profile, you have a description box, where you can write an overview of the services you offer and why you are the best person for the job. You will also be able to post past successful gigs, emphasizing that you have the experiences being sought after. The profile section allows you to post pictures and videos to convince the clients to choose you.

2. Multi-Category Roles 

Being a service provider on our platform is not limited to a particular job role. If you are a chef with good photography skills, you can add an account to showcase the photography aspect. Hence, you don’t need to choose one talent but add them provided you can deliver the level of expertise required. 

3. Instant job notification 

This is one interesting feature that makes the Bookings Africa app unique among other similar apps. If you are a registered service provider on the platform and a client posts a job, you will get an instant notification through your email and the app. So, if you registered as a DJ, you don’t need to stay glued to your app because once a job similar to your service is posted, you will get first-hand info. 

4. Secured payment plan 

Using the conventional method of sourcing for jobs might prove frustrating, especially if the client decides to pay less than the agreed price. With the secured payment plan feature, every amount agreed on is the amount you get from the client. Once the service has been delivered and marked completed by the client, you get paid immediately, which is much faster when compared to other online gig markets. 

General features 

Having listed the specific features of both the service providers and the clients, let us quickly look at the general features every user would enjoy on the platform.

  1. Mobile access

Whether as a client or service provider, you can access the Bookings Africa platform on your mobile device. You can be on-the-go whilst accepting bookings, booking service providers and getting paid.  

2. Video call 

The video call feature is peculiar to Bookings Africa. For instance, if you are a gym instructor, you can interact with your client through the video call feature from the comfort of your home. Both clients and service providers can enjoy this feature on the app. 

If you have read to this point, you are definitely interested in being a user. Whether you want to be a service provider, client or both, Bookings Africa makes room for any users, so you have no worries. Don’t waste any more time! Hurry now and sign up to enjoy all these features and more from your favourite online gig marketplace. 

How to Set the Best Prices as a Gig-worker and Freelancer

Posted on by Sandra Adodo

Starting a career in freelancing always looks effortless and exciting because of the flexibility it brings. However, it can be challenging to be in the system and not get gigs as much as you anticipate. This is a typical issue in freelancing as the number of people involved is growing daily. 

At Bookings Africa, more than 15,000 service providers are waiting to meet the clients’ needs but are yet to be booked. The question is, what are they doing wrong? Why are some people on the platform getting gigs while others are not? What are the top service providers doing that gives them the upper hand in the gig market? How do you set a client-friendly price to be booked?   

Let’s start with What YOU need to get BOOKED ⬇

  1. Know your worth 

In freelancing, knowing your worth is vital to getting the best prices set and being known. This is the first step because you are likely to set just any price if you are unsure of what you have and can offer. Understanding the value you bring to your skill will help you position yourself and your prices right.

For instance, a makeup artist with less than 3-years of experience cannot charge the same as a 10-year experienced artist. Possessing the necessary skills and equipment is essential to back up your designated price. You also cannot spend so much on makeup tools and undercharge yourself. There has to be a balance. Some service providers are getting more gigs than others because they understand how valuable their services are and the best prices to include. So, before you conclude you cannot get booked or set a great price, check to see if there is so much value to the price you are putting out. 

2. Invest in adding value to yourself 

Whether you are new to that particular niche of freelancing or not, it is never too much to keep growing in the services you offer. If you don’t know where to start building from, ask professionals in that field for guidance. Many of the top freelancers you see making waves didn’t just get there with little knowledge or skills; instead, they pushed themselves to give more. 

If you take a sample study of the freelancers in your field and look through their work, you will see the different investments they have made in their work. They have attended relevant training and gotten certified to scale their hustle. The amount of value you have to offer will determine your set prices. If, as a photographer, you have never shot weddings and don’t have samples of related work, it would be hard for clients to trust your services over a more experienced professional. Therefore such investments are non-negotiable. Also, by adding value, you will be meeting the checklist clients use to hire freelancers.

3. Organise your Portfolio

One of the many ways you can show your clients you are up to the task is by building a great portfolio. It is not enough to know that you can do the job; you also need to show the clients that you are skilled. This involves you creating a great portfolio. At Bookings Africa, a well-polished profile is one of the distinguishing factors most service providers consistently get gigs to have. 

In an online market like ours, your profile is your CV, and that means your aim is to pitch yourself through the bio and content on your profile. If you are a chef, the significant thing clients expect to see is the food you have cooked, how well you present it, and the quality images of your dish. If you are into modeling, the major push-out should be your past works in that field, creative photos, pageantry, advertising gigs, television appearances, and even Youtube. Ultimately, you need to build your portfolio with evidence of your past jobs and a well-written bio to stand out. 

Tips on setting the best prices

When you have discovered the ways to push out your profile, the next big question is how to determine the price to charge. 

 

  1. Understand the cost of running your business

Whether you have a regular 9-5 job, it is vital to calculate the cost of running your freelance business. Your checklist should include but not be limited to; the cost of equipment, taxes, utility bills, and transport fare time investment. The list is extensive depending on the services you offer. For instance, actors will prioritize transport fares over utility bills because more of the work role will be done outside the house. In the case of a fitness instructor or tutor, they might need to be at home to deliver virtual services, which require sufficient utilities and fuel bills sorted in case the power goes out. This is quite familiar in countries where the power goes off unexpectedly. When you have understood the cost of the business, you can then set the prices that would cover the cost and leave you with substantial cash in hand. 

2. Check your competitors 

Having invested in the values you can offer, it is time to compare with other top freelancers. You can set a comparable price if you set up a good profile and list out your experiences, similar to those getting great gigs in your niche. Note, however, that charging high with little experience is not a good move. You can start with a more client-friendly fee that covers the cost of operation. When you have built a stronger portfolio, you can augment your prices to match your acquired skills. 

In freelancing, you can build a strong presence such that potential clients can continuously book you for gigs. Happy Freelancing!