9mobile, Nigeria’s Youth Centric telecommunications brand, has tasked students of the University of Ilorin on the importance of building a personal brand for themselves for their business and career growth in the future. The telecom giant gave the charge during the Illorin leg of The Hack, its networking and business mentorship programme for entrepreneurs, students, and young people looking for ways to start new businesses.
The event held at the University’s Multi-Purpose Hall kicked off with 9mobile Brand Ambassador and reality TV Star Beauty Tukura facilitating an interactive session titled “Building A Personal Brand: Importance of Positioning and Relationship Building in Influencing.”
She began the session by first explaining the elements of personal branding and how they play a crucial role in positioning. She highlighted that visual Identity, which includes logo, colors, fonts, having an online presence such as a website and on social media, and developing a communication style and tone are the building blocks in personal branding.
Tukura, the 43rd Miss Nigeria, informed the students that some key steps must be taken to successfully build their brand and grow their business. “You need to identify your target audience, and it begins by defining your ideal audience, understanding their behavior, and then tailoring your message to resonate with them. As your brand evolves, you will need to maintain brand consistency, which means using imagery and creatives across your platforms to ensure a cohesive visual identity for your brand. Having your message carry the same tone and feel on communications ensures the consistency of your brand”, she said.
She pointed out that building a personal brand is challenging and urged the students to be ready to network and build relationships by collaborating with influencers and experts and attending industry events and conferences. “With the growth in personal branding comes challenges, and you must be able to handle criticism and feedback to make the necessary adjustments and changes”, she advised.
The mentorship programme also provided a unique opportunity for the students to glean insights from other seasoned professionals. They included the Manager of Digital Marketing at 9mobile, Obehi Ehimhen, who delivered a detailed session on the topic: “Leveraging AI and Digital Tools to Grow your Side Hustle”, showing the students the profound impact of technological innovation to streamlining human activities, easing repetitive tasks, and marketing SMEs.
Manager, 9mobile Enterprise Marketing, Oluwasegun Daodu, took it further while speaking on “Expanding Side Hustle”. According to him, to expand their ‘side hustle,’ the students need to evaluate their business’s current performance, embark on comprehensive market research to uncover new opportunities, integrate expansion goals and strategies into their business plans, project financial estimates, secure additional capital for expansion, and explore potential funding avenues. He also emphasized the need for operational efficiency before expansion, team training, and preparation for the transformative journey ahead.
