By Haruna Gimba
As part of its drive to equip its agency partners with the skills and information they need to make the most of Facebook as a marketing and advertising platform, the social networking site has launched an Agency Ambassador Programme for Africa.
According to statement issued by African Press Organization (APO), the agency ambassadors have a direct line to Facebook and receive extensive training to help them become their agency’s expert in Facebook’s tools, technologies and solutions.
Delegates representing 32 top media agencies from four African countries, Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya and South Africa gathered at a three-day summit in Johannesburg from 29 March to 1 April, where a Facebook team from around the world trained them to become Africa’s first Facebook Agency Ambassadors.
The collaborative training equipped participants with the resources they need to understand how to drive real business results through digital marketing, and in turn share this knowledge within their organizations. The forum also afforded an opportunity for the agency representatives to provide feedback to Facebook.
The launch of the program comes a year after the opening of Facebook’s first office in Africa, based in Johannesburg, South Africa.
Head of Africa for Facebook, Nunu Ntshingila said Facebook is excited to launch the programme which is a first for Africa.
He said: “As media transcends to digital, it is of crucial importance that these Ambassadors are equipped to take their learnings back to their agencies, both digital and traditional, so that they can make the most of the digital opportunity, and ultimately grow brands and businesses.”
Health Reporters gathered that the programme incorporates Facebook Blueprint, an education program that trains agencies, partners and marketers on how to use Facebook, combining online courses, in-person training and certification.
The Blueprint also trains marketers on everything from campaign optimization and how to use video on Facebook to effective advertisement measurement solutions.
According to Head of Business Marketing for Facebook Sub-Saharan Africa, Elizma Nolte, the goal of the programme is to empower agencies to help their clients make the most of Facebook platforms.
“It’s also a way for us to listen to agencies and learn more about what they need in their specific markets, so that we can improve offerings across the Facebook family of services. Facebook is a partnership company at heart, and this kick-off summit is simply the beginning of a long-term partnership with agencies across the continent,” he said.
