OkadaBooks Town Hall: Conversation, Brand Growth, Small Chops and Photos

On the 7th of this month, we hosted authors, readers, invited guests and a whole lot of OkadaRiders at our Town Hall Meeting. The event which was covered by Laminar Studios, kicked off with a Panel Discussion featuring our CEO, Okechukwu Ofili, and Bestselling author, Sally Kenneth Dadzie on ‘The Secret Art of Marketing’.

8 Things we Learnt from Sally During the Panel Discussion:

1. Although the Nigerian economy doesn’t really support authors, it is possible to make a decent living off selling your book: Your marketing game just simply needs to be on point. Force the members of your church or mosque to buy your book. Shove your book in the faces of your family and friends until they purchase it. Never fail to mention that you are an author when you meet new people. Naija SingleGirl, Kiru Taye, Sally Dadzie herself and a bunch of other authors have made half a million to over a million from selling their books on OkadaBooks. Their determination made this possible.
2. Confidence is key if you plan on making it as an author: You need to be proud of the work you birthed in the pages of your book. Do not let any opportunity pass by without you screaming to the rooftop that you are an author. If you can, carry a few copies of your book when you go out. You never know who will approach you to make a purchase.
3. Do not quit your job for writing: Make writing a side hustle and keep your 9-5. The basic gist is, do not completely depend on writing for your daily bread. You should also take up freelance jobs that relate to writing like editing the manuscripts of other authors.
4. Do not underestimate the power of Networking: As an author, meeting new people and engaging in conversation will open doors you did not know existed. A person may be looking for someone with your skills for a huge project and voila! you’re buying a private jet a few months later.
5. Writing is consistency: If you are serious about making it as an author, then do not stop writing. The more you write, the better you become at it.
6. Make life your key inspiration: One way of dodging writer’s block like potholes is by using situations around as writing motivation. Utilize the life stories of a few persons around you (don’t worry, you won’t get sued), get creative with that information, mask the identities of your literary test subjects and gbam! Just like that, you’ve written and published a new book that is on OkadaBooks’ bestsellers list.
7. Merely having the talent will not make you blow as a writer: You need a few more ingredients other than talent to be a successful author. Getting your books in the hands of readers is basically the challenge here. So you need to sell your market. Do not depend on the fact that you have written a good book for it takes more than that to sustain a career in writing.
8. Social Media is Important: A lot of authors do not have a strong social media presence.. Some have created accounts, but never went back to use them. Some have accounts but concede their craft. Selfies and a-day-with-the-family photos are all over their pages. Nothing about the fact that they write, no photos of their books, nothing! A lot of people have social media to thank for their successes and you can too.

3 Major Things we Learnt from the Open House Talk

Right after the panel discussion and before small chops and photos, we had an open house where readers, authors and our staff had a tell-me-your-mind session. The microphones danced around the room and everyone contributed to the future of OkadaBooks through a transparent conversation about past and present happenings with the brand.

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From complaints to resolutions to suggestions, here are a few things we learnt from this session:

1. If your book isn’t making impressive sales, make it free for a brief period of time and get those who download it to leave a review
2. Romance novels sell more than any other genre. As a writer, find a way to use this to your advantage. Sally mentioned that she had to switch genres from Action to Romance because she knew Romance was what the majority of readers wanted
3. Authors should develop a relationship with new readers and maintain that relationship after they purchase their books

5 Marketing Tips from Bestselling Author, Olu Balogun

Olu Balogun is an author and digital marketing expert who has published two bestsellers on OkadaBooks: Obsession and Aisha and John. He was supposed to be a part of the panel discussion but Lagos traffic had other plans. He, however, gave insights into his experience with marketing his books and how he made over N100,000 in a month with sponsored adverts!

These are a few tips he shared:

1. Authors should understand the concept of good communication and digital marketing
2. Save the contact information of your readers and constantly keep in touch, but do not be a pest.
3. Use social media sponsored ads and target the right audience for impact
4. Text and images are the key tools you need to market your book
5. Generate the most interesting synopsis of your book and use that for promotion

It was wonderful seeing Okechukwu Ofili along with his fantastic team being open, honest and welcoming of criticism from their community of authors and readers. More Nigerian brands need to inculcate this. I learnt so much more about the brand; the business structure, the opportunities for authors, the accessibility it provides readers and most of all, the keenness for growth.

feedback from @oumissainspire

Photo Gallery

One of the many advantages of our town hall was the opportunity it gave authors to connect with their fans, new readers, other authors and the staff of OkadaBooks. Laminar Studios excellently captured every moment of the event. If you see yourself, say “Yeah Yeah!”

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