Everything hinges on a good story
If I told you I started writing a lot in 2020 because I was going through a mentally challenging time, would you believe me? Back then, I sent all my writing to a friend to read. One day, after yet another submission, she said, “Ibukun, you read Zikoko all the time. Why don’t you tell them you want to work with them?”
That friend and I no longer speak, but that simple sentence changed my life.
Taking her advice, I contacted Zikoko. It wasn’t the most professional approach — I slid into their Twitter DMs. Neither of us has access to the account that sent the message anymore, but Martha, who replied, gave me a chance.
I’ve always loved telling stories. I genuinely believe it’s one of the greatest skills anyone can have — whether as a gister, a person, or in the workplace. Every year, without fail, I convince myself that I don’t care about Apple’s latest release. I claim I’m only watching the Apple event to see if they’ll outdo themselves with storytelling. And yet, every year, I sit there, mesmerised, watching a brand so masterful at storytelling that they’ve turned a product launch into a global event.
Good stories matter. That’s why, in marketing, we’re always chasing testimonials — because people like me, who are review-obsessed, need proof that someone used the product, loved it, and highly recommends it. And if the purchase was impulsive? It means the ad was compelling enough to make me move. Whether in an ad or a testimonial, a story must have left an impression.
We learn the usual marketing fundamentals — understanding customers, interfacing with products, and figuring out how to explain them better. But the best way to market anything is to tell a better story. Carve out your thoughts, shape the narrative, and make it compelling.
As an astute yapper (a cool, reclaimed, rebranded term for chatterbox), I start most of my gist with “Let me tell you something.” That’s exactly how I think about marketing. It’s about having something to say, knowing what you have to say, and delivering it to the right audience at the right time, in the right way.
What are the brands I pay the most attention to? It’s not just about the value they provide — something made me stay. And whatever that something was, it has been consistent since my first encounter with them. How good was the first article I read? Was the reel I saw interesting? Was there some personality behind their marketing? Or did they simply hack being cute, and instead of telling stories in words, they did it in other forms? At the end of the day, the only result that mattered was that I paused, carried out an action, and came back. The goal for every well-done marketing effort.
I like to think I’m a voracious media consumer and love reading. Whenever I come across work from Nigerian media companies dedicated to storytelling, I feel inspired. I am inspired to craft better stories, pay more attention to the world around me, and find a way to grab and retain people’s attention — just like they’ve done with mine.
Since Zikoko, I’ve transitioned across industries — from PropTech to media, food and hospitality supply, and logistics. Wildly different industries, yet all tied together by the need for storytelling. Honing my craft as a storyteller always makes for a smoother transition, whatever changes occur, and the excitement from that is better than psychedelics. I can assure you
Not that you asked, but here is a very short list of my current favourite Nigerian newsletters that involve a lot of storytelling:
📌 Vistanum — The “F” in Fu’ad is for Fantastic Storyteller.
📌 Communiqué — The team is working very hard to make Beyoncé proud, and it shows.
📌 Technically Marketing — There’s nothing a chronically online, amazing storyteller girlie can’t sell to me, and this newsletter proves it. Have I finally watched When Harry Met Sally? Not yet. But I’m on it.
