For the most part, Hazelwood noted, analyzing social media followings can essentially cut out the need for focus groups and in-depth market research. More importantly is using social media to move onto monetization through winning over advertisers and brand expansion.

Getting Around To Monetization

“You can’t be sustainable by just asking people for donations and things of that nature,” Coders4Africa co-founder Andah said from experience.

He and his team worked backwards from a failed crowdfunding campaign. Investing their own money on implementing hackathons and traveling across Africa, social media buzz eventually picked up to make Coders4Africa a recognized name.

For Andah, the best thing that social media did was place all of the right people in one place by reaching Africans who appreciate or who could benefit from his organization’s trainings and products. Often times, networking and working with other businesses is the way to go to get the word out on social media platforms.

“Bartering and partnering really helps to raise your profile,” Hazelwood added. “The web is great for that.”

While social media can sometimes seem like overshare and meaningless chatter, voices of disappointment or approval can mean a lot to brands and companies. Consumers — who now happen to be online — are ultimately the driving force of success.

For entrepreneurs and publications wanting people to take their offerings seriously, Hazelwood said they have to recognize the power of their brand once it’s aligned with social media prowess:

“It’s not just talk, it’s something that you’re able to monetize.”