For Uche Pedro, blogging started as a hobby and later evolved into a source of income for her. The Nigerian pioneer blogger first had the idea of blogging while studying in Canada. Seeing the rapid growth that was occurring in the various sectors in Nigeria, she decided she was going to be the commentator of all these awesome happenings in her country. In 2006, she began to blog about fashion and celebrity life in Nigeria and that was when Bellanaija.com was born. After scanning various magazine articles, pictures, and interviews of Nigerian fashion celebrities, her blog eventually attained a total of 1 million clicks every month.
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The blog has grown in leaps and bounds ever since. Presently, various viewers from Nigeria, Africa and beyond visit the blog for gossip about the latest developments in Nigeria.
“In terms of commercialization of the site, in the early days of Bellanaija, it was hard work to generate revenues but we managed to break even and saw the portal as a first step to building something much larger down the line”, says Uche.
Bellanaija.com has extended its tentacles to other sectors including sports, entertainment, relationships, and politics. Today, the blog serves as a medium for startup brands to market themselves and attract customers.
Like many other bloggers of today, Uche Pedro has also taken hold of the opportunities that social media has to offer. Through platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter, she has succeeded in reaching a larger audience and adapting to the new age of social media. With over 1 million followers on both Twitter and Instagram, her blog BellaNaija is indeed thriving on social media and has a wider reach than ever.
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Few Facts About Bellanaija.com:
- Bellanaija.com was founded in 2006 by Uche Pedro.
- In 2013, Bellanaija.com was ranked 4th in Africa Ranking’s “Top 10 Entertainment Websites”.
- In 2010, it won the “Outstanding Contribution to Fashion Communication” award.
- The blog was awarded “Best Event Coverage Online Award” in 2011 and 2012, respectively.
- In 2016, Uche Pedro won the “Best Blogger – Africa” award, at the Nickelodeon’s Kids’ Choice Awards (KCAs) which took place in Los Angeles, California, on Saturday 12th March.
Featured Image Source: Enterpreneurs NG
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