How to Sell on Social Media in Nigeria
Social media platforms give you a powerful way to connect with potential buyers, showcase your products, and build a trusted community around your brand.
Leveraging these online channels allows you to expand awareness, engage with customers personally, and drive sales by creating an active online presence.
Social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and even WhatsApp have become virtual marketplaces, with millions of Nigerians ready to discover new brands and products.
And the best part? You can reach this massive audience with just a few taps on your smartphone or keyboard.
But selling on social media is more than just posting product photos and prices. You need to position your brand as the solution they’ve been waiting for, craft a personal connection with your customers, and understand their needs and desires.
With the right strategy, you can turn casual scrollers into loyal brand ambassadors, eagerly sharing your content and driving sales to your business.
What You Should Know About the Nigeria Social Media Landscape
There are a few social media platforms you need to pay attention to as a business owner in Nigeria. I am talking about the widely used platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and WhatsApp.
Each platform has its unique user base and vibe that caters to different demographics and business targets.
Regarding social media marketing in Nigeria, you need to understand the unique landscapes and audiences of the major platforms.
To succeed on social media in Nigeria as a business owner, you must tailor strategies to platforms’ unique audiences and content trends, like Facebook for millennials/Gen X, Instagram for visually engaged youth, Twitter for urban thought leadership, and WhatsApp groups for community-driven personal engagement.
The key trends businesses must be aware of include the dominance of short-form vertical video, the importance of a relatable brand personality, the rise of social commerce capabilities, an emphasis on community building and user conversations, the power of influencer marketing, and the need to leverage platform-native behaviours like hashtags, audio trends, and viral challenges.
How to Leverage the Power of Social Media to Sell in Nigeria
Your social media selling game is about to change for the better!
1. Crafting a Winning Social Media Strategy
You need to start by defining your target audience and researching the platform they leverage on.
Identify your ideal customer’s demographics, interests, behaviours, and psychographics and tailor the content strategies to prioritise.
Also, Crafting a unique, relatable brand voice and personality that aligns with your target audience’s values and mindset is very important. Remember to schedule a different content calendar that provides value and entertainment through visuals, videos, stories, live streams, and more.
Most importantly, you need to focus on storytelling over hard selling.
Do you know you can build a loyal community by engaging your audience through conversations, user-generated content, Q&As, contests, etc.? Try this, and thank me later!
However, you should always be updated on trends like audio snippets, challenges, and memes and utilise each platform’s features such as Instagram Shopping, Facebook Shops, and chat sellers better.
2. Leveraging User-Generated Content (UGC)
User-generated content is any form of content customers create about your business that is not sponsored or paid for; examples include social media postings, videos, images, and reviews. Using user-generated content (UGC) is one of the effective strategies for social media marketing.
You can leverage user-generated content to boost your sales on social media by running contests or campaigns to encourage customers to share photos, videos, or reviews featuring your products.
You can also offer rewards or discounts for customers who generate and share content about your brand. Use specific hashtags so that customers can easily tag your brands.
Are you aware that you can integrate UGC into marketing campaigns? Yes, it is possible.
Use a UGC in your social media advertising campaigns, as it can be more relatable and authentic. You can also feature UGC in email marketing campaigns or on your website to inspire and influence potential customers.
Most importantly, to build trust and credibility for your brand on social media. Try sharing customer reviews, testimonials, and positive experiences as UGC.
Highlight UGC, which showcases how customers use your products or services in real-life situations. You should constantly monitor the engagement and performance of UGC campaigns to understand what resonates with your audience.
3. Influencer Marketing
Influencer marketing is a form of marketing whereby business owners collaborate with individuals with large followings to increase their brand awareness.
Business owners use influencers to publish social media content to promote their products or services because people follow their trusted individuals on social media.
To succeed with this approach, you need to research and find Nigerian influencers on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, etc.
Look for those with engaged followings that match your target audience, especially in lifestyle, fashion, and beauty niches. They usually drive more authentic connections with followers.
We all love nice treatment when buying products, don’t we? It is even common among Nigerians. Provide influencers with unique promo codes, discounts, or affiliate links for their followers to incentivise purchases.
You can also partner with them for in-person events, meetups, or launches in major cities like Lagos to boost brand awareness and sales.
As you progress in this, monitor your engagement, clicks, and conversions from each influencer campaign. Optimise future efforts based on top performers and ensure influencer campaigns follow all advertising guidelines in Nigeria by requiring proper sponsored content disclosures.
4. Get the Best Out of Social Media Groups
Social media groups are among the essential places to market your business.
You need to identify those relevant groups. Search for and join Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and WhatsApp groups specific to your products/services or target audience. Look for buy/sell groups, local area groups, interest-based groups, etc.
Don’t just promote content immediately after joining the group. Try to build credibility, introduce yourself, engage with members, and provide valuable information and tips to establish yourself as a helpful member.
After so many engagements in the group, you can start promoting your products by using high-quality photos or videos to make them appealing. As we all know, visual content tends to perform better.
Occasionally, try sharing special discounts, package deals, or promotions exclusive to group members to incentivise sales.
Ensure you’re active in the group, comment, answer questions, follow group rules, post your products and share reviews. Don’t forget that a consistent presence builds brand familiarity and awareness.
5. Make Use of Affiliate Marketing
Affiliate marketing is performance-based marketing in which an affiliate (you) earns a commission for promoting another company’s products or services.
Consider choosing relevant products and select affiliate offerings that align with your niche and audience if you want to make sales through affiliate marketing.
Firstly, you can start by creating valuable content in different formats, such as videos, stories, reels, etc., to promote affiliate products engagingly across platforms.
Don’t just share raw affiliate links. Create high-quality content, such as reviews, tutorials, etc., while naturally incorporating your affiliate links.
I’ll also advise you to collaborate with influencers in your niche to promote your affiliate products/services to their audience.
Host contests or giveaways around affiliate products to boost interest and engagement.
Building an email list is very important in affiliate marketing. Capture email sign-ups from your social presence to create a list for affiliate marketing. You should also consistently promote affiliate offerings on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc.
What Type of Business Should Make Use of Social Media
Since we’ve discussed how to sell on social media in Nigeria, let’s look at the various types of businesses that leverage social media platforms effectively to market and sell their products or services.
Here are some examples:
Fashion and apparel businesses: Nigeria has a thriving fashion industry, and social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp can be excellent tools for fashion brands, clothing stores, and boutiques to showcase their products, share styling tips, and engage with their target audience.
Beauty and cosmetics businesses: Beauty salons, makeup artists, skincare brands, and haircare businesses can use social media to showcase their work, share tutorials, promote their products, and attract potential customers.
Food and beverage businesses: Restaurants, cafes, bakeries, and food delivery services can use social media to share mouth-watering images of their dishes, promote special offers, and engage with customers through reviews and comments.
Event planning and entertainment businesses: Event planners, DJs, musicians, and comedians can use social media to promote their services, share event details, and build a strong following among their target audience.
E-commerce businesses: Online stores selling various products, such as electronics, home goods, or handcrafted items, can leverage social media platforms to showcase their products, run targeted advertising campaigns, and drive website traffic.
Real estate and property businesses: Real estate agents, developers, and interior designers can use social media to showcase their properties, share virtual tours, and connect with potential buyers or clients.
Professional services: Businesses offering professional services, such as consulting, coaching, or training, can use social media to position themselves as thought leaders, share valuable content, and attract potential clients.
Local service providers: Plumbers, electricians, cleaners, and other local service providers can use social media to build their brand, share customer reviews, and attract new clients in their area.
We have resources on possible businesses and how to start them:
Case Studies and Success Stories
Some Nigerian businesses have successfully used social media to increase sales.
1. Printivo
Printivo is a Nigerian-based printing and branding company founded in 2014. It has a strong presence on social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter and maintains a physical store in Lagos.
Printivo successfully leverages social media to promote its brand and drive sales. It also showcases its products, runs promotions, and engages with customers through these channels.
2. House of Lunettes
House of Lunettes is an eyewear brand in Nigeria, founded in 2014. The brand is well known for providing Nigerians with stylish and affordable eyewear products.
They have various products, including sunglasses, contact lenses, prescription glasses, and accessories.
Their physical store is in Lagos, Nigeria, and they also maintain good online stores that ship products to customers nationwide.
3. Wakanow
Wakanow is a popular online travel agency established by Obinna Ekezie in 2008.
They provide various travel-related services, including flight bookings, hotel reservations, visa assistance, holiday packages, and car rental. The company has a strong presence on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook to engage with its customers and build brand awareness. It is headquartered in Lagos, Nigeria, and has offices in Ghana, Kenya, and Tanzania.
4. Lekki Clothing Company
Lekki Clothing Company is one of the famous fashion brands in Nigeria. It has a strong social media presence on Instagram and Facebook.
It showcases its products through stylish product photos and collaborations with influencers. Through its effective social media strategy, it connects with the right target audience, drives traffic to its online store, and boosts sales.
5. Payporte
Payporte is a Nigerian fintech company that promotes its digital payment solution by building an effective social media presence on Twitter and Instagram.
It shares informative content, engages with followers, and runs targeted advertising campaigns to attract new customers and increase brand visibility.
How We Can Help You
Selling on social media in Nigeria requires more than just posting content—it demands strategy, creativity, and consistency.
That’s where UGC Deck comes in. We understand the nuances of the Nigerian market and can help you craft a compelling social media presence that turns followers into customers.
UGC Deck offers comprehensive social media management services tailored to your business needs. Our team excels in creating engaging content, from eye-catching graphics to persuasive videos, ensuring your brand stands out in the crowded social media landscape.
We also specialize in user-generated content (UGC), harnessing the power of authentic customer experiences to build trust and drive sales.
Additionally, our video editing and graphics design services are top-notch, ensuring your content is professional and resonates with your target audience. With UGC Deck, you’ll benefit from personalized strategies, consistent posting schedules, and detailed analytics to track your progress.
Contact the UGC Deck team today and let us help you turn your social media platforms into powerful sales channels.
Passionate about storytelling and committed to delivering high-quality content, Mariam continues to inspire and inform readers with her unique insights and compelling narratives.