Lessons from Dora Moono Nyambe-the Case of Segmented Audiences- Amb. Emmanuel Mwamba

By Amb. Emmanuel Mwamba

Lessons from Dora Moono Nyambe-the Case of Segmented Audiences

The sudden demise of a young philanthropist, teacher, and role model, Dora Moono Nyambe shocked the nation but also revealed certain issues, that provide food for thoughts.

Imagine that she had a following of 4.1 million people on the popular social-media platform-TikTok.

To put this into perspective, the Facebook accounts with the largest following in Zambia are Mwebantu Media, Hakainde Hichilema, and Edgar Lungu (2.8m, 1.8m and 1.4m respectively) yet her account dwarfs those pages.

Yet when paying tribute to her and her work, many Facebook influencers expressed surprise and ignorance about her and the extent of her passion and charity work.

Her passion and determination led her to establish “Footprints for Hope”, a school for underprivileged children.

She also used the power of social media and raised over $450,000 to build her school for the underprivileged girls and those she was rescuing from child marriages in Mkushi District.

Her work was so impactful, yet she escaped the attention of traditional donors and of those policy makers who provide state honors to deserving citizens.

For us in the communications space, we understand this unique phenomenon that arises as a result of a segmented audience.

● Facebook – Many Zambians are on Facebook. It has become the primary source of information and entertainment for many.

Ordinary people also access Facebook Lite as it is provided free by mobile networks.
Traditional media is also increasingly using Facebook pages to disseminate their work.

● X (Twiitter) is a favorite for the educated, professional, academics, and analytical audience.

●Instagram- popular for those promoting pictures (beautiful pics enhanced with filters)  or video based stories.

●TikTok is a new short video-based platform that has taken social-media by storm with its musical video and dance challenges. It also carries other serious content.

It is most popular with the younger generation, particularly those between the ages of 18 and 24, making Gen Z the largest user group on the platform.
● WhatsApp-WhatsApp is an instant messaging and voice-over-IP service and good for cheap calls and has become another primary source of information for Zambians. The features of groups, audio and video transfer has made an addictive platform influencing mass consumption and action.

● Not On Social-media- an  ardent group exists that consumes and relies on traditional forms of sourcing for news and information using radio, newspapers, and television.

● Cross pollinators-those that wonder across all platforms and networks.

Audience segmentation can be based on a variety of factors, including age, gender, location, ethnicity, income, job title, industry, and level of education.

Other factors include personality types, values, attitudes, beliefs, key challenges, fears, hopes, dreams, personal interests, and hobbies.

To impact a mass audience effectively, one needs to influence across all traditional  and new media platforms, tailor one’s content to each platform, cross-promote your other channels within posts.

Clearly there are many heroes and heroines such as Dora Moono  Nyambe that escape the attention and recognition of you and me.

MHSRIEP