Nigeria recently had an historic presidential election, the first in which a sitting president was defeated by a challenger. The News Nigeria subsequently featured an interview with a former journalist and current media advisor to the head of the victor’s political party, in which he largely credited social media with winning the election for President-elect Muhammadu Buhari.
“I think this election was decided, dominated and directed by social media,” said Sunday Dare. “The power of social media came out for this country. Social media played a central role as a watchdog in keeping the integrity of the process.”
The message here is clear: social media is so important on this day and age that it can sway the political process and influence public events on a national scale. And this is equally true for powerful modern nations like the United States and for countries like Nigeria that are still emerging on the global stage.
Throughout the US, from New York to Los Angeles social media companies are well established and eager to compete for this influence. But many distant markets may still be waiting for entrepreneurs to latch onto the world-altering importance of social media and to establish themselves as local social media companies.
As that industry grows, not only local politicians but also multinational businesses will have a whole new suite of tools at their disposal to reach local markets with branded communications and other powerful information. So if you’re part of an emerging business you might forming your first partnerships with a local Los Angeles social media company, but you might also be able to look forward to branching out to connect with local social media companies in faraway places where you never expected to have the sway that targeted marketing can give you.
