Google digital skills training is an initiative of #DigitalMeNg, delivered by Mindthegap, to train 100,000 Nigerian youths.

Google is committed to training Nigerian youths on digital skills to become digital entrepreneurs who can create jobs, grow their economy, tiny and medium-scale enterprises and feel empowered to seek employment opportunities.





To fulfil this initiative, Google works with some partners in Nigeria, and one of them is CareerDrive Academy, which partnered with The Infonomia to bring about Google digital skills training in Ile-Ife, Osun.


I was at the training, even though, as a digital marketer, I was there to learn and know the latest about what is happening in the industry, and my experience was excellent.


I'll share what I learned from this training.


The training was facilitated by Mr Olufemi, IROKO of CareerDrive Academy, and the theme was "How to maximize the digital space".


One of the ways of curbing unemployment in Nigeria is the adoption of entrepreneurship.


This is what some Non-governmental agencies (NGOs), business influencers and the Nigerian government have been promoting as one of the solutions to the current unemployment epidemic.


These can be observed through the business training, business finance, and skills acquisition opportunities various organizations conduct.


Nevertheless, some business holders and entrepreneurs need help to break even or break.


They're not different from ordinary people on the street who are jobless or earn so little that they can't cater for their basic needs.


What causes this?


Many need more digital space and know how to maximize their digital space for business success.

I read a sponsored post on a popular live entertainment website some time ago. It was a fashion company launching or showcasing their products and the public relation stunt with all the paparazzi with some top Nigerian celebrities and wealthy figures. However, this company needs a more digital presence.

How?

The post I read lacked more connection, and I was already building interest to purchase or find out if these beautiful and seemingly quality products were what I could afford.

I went to search on Google with the only clue about this company, which is the name or brand, but to my surprise and dismay, the firm's only digital presence was from this same popular website I just read.

Perhaps, the company is new, but they should've prepared any virality.

Many minor scales and new businesses are like this, and they'll keep leaving a lot of money out of their table.

What a waste of PR because that's what the company did and spent a lot of money.

Some don't even do PR.

According to Internet Live stats, Nigeria has over 86,219,965 internet users as of 2016.

Over 3.5 billion searches are being made online every day worldwide.

Over 5 billion views are made on YouTube every day worldwide. This is more than the daily searches, and it'll keep increasing.

These statistics show the potential and future in the digital space.

In Nigeria, where unemployment is rising, you can leverage a career in digital skills.

If you observe how banking activities are being carried out lately, things are changing drastically.

Some banks are operating, so they don't want you (as a customer) to come to their banking hall for some or any transactions.

They want you to perform everything from opening an account to transferring funds, making transactions, and customer services on your smartphone.

What do you think will happen to those guys at the counter?

They'll be rendered redundant if they don't upgrade their skills to what is selling and in demand.

Companies employ people to maximize profit. They want to cut costs and make an incremental profit. You'll be cut off if your job is not bringing in money.

Most companies are created with the philosophy of maximising profit and not creating jobs.

This is where digital skills are paramount.


Companies are going for the better option. What they'll achieve within 3 years with many workforces, they are achieving it within 6 months with gadgets with little to no human resources, and you know, gadgets do not go on sabbatical leaves, maternity leaves, vacations, and the like.

Imagine this, Bright works from 9 am to 5 pm, and he needs more time to shop for his groceries which he typically schedules twice a week.

He usually gives Mama Timi #5,000 to do all the groceries for him on his way back home; he'll approach Mama Timi and collect his goods.

Mama Timi was doing all well until Bright got clear information about an online grocery store where he could purchase at a better competitive price and get it delivered to his house. Even if goods got spoilt in the process and he complains, he will be compensated with a replacement immediately.

Through this, he was getting better satisfaction, and Mama Timi wasn't getting jobs anymore because of this innovative approach.

Constantly re-invent and innovate.

Your customer will always buy ease and satisfaction.

Get Found on Search Engine
According to the National Bureau of Statistics 2012, over 17 million small and medium businesses still must be duly registered in Nigeria. In other words, if you add registered and unregistered businesses, you'll have over 22 million small and medium-scale businesses.

According to the facilitator, of all the 22 million, less than 7% are maximizing the digital space.

This poses a considerable gap with the potential business you can serve as a digital entrepreneur.

Imagine such a massive amount if you're going into business, and you add up to the figure.

Where will your position lie in the digital space?

Is your business going to get found on search engines?

Any business or word that can't be found online, like the example I gave above, is already dead. You exist in a dead world with no matter.

You must strive and ensure you get your position on the first page of the search engines to results because over 90% of search engine users don't go past the first page before they get served. The percentage might be higher only if you're conducting academic research.

As an entrepreneur and businessman, you've taken care of the search engine optimization of your business. If not, many of your competitors will be taking huge market share.

Be Mobile Friendly
The Internet has penetrated more through smartphones than desktops or any other gadget.


An average user spends 3 hours on the phone.


Whenever you want to start your business, the first things you should know are:
• Know your right consumer or users and focus on them,
• Know the right time to reach them,
• Know the correct method and medium; everything else will fall in.
Focus on your consumer by understanding that your product is not for everybody.


Know the suitable method and medium to reach them, whether it's a Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn ad.


4 Qualities to Maximize Digital Space
• Be found,
• Be relevant,
• Be engaging and
• Be accountable.



Be Found
This is where your business is found on search engines such as Google. You can achieve this either through paid or organic traffic.






From the above image, the first set of results is a paid advert which can be done through Google AdWord. It involves buying keywords, for example, iPhone 6s price in Nigeria. You can place an advert within your budget: #1,000 to #5 000, etc.


The second set of results up to the last is organic results. They are a list of web pages on search engine results which have gotten to the position they are because of their quality content, relevance, and popularity of users.


You'll observe that online stores such as Jiji rank first based on the Google ad, while other organic web pages that find themselves on the result page based on quality information and popularity are Wearobo, low-key tech, geek, etc. You'll also notice that you need help finding an Apple website on the result page. That's the competition.


How Can You Be Found?
Google uses an algorithm whereby billions of web pages are scanned using the searcher's keywords, and it will rank them based on popularity and website linking to your web page.


Google Alerts
Google Alerts is a tool for activating and keeping track of the latest information, topics and trends you're interested in and has just been newly published on the Internet.


It works in the process whereby whatever topics you choose, for example, eye makeup, any published latest information about it will be sent to your email address, and you can keep track of the latest and updated information.







Likewise, you like to be updated about your favourite celebrity or brand, such as Don Jazzy or iPhone 6s Plus. In that case, you can achieve your aim by getting the latest information using Google Alert.

You can schedule your interest based on time and how often you want to receive the message, if daily, by language and preference.






Google alerts keep you updated on things happening in your field, industry, and interest, whether it's a scholarship, a job in Nigeria, business finance, etc.

Google Trends
This tool enables you to understand what people have been searching for the day and get acquitted with the relative searches over time, which can be weekly, monthly or yearly.






From the result above, you can observe what Nigerians are searching for mainly at that time, and the latest most demanding search is the story of Mayowa Ahmed.


If you've been covering the story and have updated information, there will be massive traffic to the website.


As a business owner, how can you translate this?


In the digital space, trends are like prime time in the media world.


There are certain moments in TV or radio media when viewership and listenership are the highest or relatively high. For example, a few minutes before live broadcast network news, during the network news, a popular radio program, etc.


Any advert placed before this time or during this period it's assumed it'll gain more reach, viewership, and listenership. These advert rates can be very high and competitive compared to other times.


In our digital space, our primetime doesn't tie to popular TV shows or radio programs but to trends.


For example, if your company design or sell jerseys or fancy beautiful T-Shirt, you can take advantage of this prime time (moments) and sell jersey in Brazil and Germany at discount rates. You can place Google ads using AdWord and the "Brazil and Germany " keyword.


This will boost your viewership and sales.

You can start with a budget of #1,000 to #5,000 and more. You can only target your state if you know your means and resources; you can deliver such goods within the state and time.

You can target based on age range.

Likewise, as a blogger, you can use Google Trends to write about what people are searching for if it's within your blogging scope of the subject.

For example, a life and entertainment blogger who creates quality original content using videos and articles from the Mayowa Ahmed will get unique visitors who can become returning visitors or fans. The same approach goes for sports bloggers.

In addition, with Google Trends, you can explore.





With "Explore", you'll discover new opportunities and topics. For example, you want to establish a makeup business.

You can explore makeup artists, and with Google Trends, it'll show relative results of how online users have been searching for a makeup artist. This can be over time, for instance, over 10 years, 5 years, 12 months, 90 days, etc.

You can restrict your findings to Nigeria, a sub-region or a city.






Google Trends can be used to conduct your market feasibility study for a business.

You can conduct a feasibility study on the 3 business ideas (for example, makeup, disc jockey, and jersey) and from the trends; you'll observe which one your bank or investor will likely fund. You can use Google Trends to compare two or more business ideas.





From the above result, you can observe disc jockey took the lead search, followed by jersey and makeup.

Google History
Google History is not based on or directly linked to a business tool but is valuable.


It's based on the historical activities of a user's browser, discovering things the user has searched on Google, places the user has visited, and videos the user has watched. This will give better knowledge and understanding of some information about the user.




There was a story of how a lawyer defending a case for a young girl who an old stranger raped won the case using Google History.

During the court proceeding, the suspect continued to deny he ever raped the girl and pleaded not guilty in a court of law.

The defendant's lawyer requested the judge's permission to check the suspect phone, and he was duly granted.

The suspect was told to sign in, and as you might know, with some phones, you don't need to sign in as it's automatic with his Google history; it was discovered that 3 weeks before the evil deed was committed, this suspect has been searching online consecutively on how to lure an underage girl and forcefully sleep with an underage girl.

That was how he accepted being guilty in the court of law, and the prosecuting counsel won the case with the help of Google History.

Be Relevance
Internet users are moving from desktops to smartphones. This means your digital space must be relevant to every change. Your website has to be mobile-friendly so your user can have a better and sweeter experience on their phone than on their desktops.

The consumer wants ease and satisfaction.

You've to make sure whatever action you want your users to perform it's easy, straightforward and satisfactory.

For example, if you direct your users to click on a website and the web link diverts them by opening another tab, this will create an unsatisfactory feeling compared to if the web link opens in the same browser tab.

Likewise, if you instruct users to call a number, make that number clickable so that once it's clicked, the number will start dialling automatically. People need more time to start copying or writing your number somewhere before they start dialling manually.

Your consumers want ease, and whoever designs your website must consider mobile responsiveness and comfort of action.

Be Engaging
You've to be 80% social and 20% business oriented.
If you're more of buy this, order this, many audiences might start losing interest in your website. As a makeup artist, you can share valuable, helpful, problem-solving tips that will endear your audience.




You might be scared you're sharing too much information, but many of them will come and demand your service because they can't do it well, like the way you taught them.

Some have tried it but have yet to achieve the desired results, so paying for your premium service will be handy.

People no longer care about how beautiful your office is and how you furnish it because they need more time to visit it.


They don't care how many celebrities you endorse and invite and organize a get-together party to launch or re-launch your brands, products, or company.


Public relation (PR) is irrelevant or already going to be outside.


What People care about more is your Online Reputation Management (ORM).
• People care about how beautiful and friendly your website is.
• How updated do you keep them with the latest needed information?
• How social you're. Are you answering questions or trying to assist and provide a guide?


That's what your people, your target audiences, are concerned about.


You've to place a premium on the customer.



You must give helpful tips, provide an engaging message, and respond to your audience's questions.


What are companies looking for now?


They are looking for people who can effectively manage their social media and Online Reputation Management (ORM).


These are a few things I learned from the Google digital skills training, and I doubt there are more to have been covered, but time could have been more friendly.

I hope you gain something from my experience by adding value to time while reading this, just like the facilitator said and did.


If you've attended Google digital skills training before, share your profound experience, and if you're new to this, what do you think about this?








The Source

Nice writeup

how do one participate or register in the the program

Nice information