Jamila is a digital marketing enthusiast, social media consultant and the Founder of She Social KE. We caught up with her for a session. Here is how it went.
Kindly introduce yourself
My name is Jamila Hassan but most people know me as Jammy. I am a social media consultant based in Mombasa currently. I got into social media marketing back in 2015, when I quit my job and got into blogging. I started a digital marketing agency that I eventually closed down because it wasn’t known in the market yet. I, also, had a blog called Life in Mombasa where I was showcasing Mombasa through written articles and photos.
From your intro, what motivated you to venture into social media marketing and even start a business under She Social KE?
As I was doing my blog and running the digital marketing agency, I self-taught myself digital marketing. I got to learn its ins and outs. I also taught myself photography where I stumbled upon food and product photography, which I loved.
However, as I was growing my business, I didn’t know how to manage it as a business. I would do free photos all the time. I then moved to Nairobi in October 2023 to October 2024 to look for greener pastures but the grass was even drier there. So I decided to move back to Mombasa, and luck had it. I got into the Digitalents programme at the Westerwelle Startup Haus Mombasa.
I, then, decided that I wanted to do social media consulting because of two reasons:
- Most people are offering social media management as a service, but they are unaffordable to many. So I want to help MSMEs grow their pages independently and be successful in their business.
- I think I am done being employed. In Nairobi, I was employed for 6 months and it was a toxic place. I would rather be my own boss from now onwards.
There are plenty of social media platforms from Instagram to LinkedIn and many others. How does someone know which platform to focus their marketing on and which one to leave?
I would say it depends on 2 things;
1) Your skills and resources
2) The target audience.
For example, Instagram is heavy on short videos nowadays. To be successful, you have to have a good phone to make engaging and vibrant content. So, if you don’t have those skills and resources, it will be hard to see any progress in your digital marketing.
It also depends on the target audience for your business. If you are targeting young people, TikTok is a good place to start. For millennials and baby boomers, Facebook.
Most people struggle to post consistently on social media. In your opinion, how much is consistency when it comes to social media? That is how many posts is ideal either per day or weekly?
Honestly, it depends with your type of business or content. 3 times a week is okay. Monday, Wednesday and Friday or sometimes, Saturday. Everyday can be ok but then you will run out of content unless you have content scheduled for every day.
How do we generate content ideas for our marketing on social media? And what types of content do you recommend?
It depends heavily on the platforms. What type of content is preferred in that platform. Instagram and TikTok, for example, prefer videos nowadays. It also depends on your resources and what you are able to produce. Personally, I love Instagram and TikTok. I like watching videos and short stories. I also like creating reels and TikTok videos.
Despite making efforts with regards to social media marketing, there are still low sales. What can we do to improve our sales?
You can use either of the following:
1) Sponsored Ads
2) Using influencers to raise awareness.
Both help in reaching new audiences for your business and in targeting audiences.
Some people are still hesitant to make purchases online due to scamming issues. What can businesses that sell online do to build trust with their market?
Personally, what has worked for me is two things:
1) Reviews – ask customers to do reviews and tag them when they do so.
2) Ask friends and family to post on their social media and let them talk about your business.
It helps build people’s trust in your product/service.
What are the key metrics/performance indicators (KPIs) to look out for when it comes to social media marketing?
Reach and engagement! Looking for likes and views is not a validation. Are people talking about your products or business? How many people are seeing your posts?
What is the best thing that has ever happened to you while on social media?
During my blogging days, I was featured on CNN African Voices and I was seen by people from across the world. It was a great feeling! I also met a lot of people from around the world who wanted to explore Mombasa. At that time, there weren’t a lot of resources to know about Mombasa.
How can people with a lot of followers on social media earn from their pages?
A business idea for them is to create a platform where they showcase other people’s businesses. They can specialize in a specific niche like organic products, tech businesses etc and charge a fee for each post.
Ultimately, what is your parting shot?
There are so many resources online for free. YouTube, free courses and trainings like Google for Africa Digital Skills and many more free resources. Learn, learn and learn!
