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Tag: social media

  • Shun social media, face your studies, students told

    Shun social media, face your studies, students told

    •Lawmaker distributes 200 WASSCE forms

    Member of the Lagos State House of Assembly representing Mushin 1 constituency, Olayiwola Olawale, has advised students to shun social media and face their studies squarely  to excel in their Senior School, Certificate Examination (SSCE) conducted by the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) and the National Examinations Council (NECO).

    Olawale gave the advice while presenting free forms for the November/December West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) to the first batch of 200 students from the 10 wards in his constituency at the Assembly complex.

    “For now, they should do away with social media, what they need to do is to face their studies; more so that exam is approaching. A good student should be fastidious with his studies and make sure that they face their studies squarely”, the lawmaker said.

    He added: “Prepare for your exams and shine forth in flying colours. Make us proud in our constituency by excelling in your exams and studies.”

    Olawale pointed out that there was no better way to develop the youth than through proper and adequate education.

    “It is for this reason we are gathered today, to assist our youths in attaining their dreams and academic pursuit through distribution of free WASSCE forms to 200 deserving students in 10 wards that constitute my constituency in Mushin and I am sure that this simple exercise will mould their destinies and transform their lives,” he said.

    While assuring that he would free tutorials to the beneficiaries, he expressed confidence that the students would record better performance in the examinations because of thorough preparation.

    Olawale, who is a newcomer in the Assembly, also promised to continue with his free computer training programme which has been running for about 13 years and has graduated not less than 1500 youths.

    Speaking on behalf of the 10 ward chairmen at the event, Sola Osobajo of ward J, expressed confidence in Olawale’s leadership.

    Responding on behalf of the beneficiaries, Adisa Jamiu Abiola and Dorcas Oyeniyi, thanked the lawmaker for the gesture, advising their peers to seize the opportunity to focus on their studies so as to succeed in life.

  • What you expected joining twitter

    What you expected joining twitter

  • CHI Happy Hour targets social media fans in talent contest

    To harness the power of social media to build brand loyalty, Chi Happy Hour, a drink from the stable of CHI Limited, has launched the ‘Burst of Refreshment Talent Showcase’ contest.

    Fans of the Chi Happy Hour are expected to participate in the contest by uploading their videos where they are singing and drinking CHI Happy Hour with family members, friends and colleagues and win amazing prizes.

    The campaign, which is aimed at boosting the brand’s growing popularity among followers on social media platforms, was unveiled this month. The Burst of Refreshment Talent Showcase contest will see winners going home with fantastic prizes, such as Samsung Galaxy S5, digital cameras and cartons of Chi Happy Hour.

    To participate in the contest, a consumer is expected to record a 30 – 60 seconds video of him or herself singing about Chi Happy Hour to the tune of any song of choice. The song, however, must be refreshing.

    “In the chorus, the phrases ‘Chi Happy Hour’ and ‘Burst of Refreshment’ must be mentioned. The participant must also be seen drinking Chi Happy Hour in the video while taking an action that signifies how refreshed the participant is. The participant must then visit Chi Happy Hour’s page on Facebook, ‘Like’ the page and upload the Mp4 file video file as a private message. Shortlisted videos will then be posted on the Chi Happy Hour timeline. Shortlisted participants are encouraged to get all their Facebook friends to ‘Like’ their videos as the videos with the highest numbers of likes will emerge as winners of the competition,” the firm said in a statement.

    Since the commencement of the contest on Facebook this month, the promotion has recorded hundreds of entries and comments but only shortlisted entries can be seen on the timeline.

    With over 64,000 likes on Facebook, the Burst of Refreshment Talent Showcase is a great way to build awareness about the Chi Happy Hour page and by the time the competition is over, the number is expected to have crossed 100,000.

    According to Chi Limited’s Managing Director, Mr. Deepanjan Roy, “The Chi Happy Hour Social media engagement is a unique way of connecting with our consumers. For us at Chi Limited, we place premium on our products and consumers and the Chi Happy Hour Burst of Refreshment campaign offers an opportunity for both consumer engagement and brand affinity”.

    Chi Happy Hour fruit drinks, which comes in 1Ltr, 500ml and 250ml packs, are the fastest growing brand in the fruit juice and nectar category. The fruit drink is ideal for parties and other social gatherings. It is available in the market in variants of Peach and Tropicana, as well as Apple Peach Pear, Guava and Kiwi Mint Lime.

  • Five social media pitfalls SMEs should avoid

    Five social media pitfalls SMEs should avoid

    Steven Cohen, Managing Director of Sage One Accounting AAMEA, shares some insight on social media pitfalls that small business owners should try and avoid to successfully manage their social media accounts and social conversations with customers.

     

    Social media is a powerful tool for the small business owner. It can help you to build customer relationships, improve your search engine optimisation, and create a buzz about your business.

    Yet unwary small businesses can harm their businesses more than they help them if they don’t have a strategy about how they will manage their social media accounts and their social conversations with customers.

    Here are a few mistakes that SMEs should avoid as they roll out their social media plans.

    1.     Underestimating the work load

    At first blush, this social media thing looks easy. All you need to do is post some short-form content everyday as well as check your social networks for mentions of your business and responses to your posts, right?

    But you’ll soon discover that posting interesting content and keeping pace with activity from your fans and followers will absorb plenty of your time. Build time to manage your social network accounts into your schedule or make sure that you have someone you can trust in your team to take care of it for you.

    And as tempting as it may seem, don’t try to be everywhere. You don’t necessarily need to be on LinkedIn, Google+, Facebook, Pinterest, AND Twitter. Start by choosing two networks and do a good job on them before branching out onto other sites.

    2.     Lacking a content plan

    Signing up for an account with Twitter or Facebook is the easy part. Once you have a presence on social media, you need to post regular content to make the most of it. There’s nothing worse than a social media account that is never updated, except perhaps one outdated with a bland automated feed.

    Think about what sort of content you’ll post and when, aligning it with your plans for promos, PR and marketing. Prepare content in advance – perhaps create a schedule of posts at the beginning of the week and draw them up in advance.

    Producing content can be expensive if you ask a professional, and time-consuming if you do it yourself. Look at what content you can use from your website or newsletters in social media, and don’t be shy to “curate” relevant content from other sources.

    3.     Managing your business and professional social presence as one

    The lines between the personal and professional often blur in the world of social media. Depending on your personal brand and the image you want to project for your business, it may well be beneficial to run one Twitter or LinkedIn account for yourself and for your company. But think carefully about the image you wish to project for your business as well as how your customers will respond.

    Will your customers be charmed, irritated or bored to know that you’re a father of two with a fondness for golf? And what are the dangers for your business of posting something personal and controversial on a company profile? Tread carefully – take your real-world relationships with your customers as a guideline for how to project your personal and company brands in social media.

    4.     Hard-selling

    One of the biggest mistakes that SMEs make in social media is to see it as a sales tool. Yes, it can help you to grow awareness of your product, bring traffic to your website, and get sales leads, but don’t think of it as a place for hard-selling.

    Customers will not follow you on social media for sales pitches. They will follow you to find relevant information that they can use in their day to day lives. That means you can benefit from being an advisor to them rather than blasting them with advertising.

    For example, don’t throw ad copy about why your solar heating is the best at your followers. Rather, link them to resources about living with load-shedding or choosing the right solar solution to minimise power costs.

    If you find independent content that reflects your thinking, don’t be shy to share it if you think your customers will find it interesting. This positions you with the customer as an expert and a trusted advisor rather than as a pesky salesperson.

    5.     Not preparing for a crisis

    If you’re on social media, customers will talk to you and about you. At some point, you will encounter someone who is unhappy with your service or your product.

    Sometimes, the customer will be right but reasonable, and you’ll be able to sort the problem out.

    Other times, you may encounter someone who is belligerent, after a freebie, or simply having a bad day. Think about what sort of complaints and criticisms customers could voice about your business online, and how you will respond to them.

    Often, if you’re responsive enough, you can turn a complaining customer into one of your biggest advocates. But if you ignore a small criticism, it can easily turn into a full-blown crisis for your business.

  • PDP celebs go quiet on social media

    PDP celebs go quiet on social media

    Gbenga Adeyinka: We have shown that we can change a government

    Kunle Afolayan: Now Federal and Lagos, commercial hub of Nigeria can synch for the first time

    There was an unusual ‘quiet’ on the social media, as the result of the presidential elections were being collated yesterday, in Abuja.

    The tide, was against supporters of President Goodluck Jonathan, and celebrities who are known to flaunt the president in what they had thought would be a smooth victory, immediately stopped their hate campaigns, abuses and mockery of the candidate of the All Peoples Congress (APC), General Muhammadu Buhari.

    “Lancelot, Yomi Fabiyi, Segun Arinze, Akanni Ola Balogun, and co, what have you got to say,” asked Pompollo, a member of naijahottestgist, apparently concerned about the sudden ‘quietness’ of the men on the social media group.

    One of the few people who broke the silence was comedian and MC, Gbenga Adeyinka, who said: “While not gloating in victory, I would like to appreciate all those who stayed the course despite abuses, dollarised tempatation and all. Once again, Mahatma Gandhi is right as he said so many years ago that “First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win.” This victory however, is not for a party but for the whole of Nigeria – For all those who believed and even those who did not. This is a time for rebuilding of our great nation and not to gloat. Our Nation needs help. We have done our part by voting. We have shown that we can change a government. In my book this is a revolution and the APC government must not let us down. Once more, congratulations to all Nigerians. Gbenga Adeyinka.”

    In the same vein, award-winning filmmaker, Kunle Afolayan, sent a broadcast message, hailing the outcome of the presidential election.

    “This is what my Yoruba people call Omi tan leyin eja.Translate yourself if you can. My utmost joy is that, now the Federal and Lagos which is the commercial hub of Nigeria can synch for the first time. My wish, exchange rate should revert to $1 to N1. Am dreaming abi?” he teased, adding, “One love and all the best to all Nigerians.”

  • UNIC makes case for social media

    UNIC makes case for social media

    The National Information Officer for United Nations Information Centre (UNIC), Lagos, Mr Oluseyi Soremekun, has urged youths to avail them with social media.

    As the world becomes a global village, Soremekun urged youths, at the Social Media Week Lagos organised by UNIC and DoTheDream Initiative, to use the various social media platforms wisely and positively to enhance their self-development and that of the society.

    Speaking on Using Social media wisely, he warned youths to be careful of what they do in the cyberspace, saying opinions could be formed about their character and disposition to issues and people through their social media posts, comments and tweets.

    While urging youths to ensure they credit contents, such as include photographs and videos not created by them should be to the copyright owners, adding they should always cross-check their contents very well before posting for public view.

    Soremekun said: “Your social media activities could add value to you or devalue you, use social media wisely and positively. You are what you like on Facebook; your tweets mirror your personality and what you stand for; your social media posts are reflections of your character. Therefore, keep your activities clean and positive as you are accountable for your action and must be ready to bear the consequences of your actions.”

    For social media expert and family therapist, Mr Olutayo Olushola, who spoke on Social media, the Game changer, social media has the power of social networking to transform lives. He underscored the capability of the social media to transform businesses and lives, adding that youths should always nurture positive thoughts and harness the new frontiers available online.

    The Founder and Director, Programmes of DoTheDream Initiative, Mr Olutayo Olumadewa told the participants to learn make optimal use of the benefits of the social media.

  • Parents urged to monitor use of social media by children

    Parents urged to monitor use of social media by children

    The Medical Women’s Association of Nigeria (MWAN) on Monday advised parents to monitor the use of the social media by children to prevent them from being exposed to immorality.

    The National President of MWAN, Dr Valerie Obot, gave the advice while speaking at the association’s 5th National Executive Council meeting in Port Harcourt, Rivers.

    Obot, who spoke on the theme: `Effective Parenting of Children: The case of the Girl-Child said the failure of parents to monitor their female children’s access to and activities on the social media could lead to moral decadence among such children.

    “If you look at Nigeria in particular today, you will see that there is a lot of decadence in the society.

    “You will see that a lot of girls have turned to suicide bombers.

    “If the home is the first source of livelihood for a child to grow, then we must begin to train them (children) in order for us to have a good society tomorrow.

    “You are aware of all the challenges that the girl-child is passing through. So, our particular focus is a case for the girl-child because the girls are as good as the boys.

    “If you have a girl, you should parent your girl well. Let her know that she can be a leader and achieve whatever she would like to achieve, then you will see our girls not dropping out of school, but reaching their heights.“

    Obot said the association inaugurated a REACH-G programme recently with a focus on promoting empowerment, reproductive rights, education and access to adequate healthcare for the girl-child.

    She said the association was working hard to help reduce by 25 per cent the country’s annual maternal, infant and child deaths, which the United Nations rated the highest in sub-Saharan
    Africa.

    The national president said, “Apart from looking at the girls, we are also educating women by building capacity for primary healthcare workers to know when to refer pregnant women to hospitals for expatriate management.

    “We are also teaching women about reproductive health and giving them health information and services in order to stop the current high maternal mortality which results mainly from pregnancy.”

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the association released an eight-point communiqué that urged parents to establish communication channels between them and their children.

    The communiqué also advised parents to protect their children always and provide them with the relevant tools that would help, especially the girl-child, become effective leaders in future.

    It condemned the assault on female medical doctors in the course of their duty.

  • Social media as a new pastime

    Social media has become a newfound pastime for students and youths. Every minute, social media platforms are busy with discussions, which range from contemporary issues to trivialities. To engage in the discussion, many students are glued to their mobile phones to socialise with people in different parts of the world.

    Nowadays, students spend more  on social media and this has got many wondering if they ever have time to focus on their studies with the same zeal they connect to social media.

    Apart from wasting time, what students do on social media should  also be a concern to their guardians. Many engage in discussions that are not beneficial to them. Some use their activities on Facebook, WhatsApp and Twitter to disturb others in the library and classroom.

    Social media, according to Wikipedia, is a social interaction among people in which they create, share or exchange information, ideas, and pictures/videos in virtual communities and networks.

    Over the years, social media has exposed students continuously to new ideas and offered chance to promote their creativity. Also, the ease and speed with which their pictures and videos can be uploaded has helped the youth to push their skills multimedia further.

    Time spent on the new media has helped students develop more familiarity with computers and other electronic gadgets and has helped the young to hone their skills and interact instantly.

    In the past, sourcing information on any issues or trending topics came with attendant stress, using the library. But, the advent of social media has made such exercise less stressful and almost instant. Education and other topical issues are discussed every hour on the social media. But in spite of its many positive sides, social media seems to be having negative impacts on education and morality.

    In the last four years, results of the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) released by the regulatory body have been nothing short of a disappointment. According to statistics, 70 per cent of the pupils, who sat for WAEC examinations last year failed. Ditto, Joint Admission Matriculation Board (JAMB) results for last year, which had only 49 per cent of the candidates score above 200. Very poor!

    It is easy to deduce from this mass failure that many students are no longer interested in academics and scholarship. All they read is update on trivial issues on social media. The trend in our schools today is that, majority of students care more about their activities on social media.

    Going by the aforementioned, it is apt to say some of these students, even before graduating from secondary schools, embrace immoral acts, such as smoking, drinking and may engage in all kinds of criminal activities.

    Social media’s negative impact on the youth has also been felt in professional institutions such as Nigerian Law School, which recently recorded mass failure. The reason for the woeful performance of the candidates who sat for the Bar examination was said to be their obsession with social media rather than study.

    A worrying trend has been added to this phenomenon; some students now use social media to prop up what is called cyber bullying. This involves actions as posting uncomplimentary messages, photos and video online to tarnish the image of particular person. This action is intended to cause distress and or destroy the intended victims’ reputation.

    There is also the overall effect on students’ ability to assimilate in classroom as many students rely on the accessibility of information on social media to provide answers to difficult question during examination. This reduces focus on learning and retaining information.

    However, whatever might be the success of social media in their lives, young people must understand that they need to be addicted more to their academics than social media and resist the temptation of giving social media total attention. It is very important for students to realise they have to pay more attention to their academic pursuits.

    Another good point to note is that, employers investigate applicants’ social networking profiles before granting interviews or acceptance. Anyone who uses social media negatively can be screened out. This is why students must constantly evaluate the content they are publishing online.

    Those emulating famous celebrities by posting nude picture or videos on Instagram, a web based photo sharing application, must be aware that it may have serious consequence on them in the future.

    Students should try and become conscious that, their use of social media is as important as studying their books. If they must socialise on social media, they must set time limit and put up educative contents that will help their future dreams.

     

    Balikis just finished from Mass Comm., KWARA POLY

     

     

  • Sterling Bank backs Social Media Award

    Sterling Bank backs Social Media Award

    Sterling Bank has reiterated its commitment to support social media projects. The bank, which sponsored Social Media Awards Africa holding in Lagos on Saturday, said the Chairman of the Award Advisory Board and founder, Social Media Week Toby Daniels has arrived in Lagos for the ceremony. Others include Fred Swaniker, Founder, African Leadership Academy and Eric Chinje, Chief Executive Officer, African Media Initiative (AMI).

    Other eminent members of the Jury & Advisory Board expected to come in on or before Friday are: Ken Banks, Founder, kiwanja.net; Hetal Shah, Director of Operations, Mara Group of Companies; Francis Ebuehi, Vice President VAS, Airtel Nigeria; Dr.Kasirim Nwuke; Louis Onyango Otieno, Director, Legal & Corporate Affairs, Microsoft Africa and the 45 prospective winners.

    The event which is a premier continental initiative seeks to recognize and reward creativity, excellence and impact the usage of social media across Africa. The event will bring together social media influencers, experts, enthusiasts and policy makers to explore and forge new developmental paths for social media in Africa.

    SMAA was unveiled at a closed event last September to a cross section of media professionals and social media influencers in Lagos, Nigeria. Nomination into the four categories opened on October 1, 2014 at www.smaafrica.com until midnight October 27, 2014.

    The voting phase, which was part of the process led to the emergence of 45 Finalists. A total of 923 nominations were received during the nomination period as follows: Personality Based (468), Platform Specific (266), Institutional (115) and Indigenous (74).

  • Social Media Awards holds in Lagos Friday

    Social Media players across Africa will converge on Lagos between Friday and on Saturday for the annual Social Media Awards Africa initiative sponsored by Sterling Bank Plc.

    This between according to a statement, follows the closure of the voting window for the continent-wide initiative on social media development, #SMAA2015 across Africa last December. With a Summit scheduled for Friday, the Award presentation follows the next day.

    The event will bring together social media influencers; experts, enthusiasts and policy makers that would explore and forge new developmental paths for Africa. SMAA is a premier continental initiative, which seeks to recognise and reward creativity, excellence and impact in the usage of social media across Africa.

    The voting phase, which is part of the process led to the emergence of 45 Finalists for the four Categories. A total of 923 nominations were received. They are: Personality Based (468), Platform Specific (266), Institutional (115) and INDIGENOUS (74). Also, during the window period, over 5.5 Million Connections, at least 821,886 Retweets and 29 Million accounts were reached through all 22 social media platforms where the messages were promoted.

    Each winner will take home a cash prize of US$1,000 and a SMAA Plaque. Other benefits include: Social Media training, access to memberships and attendance of Social Media events, publications on Social Media and complimentary advertising on Social Media Africa portal.