Ever wondered what it’ll be like to have a website for the Nigerian youths that talk about things relatable and relevant to them? Well, Zikoko is a leading media brand in Nigeria that does exactly that.
On this week’s edition of #NigerianBrands, I will be talking about the beauty and wellness brand – Arami Essentials.
#NigerianBrands is a bi-weekly series where I share my thoughts concerning Nigerian brands as regards to branding and marketing.
Founded in 2015 by Big Cabal media, Zikoko mag, popularly known as Zikoko is a media brand that amplifies African Youth Culture by curating and creating smart, joyful content for young Africans and the world.
Zikoko publishes content of different categories that are relevant, informative and useful to Nigerians and Africans generally.
They have content like interviews, personal stories, reviews, listicles and up-to-date happenings.
These content range in topics like student life, career, foods, politics, life stories, money, relationships, entertainment and vibes.
On Zikoko’s website, you could spend hours reading different articles that interest you, it’s almost like a rabbit hole. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.
Why does the average Nigerian Millennial (or youth) love to read Zikoko?
I asked a few people what they thought of Zikoko and some said it was always interesting to read something on their website. Another said she found it relaxing, just like having a glass of wine is relaxing.
Others also mentioned they loved their humor, vibes and the personal experiences shared.
Reading Zikoko’s content and going through their website, I could understand why people love their content. I noticed something about them that is quite commendable.
Ps. I discussed all these commendable things more in my newsletter about Zikoko from a branding and marketing standpoint. If you haven’t subscribed, what are you waiting for? Every Friday, I send insights into the marketing and branding practices of successful unique small businesses and startups. If you’re interested, click here to subscribe.
Zikoko knows it’s audience well and served them what they want and how they want it.
This is the single most remarkable thing about Zikoko in my opinion and this can get you far in business.
Zikoko knows it’s audience is the African youth and as a brand that started in Nigeria, it started by serving the Nigerian youths, by writing and sharing things that related to them, their lifestyle, struggles and culture.
Young people like to be in the know of what’s trending. They also have lingo/slangs specific to them. Young people like to chill, have fun, feel free, love humor and simply live life even as they navigate the terrains of adulthood.
This is what Zikoko understood and created content using these things that are specific to the typical youth in Nigeria and Africa.
It all started with their funny listicles about things the average Nigerian youth can relate to. An example of their listicle is ‘8 Signs You Are About To Rent A Useless House In Ilorin’. I find it hilarious.
From there, they started sharing content about the lifestyle of these youths, from student life, money, politics, career, entertainment, and even love and sex life, of which some of their content have been somewhat controversial.
The topics Zikoko shares content on are things the average Nigerian youth can relate to and it’s something they like to read about.
Normally, people like to be friends with someone that shares something in common with them or can relate to them. People also like to hear or read relatable stories and know that it doesn’t happen to them alone but others go through it as well.
Zikoko has found a way to present all these to their audience and this is one of the reasons they have fans that love them.
Zikoko also has a personality and vibe that people can relate to. They use the languages that young people would normally use in their writing, they also use humor which is a great tool that is working for them. Who doesn’t love to laugh?
Lastly, they share controversial, yet true stories especially in their sex life category. They also share content in trending topics which is a great way to always be relevant and gain visibility and reach.
Zikoko have quizzes that people love to play to participate it. Some of these quizzes display what personalities people are, which can be fun, I admit. These quizzes have helped them reach more people as people get excited to share their results and get others to join in.
Because Zikoko has understood its audience, they have been able to serve them what they want. In fact, I see Zikoko as a media brand that runs in the direction of what the average African youth wants.
They have been able to show success stories of people in career, give useful information from student life to money and life in general. They have also inspired people with their love stories and have proved to be a companion to people (think of the lady that uses them to relax).
In fact, I’d say every media brand should adopt what Zikoko is doing—serving their audience in every way they can.
In my opinion, what Zikoko does is great for business because there will always be engagement. At the same time, it can be a bit risky because their audience is the African youth and youths can be mad sometimes and so one wouldn’t know when the line has been crossed with the type of content being served. I’m talking in terms of values here.
However, as a brand, if you have strong values on what to share, by all means, serve your audience what they want but always use your values as a measure of what to publish.
Overall, I admire how they have been able to grow their brand and how well they have positioned themselves for the African youth.
What do you think about Zikoko? What do you love about them?
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