Facebook at a three-day summit in Johannesburg has launched an Agency Ambassador Programme for Africa as part of its drive to equip its agency partners with the skills and information required to make the most of Facebook as a marketing and advertising platform. To facilitate them in becoming their agency’s expert in Facebook’s technologies, Agency Ambassadors receive extensive training and have a direct line to Facebook.
Representing 32 top media agencies, delegates from Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya and South Africa gathered at in Johannesburg from the 29th of March to the 1st of April, where they were trained to become Africa’s first Facebook Agency Ambassadors from a Facebook team. The collaborative training equipped participants with the resources needed by them to understand how to drive real business results through digital marketing. Delegates will, in turn, share this knowledge within their organizations. The forum also afforded an opportunity for the agency representatives to provide feedback to Facebook.
Last year, Facebook opened its first office in Johannesburg, South Africa. The Agency Ambassador’s programme as a sequel to this has affirmed the commitment of Facebook towards supporting and impacting skills in businesses across Africa.
Speaking at the programme, Nunu Ntshingila, Head of Africa for Facebook said, “We’re so excited to launch the Facebook Agency Ambassador Program, a first for Africa. As media transcends to digital, it’s 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.”
Also, at the programme, Elizma Nolte, Head of Business Marketing for Facebook Sub-Saharan Africa said, “Our goal with the Agency Ambassador Programme is to empower agencies to help their clients make the most of our 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.”
An educational program, Facebook Blueprint, was integrated into the programme. The Blueprint program trains agencies, partners, and marketers on how to use Facebook. It offers a platform for combining online courses, in-person training, and certification, thereby training marketers on everything from campaign optimization and how to use video on Facebook to effective ad measurement solutions. The Blueprint eLearning center features more than 50 online courses and has tracks organized into categories, such as direct response marketing and digital buying.
