Wilson Muirani aka Jaymo Ule Msee is a very popular name in the comedy industry. From making short skits to endorsing and influencing brands, Jaymo has surely made a name for himself in the industry.
Born in Nairobi and brought up in the village, Jaymo says he started his career while still in campus where he made short skits for fun.
In an interview with The Audit show hosted by blogger Robert Alai, Jaymo talked about the social media market in Kenya, influencers and the challenges faced in the market.
Jaymo disclosed that social media is a very powerful tool that has created room for opportunities and growth. For instance, it is a place where a person, who is an amateur can go into and create content that will be packaged as a brand thus have something for themselves.
According to funnyman, the Covid-19 pandemic has been such a huge blessing to him in diverse ways. He disclosed that during the pandemic, he managed to reflect on things he was doing and those that he wasn’t thus made the best out of it.
Read: Jaymo Yule Msee Parodies Governor Sonko and Waititu In New Video
“Before the pandemic, I was a spent thrift. I have now gotten to a point where I decided to change things. This was the time for a new reflection on content creation. I found new ways of creating content and reflected on so many things…I also launched a new project called ‘Bar Talk’ which has really impacted many people,” Jaymo intimated.
He however revealed that social media, as much as it is huge and has created opportunities especially for young people, can be destructive.
“Social media has certain challenges that are very destructive when used in the wrong ways,” he added.
Weighing in on the current power of influencers on social media, Jaymo revealed that the market is flooded with militia who are not giving brands the value for their money.
For instance, he mentioned that there are so many people on social media platforms including Facebook, Twitter and Instagram who have a wide following with zero feedback. He gave an example of an influencer on Twitter with over one million followers but cannot convince even 100 people to buy a product.
Read Also: Propesa, Jaymo Ule Msee Tickle DP Ruto’s Funny Bone With Short Skits (Video)
Many brands are not getting real value from influencer marketers. Some of the issues highlighted include:
Relatability
Jaymo disclosed that some influencers lack real passion and create content with a money-first objective, whereas the content should come first. Citing his own example, Jaymo said passion pushes him to create content, and that is what attracts the audience. Therefore, if he is to push a product, he has to get one that is relatable and aligns with his niche.
This means he has to be picky about the brands he chooses to work with, which brings us to the second point.
Influencers pushing too many products
Some influencers cannot say no to a product that has a price tag attached next to it. As a result, some of them are pushing more than 10 products at a single time, ranging from top-tier brands all the way down to the most basic. With no real marketing strategy, this type of influencer campaign does not bring in any value.
A good influencer should be identifiable with a product. But this cannot happen if one person is juggling too many products. The audience cannot relate these products to the influencers, canceling out the whole ‘influence’ objective.
Influencers not doing due diligence
Some influencers accept jobs from any brand as long as a paycheck is involved. Alai gave instances of his own experiences online, where some brands have approached him to help critic their products, with a view of improving them.
This is a different approach from what we see in the current digital space. Most influencers are willing to heap praises on a product, even if they are aware that it is fake or does not measure up to client expectations.
Last year, a certain Instagram influencer had to apologize to fans after marketing a real estate company that ended up defrauding clients.
Choosing the Wrong Influencers for a Product
Corporate brands are also getting it wrong in their approach to influencer marketing. Their choice of influencers is mostly based on the number of followers, and rarely on what the person represents.
Alai gave another example where a mobile phone company selected a number of users to push the brand. However, some of the personalities in the lineup are not relatable to the brand.
Jaymo quipped that any brand he pushes is one that he would pick in the market. If it is a mobile phone, it must be one that he would actually use, if it is an alcoholic drink, it must be one that he actually consumes.
Some brands also employ influencers based on the number of followers they have, rather than the real impact they have on the market. During the interview, Alai said that social media had changed its algorithm to trend meaningful organic conversations as opposed to sponsored trends.
Having more people liking or using a hashtag may not bring in value. However, an influencer who can make some real impact in the specific field can attract some real conversations around the product, translating to value.
Here is the full interview:
Reporting by Mercy Odhiambo and Vanessa Murrey.
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