Facebook Builds A Bridge To The Global Mobile Economy For Nigerian Businesses

By Itumeleng Morule

Facebook is supporting Kenyan businesses that want to grow internationally by providing them with powerful new tools and resources that enable them to connect with people in new countries. These new solutions help small businesses become large and local businesses become global.

More than 1 billion people on Facebook are connected to at least one business in a foreign country, and 1.57 billion people visit Facebook each month on mobile devices. In Nigeria, 47% of people on Facebook are connected to a business in a foreign country and 56% are connected to a Nigerian company.

Businesses can now use a new feature in the Lookalike Audiences tool to reach customers in new countries who are similar to their existing ones. They can do this by uploading a list of existing customers or high-potential leads.

Advertisers with website conversion or mobile app install objectives can use Facebook’s extended location targeting capabilities by selecting a worldwide region or trade zone. Facebook will deliver ads to selected regions and then optimise delivery to the countries with the greatest return.

Facebook is also introducing solutions to help businesses optimise their global campaign strategy, including webinars on international marketing with Facebook and a handbook on finding the right customers in new countries.

Says Nunu Ntshingila, Head of Africa Facebook: “In today's globally connected world, mobile technology creates new opportunities for businesses to find more customers in other countries. On mobile, and on Facebook, people engage with the things that matter to them even outside their home countries making it an exciting way for small businesses to build a global community as easily as they could connect with people who live just down the road.”

People in Nigeria are also connected to businesses in other countries - the top 5 are US, UK, India, South Africa and Canada. Almost 20 million people from around the world are connected to a business in Nigeria and across Europe; people from Nigeria are connected to businesses in UK, Turkey, Italy, Germany and France.

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