The digital era is bringing some exciting changes to job market. One can now trade in their desk and work when or wherever they damn well please, one just needs a laptop and an Internet connection. As someone who’s never been a fan of the nine-to-five, office-bound life, I’m keen to learn how one social media consultant found herself being a part of this exciting and growing industry in Eswatini.
As Told By Penny Bouwer
“I’ve always been fascinated with people. Social media is one of the coolest most modern ways to mass communicate and interact with people around the globe, any time, anywhere.
When I was 20, I obtained a B.A. Degree in Psychology, but I was not ready to pursue it further and become a practising psychologist. Still wet behind the ears and without much life experience, my mantra became ‘Let’s do this life thing.’ I accepted that I was still too young to be in a position to help people with their problems. I needed tangible experience. During this period I found that I was more beneficial in contributing towards the positive development of individuals and communities.
I’ve had a few jobs between graduating and today. A highlight was working at Gone Rural at some point, which was one most amazing experiences ever. Their purpose goes beyond community development. I loved it. It grew me. It groomed me for the real world. Working with over 700 women around the Kingdom of Eswatini I learnt the true meaning of love, appreciation, hard work and supporting one another.
Fast forward to 2014, I meet up with 2 long-lost friends from my childhood. They were based in Joburg, where all of the coolest things were happening. They were entrenched in the digital marketing space, and I was like “Heck guys! Swaziland needs to catch a wake up with the times. We’re all using social media for personal use at the moment, there’s definitely huge potential now to get local businesses online.” And that’s how I got into social media.
We set up a small digital marketing agency in the Kingdom. It had all of the necessary technology tools, content developers, brilliant creatives, the works. Social media is honestly a full time job that many still do not understand. You have no idea. We signed on a couple of clients, and social media in the country became a serous buzz. It was super exciting!
Being able to come up with cool creative ideas, connecting people in the country, showing how effective social media is for business and generally being on the fore-front of introducing digital marketing to Eswatini are some of my favourite highlights.
Sadly a lot of individuals and businesses do not understand the value of digital marketing. The time put in for concept development, graphic design, community management and audience engagement is serious work. People assume, for example because Facebook is a free platform, how does one charge for it? No, marketing experts charge for excellent delivery. It’s more than putting a static advert in the newspaper or on a billboard. These are online communities who enjoy instant gratification, who want answers now. If your business is visible on social media platforms, you become a trusted brand. Social media managers are there to help you achieve that.
Anyway, eventually I left the agency and decided to go solo. I am a flamboyant somebody who sees a lot of opportunity to develop different sectors, and being tied to an 8-5 did not define the life-style I wanted. I’m a very hands on mom, have accepted that I do not like being confined or conforming to expectations that limit my creativity. So I became a social media consultant, and I work independently. It’s opened me up to a whole talent bank of creatives in Eswatini. From graphic designers, photographers, content writers, concept designers and more, I have learnt that Eswatini is so rich with creative beings. But they do not have enough platforms or work yet. I can however say that that this is quickly changing though.
I work with a number of clients who have different needs. I do not actively market my services as I prefer to choose who I work with. I like to put proposals forward, and introduce solutions to business that didn’t even know they needed my offering. Simple. I get a lot of referrals through my corporate clients, but I’m very selective on what I can and cannot deliver. At this moment I do not have the capacity to handle more than I can. I am not ready to start a business that employs people yet. I’m not a great ‘people manager’, I do not like telling people what to do. I don’t like titles as I believe this breeds a certain type of unnecessary expectation. So I choose to empower individuals instead by outsourcing to the passionate creative who I know will deliver.
Right now I’m enjoying the freedom of working with clients who want fresh, innovative ideas and that’s where I thrive most. The Social Media space is a fun place to work in. There is so much opportunity to use it to develop the Kingdom, and it’s exciting to see more digital marketing agencies pop-up.
On a personal level, I’m not a social media queen hey. I post and share stuff when I’m in the mood to, and definitely don’t feel pressured to ‘keep up with appearances’. I’ve been in the game for too long, and know too much about why, when and how people post about their lives on a personal capacity. My only advice, is to keep it real man. Don’t pretend to be somebody that you are not. Stay real, be you and positively impact change by doing the things that make you happy.”