WHY AFRICA NEEDS TO EMBRACE DIGITAL MARKETING FOR AGRIBUSINESS

The world is experiencing major dynamics with rapid urbanization and rising human population in the midst of stressed environmental and natural resources, thus, emphasizing the need to evaluate our approach towards achieving food and nutrition security. Some of these approaches include:

• ·   Strengthening systems for research and innovations and dissemination of findings on improved and sustainable agricultural practices;
• ·      Protection of environmental and natural resources;
• ·      Adopting efficient methods for distributing and redistributing food;
• · Creating opportunities across the agricultural value-chain in the form of agribusiness ventures that never existed or were taken for granted before now;
• ·    Taking advantage of the digital space (digital marketing) and so much more.

Narrowing the lens to digital marketing, the internet has over time become an effective and efficient marketing tool that gives marketers the opportunity to generate leads and sales by reaching out to millions of customers from across different parts of the globe per time. Digital marketing is an efficient approach to distributing and re-distributing agricultural produce especially amongst smart modern-day farmers and small-holder farmers with the help of computer literate intermediaries.

Although not fully harnessed in Nigeria and parts of sub-Saharan Africa, an overview of agribusiness activities on the internet reveals a clear deviation from what was in the recent past (say 3 to 4 years ago). This is because quite a number of agribusiness companies now have an online presence, providing different forms of agricultural services to interested persons, and I must confess that this is quite encouraging. Whether these companies were established by Nigerian youths who were arm-twisted to start up something for themselves considering the looming unemployment rate in the country or young adults who are passionate and committed to the growth of agriculture, agribusiness activities on social media sure create a feel like there is a shift in Nigeria’s agricultural sector. More like a movement that seeks to ensure relevance for a sector that has been neglected for too long.

Services advertised and marketed by these companies range from production and supply of locally produced agricultural commodities such as palm oil, yams, vegetables, poultry and dairy products, fruits (in dried, powdered and fresh forms); linking farmers with investors; supply of agricultural equipment, recycling/upcycling of agricultural wastes; import and export of a wide range of agricultural commodities, consultancy services; extension services (depending on the demographics of farmers involved), packaging, branding and so much more.

We have come to see that the benefits from taking advantage of the digital space are endless as it gives fast-rising service providers the platform to reach out to millions of people around the globe through quality and fascinating pictures, videos and short captions. It also gives people the opportunity to support farmers in rural areas through companies who stand in the gap for them on the digital space; it gives modern-day (smart) farmers and consumers the opportunity to buy and sell agricultural produces without stepping into traditional markets (interesting times are here I must confess) etc. In a nutshell, the digital space provides agribusinesses with the opportunity to offer business to business, business to government and business to consumer services all in one click.

Digital marketing is the way to go seeing as it ensures relevance in the midst of shifting industry trends (agriculture really cannot be left behind though); by taking advantage of and creating useful marketable contents on social media channels, establishing business websites as well as taking advantage of paid advertising with the goal of making profit and achieving zero hunger on a wider scale through well-thought-out, meaningful posts that meet the needs of different persons in different parts of the world.

Author:

Ogbole Esther 

''My strategy is to bring to the fore various challenges faced by the Nigeria agricultural sector vis-a-vis efforts made the Federal Government so far and how these similar scenarios were managed in other countries''.