Tolulope Oluwakemi is popularly called Whatsapp Queen because she has carved a niche in Whatsapp Marketing. In this interview with NELOC News, she shares her story.
Can we meet you?
Guest: I am Tolulope Oluwakemi Adeyemi. You can just call me Toluwakemi. I'm a graduate awaiting NYSC from the University of Obafemi Awolowo University, I'm in my twenties, a lover of God and a full time Abba's babe.
What is the origin of the name “Whatsapp Queen”?
Guest: Interestingly, it came when one of my mentors jokingly asked me a question about WhatsApp and I answered. Boom, she just tagged me the name. I loved it and here we're today.
Guest: It all began in 2019. But I wasn't really paying attention to it. I entered into it fully when Sweet HS prompted me about it in August gradually got trained and in November it became major, and here we are today.
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Does this mean you do not engage on other social media platforms?
Guest: I engage other platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and so on. You never know who you will meet.
NNI: How do other social media platforms influence your kind of marketing?
Guest: Hmm. It does Influence me mostly in the aspect of networking & exposure. I see it as a case of different people with their preferences. Some love Instagram, Facebook and maybe LinkedIn. When I get to tell these people I meet on other platforms what I do, I love how interesting the conversation gets.
NNI: As a digital marketer, what defines social impact and influence for you?
Guest: I really don't label myself a digital marketer, the reason been that I'm not fully skillful in all digital platforms but I navigate well around social media platforms.
To Explain what impact & Influence is based on my own experience. I resonate well with impact than Influence. I believe in impact. Impact an individual and a generation is aligned on the right path. I take this into what I'm doing with Whatsapp Marketing as I have been able to grow my Whatsapp Status (story) views to over 1600 with great engagement. My status is been viewed by not just Nigerians, it's been viewed by people in Ghana, Namibia, Uganda, South Africa and many more to come. They also have great things to say about my status.
NNI: How have you managed digital marketing with other responsibilities?
Guest: Gosh! It isn't easy but I'm learning to take things one step at a time. Putting one foot forward after the other has really helped.
NNI: People say digital marketing is a mix of different skills from content creation, video editing, design skills and much more. What exactly makes up digital marketing for you?
Guest: I really love this question. Digital Marketing starts with been digitally aware and conscious. It begins from picking up skills that interest you, then gradually growing from it and evolving.
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NNI: By global trends, there is a call for women to take up digital skills. How best can women seize this opportunity to prove themselves in the digital world?
Guest: I believe this definitely starts with Personal Development, Awareness and Identity. As a woman you have to start giving yourself permission to BE and start choosing you. It all starts with Personal Development.
NNI: By your standards, how do you measure a good marketing structure?
Guest: The thoughtfulness to the planning, the budget and the goals or what one wants to achieve.
NNI: How has COVID-19 pandemic affected Whatsapp marketing for you?
Guest: Beautifully it didn't affect me. In fact, I made way much more during the lock down. Funny, but that's the Truth. You see, WhatsApp is literally that app everyone wakes up to. It is an app that keeps many people company. During the lock down I met many Ghanaians through Whatsapp and instead of affecting me, it made me explore much more.
NNI: Do you think Nigerian women are making progress in digital marketing?
Yes they are. I believe there are many women who rose up to it and they are doing awesomely well.
What more do you expect to see in the digital marketing space?
Guest: Way much more people getting to understand and know that digitisation and technology is the future. People keep exploring and unraveling that extent to which this thing called technology can do for us.
Can you tell us about your book?
I researched and read about 5 ebooks written by other authors on WhatsApp Marketing where they did justice to it but in me I just felt there was something they were not talking about. That is one of the reasons why I wrote "This Thing Called WhatsApp Marketing". It's a book I wrote from my perspective, experience and knowledge that I wish I had before I started my journey in it. I'm so happy and glad to finally be able to write it and gift it to the world. It's my fourth e-book and first premium e-book that I'm getting to write in 2020. I'm excited about it and happy for the privilege to write it.
What is your advice to youths and women especially who have interests in digital marketing?
Guest: Narrow it down and take it one step at a time. Find what digital platform resonates more with you. Take it up, learn about it, do it repeatedly, stay with it and in no time your profiting will apply unto all. This was what I did with Whatsapp Marketing and I made my Whatsapp into a Wealth Point.