Nora Agbakhamen is a Nigerian brand storyteller with over a hundred thousand follower community on LinkedIn, helping start-ups and young entrepreneurs find their feet. The graduate of journalism, public speaker and persuasive writer in this interview, speaks how Nigerian youths can thrive by creating content online
You have been in the brand interface for quite some times, tell us about your educational background.
I have a Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communication from the University of Maiduguri and a Certificate in Investigative journalism from the BBC MacArthur Foundation. I also hold a certificate in Persuasive Writing and Public Speaking from Harvard University (HarvardX).
How can Nigerian youths be primed to pursue their dreams?
Content creation is the new goldmine. Nigerian youths are among the most intelligent in the world. But more young people need to tap into an incredibly profitable form of content creation. That is storytelling. The best way is to learn from those who are successful at it. There are countless free resources on storytelling that can help.
I also recommend investing in great storytelling books. My top three recommendations are: Wired for Stories by Lisa Cron, Made to Stick by Chip Heath and Building a Story Brand by Donald Miller.
What strategies do you have to push for this goal?
I have a 100k+ Community on LinkedIn and a decent number of these are Nigerian youths. Every day, I put out content on my LinkedIn that teaches youths and business owners how to use storytelling to build credibility and attract businesses. Storytelling is what sets you apart from the thousands, perhaps millions of others who offer the same service as yours. People love to connect with people, not logos or fancy websites. A brand that harnesses the power of stories will stand out. These stories will tug at your audiences’ heart strings and make them know, like and trust you.
What have you done differently from what is being done in the branding field?
In my journey as a LinkedIn influencer, I don’t go on Google and copy content to influence my clients’ businesses. I go the extra step of working with clients to create stories that build trust with their audiences. As a result, the businesses I work with get seen, loved and paid. It’s always a win-win.
I’ll give you an example. In 2021, my friend Temi’s business had hit rock bottom and during the pandemic, she was on the verge of closing the business. She did all the marketing she knew – adverts, influencer marketing, fliers, promo and emails. Frustrated, she reached out to me to vent. She even insinuated she was jinxed (village people). So, we got back to the drawing board and as a last-ditch attempt, I told a story about her main product (natural hair oil) with a backlink to her website.
What happened next blew our minds! She kept getting order after order and in five hours, that product sold out. She got her previous weekly revenue in five hours!
That’s the power of storytelling. It builds deep connections that can persuade even the most frugal to tell you “Take my money”.
In terms of job creation, how are you driving this?
Growing up, my mum would insist that all of us come to her hair salon to assist on weekends. On Monday morning, she would give us a decent allowance (which we called Monday delight) for the week. How we looked forward to our Monday delight! If you didn’t come to work at the salon, you wouldn’t get the allowance.
Looking back, I realized she was preparing us for the real world. Like her, I don’t believe in always giving you fish. I am one to show you how and where to get the best fish.
So, on LinkedIn, I run free and paid training for folks who are ready to roll up their sleeves and tap into the new gold – Storytelling.
What is your advice to Nigerian youths on finding prospects in businesses?
Dear Nigerian youth, if you’re not on LinkedIn, you’re missing out on a goldmine of opportunities. Currently, LinkedIn boasts over 850 million members in more than 200 countries and territories worldwide.
Whether you are a business owner, a job seeker or a career person, you have an incredible opportunity to place yourself front and center and attract the opportunities you crave. Building a personal brand using the power of stories and content, will help you stand out.
