What Inspired Me to Become a Digital Marketing Manager

The Spark That Started It All

You know how life sometimes throws you a curveball, and you just grab it and run? That’s pretty much how I stumbled into being a Digital Marketing Manager. My name’s Chinedu, and growing up in Lagos, I wasn’t exactly dreaming of SEO or Instagram Reels. Nah, as a small boy in Surulere, I was more about playing street football and hustling for extra pocket money selling pure water at the bus stop. But let me tell you how this digital marketing thing caught me, and why I’ve been hooked ever since.

It all started back in 2018, during my NYSC days in Ibadan. I was posted to this small NGO, and my job was to help them organize community events. One day, my oga at the top asked me to “put something on Facebook” to promote a health outreach. Me, I was like, “Facebook ke? Okay, I can post picture na.” But when I saw how one post got over 200 shares and brought a crowd to the event, I was like, “Chai! This internet thing get power o!” That was the first time I saw how a simple post could move people, and I wanted to know more.

Falling in Love with the Hustle

After NYSC, I got a job as a sales guy for a small fashion brand in Lekki. The pay was okay, but the real juice was when they let me handle their WhatsApp status and Instagram page. I started experimenting—posting customer reviews, doing small giveaways, and even trying my hand at those funny memes you see on Naija pages. One time, I posted a video of our latest ankara designs with that trending “Zanku” song, and sales spiked like crazy! We sold out in two days. My boss called me “digital wizard,” and I was just grinning like, “Omo, this thing dey work!”

That’s when I knew I wanted to dive deeper. I started watching YouTube tutorials at night—everything from Google Ads to content calendars. I even joined one online course from a guy in Abuja who was teaching SEO for Nigerian businesses. The way he broke down how to use keywords to rank on Google? It was like someone turned on a light bulb in my head. I started seeing the internet as one big marketplace, like Computer Village, but with billions of customers. And I wanted to be the guy shouting, “Come buy my market!”

The Big Push: Culture and Connection

What really sealed the deal for me was seeing how digital marketing could connect with our culture. During one Christmas season, I worked on a campaign for a client selling hampers. Instead of the usual “Buy Now” vibe, we tied it to the Nigerian spirit of celebration—family, jollof rice, and all that good stuff. We used Yoruba proverbs like “A kii fi owo ra iyo” (you don’t buy salt with money, meaning value comes from relationships) in our captions. People loved it! Comments were pouring in, and customers were sharing their own family traditions. That campaign wasn’t just about selling hampers; it felt like we were building a community.

That’s when it hit me: digital marketing isn’t just about ads or clicks. It’s about telling stories that make people feel something. Whether it’s tapping into the vibe of Sallah or hyping up Afrobeats for a brand launch, I love how you can use our Naija culture to make a brand stand out. It’s like being a DJ, mixing the right beats to get the crowd moving.

Challenges and Why I Stayed

No lie, this job isn’t always smooth like egusi soup. There were days I wanted to give up—clients rejecting campaigns, algorithms changing overnight, or trying to explain ROI to someone who thinks “post and pray” is a strategy. But every time I saw a small business grow because of a campaign I ran, or when a client’s DMs were blowing up with orders, I felt like, “Yes, this is why I dey here!”

One moment that keeps me going was when I helped a small akara seller in Ogba go viral on Instagram. We did a Reels challenge where people showed their best “akara dance” with her product. Omo, the video hit 10k views in two days, and her stall was packed for weeks! She sent me a voice note saying, “Chinedu, God bless you o!” That kind of thing? It’s better than any paycheck.

Related article: How to Start a Career in Nigerian Digital Advertising: A Complete Guide

Looking Forward

Now, as a Digital Marketing Manager, I’m all about blending creativity with strategy. I love digging into data analytics to see what’s working, but I also enjoy crafting campaigns that feel like a Naija party—vibrant, loud, and full of life. What inspires me every day is knowing I’m helping businesses, big or small, connect with people in a way that feels real. Whether it’s using Hausa slang for a northern audience or dropping a Burna Boy lyric in an ad, I’m here to make brands pop.

If you’re reading this and thinking about jumping into digital marketing, my advice is simple: start where you are. Post something, learn something, try something. The internet is like Lagos traffic—crazy, but if you know the shortcuts, you’ll get far. For me, this job is my hustle, my passion, and my way of showing the world that Naija no dey carry last.