The world is a global village, and someone at the end of one nation can become famous in another country without ever leaving theirs. The Internet has made the world smaller and the competition fiercer. The average content creator isn’t just competing against the people in their country or market. The entire world is watching, consuming, and supplying too. It then begs the question: ‘How do we create entertainment for a global audience?’
It’s essential to keep in mind that the world must view this content. It must also be sustainable and create income. A few Africans have proven this is possible and are shining examples of content creators going global from one region of the world.
Elsa Majimbo caught the world’s attention ( including global stars like Beyonce and Rihanna) by creating unrefined skits from her bedroom in Kenya. She first started posting monologues in 2016, took a break, and continued in 2019. Then she stayed consistent until her content went viral during the 2020 lockdown.
Closer home, Josh2Funny also successfully figured how to create global content with his ‘don’t leave me challenge’. He went from an Instagram comedian to an international sensation after years of consistently delivering hilarious skits.
Artistes like Wizkid, Burna Boy, Davido, Mr Eazi, Tiwa Savage, and Olamide successfully broke into the global entertainment space with local content. Actresses like Genevieve Nnaji, Iyabo Ojo and Adesua Etomi-Wellington are also catching the international entertainment community’s attention by delivering consistent and well thought out content.
A panel on the fifth edition of the Nigerian Entertainment Conference anchored by media personality Frank Edoho carefully explained how to create content for global audiences.
The panel consisted of former ViacomCBS boss Alex Okosi, producer ID Cabasa, Talent Manager Fela Oke, and singer Iyanya. They outlined seven tips to help you create content that matters for a global audience:
1. Tell personal stories through your content, and that way, you can be your most authentic self. ID Cabasa says, “What gives us our authentic self is the story we tell with our content.” Talent manager Fela Oke reiterates this, saying, “We’ve got to be true to ourselves. Our content has always been interesting for the international audience. Hence, it’s not a new phenomenon that they are coming and looking for our content. They came because international audiences, the west, have always been interested in our culture. That’s pretty much the crux; we need to stay true to ourselves.”
2. Evolve with your audience by paying attention to their needs, comments, and available data. ID Cabasa continues by saying, “Unfortunately, people want to create authentic stuff, but they want to evolve with themselves, not the audience.” Iyanya also adds to this saying, “Every time we are working in the studio, Don Jazzy is always saying, ‘don’t forget the people’.”
3. Even when you create content for your local audience, make sure that it’s of world-class quality. The producer further adds that “What makes your content world-class is the quality you put into your content. It’s about the story you are telling and about how you are doing it.”
4. Market your content at a local level first by putting the best of you into your content locally and then putting it out on the internet through social media. If it’s good, then it will fly. However, to make this happen, you have to forget all barriers, be consistent with great content, and be ready to hustle.
Managing Director of Emerging Markets for YouTube (EMEA), Alex Okosi, challenges content creators to use what they have to market their content. He says, “You are armed with a phone. You have data. You can load up your content on YouTube or social media. There is no other marketing budget that is more powerful than that. Put the best of you into that content, and then let it fly. If it’s good, you’ll get the responses. When you get the responses, they’ll come and find you.”
5. Remember that someone is always watching to see what you do next. Award-winning singer Iyanya says, “Never think that nobody is watching. I feel like that’s the reason why most people give up. You need to keep working”.
6. Be prepared to be found because great content will eventually attract the proper attention and audience. Artistes like Rema, Justin Bieber, and Ayra Starr were all discovered on social media.
7. Check why you are doing whatever you are doing. ID Cabasa says that before you try to put out your content, “you need to check why you are doing what you are doing. It’s either you are looking for popularity or acceptance. I assure you, you can get popular without putting out musical content. All you need to do is just to go naked, and you’ll be popular. Being accepted is what tells your true story. Acceptance comes from the authenticity of the story you are telling.”
There will be more critical conversations around creating valuable content at the next edition of the Nigerian Entertainment Conference. It is vital now more than ever since the pandemic has changed the world’s operations and constituted a need to update all sectors, especially the entertainment industry.
This year on Sunday, April 25, 2021, #NECLive8 is returning as a hybrid media event combining a studio set-up of select speakers with live global broadcast across Cable TV, radio and online platforms. Some of Nigeria’s most brilliant professionals and accomplished entertainment industry stakeholders will explore the theme: “Building The Future”.
To learn more about the conference, visit nec.ng or contact info@nec.ng. Register here to attend.
