How To Start Advertising Agency In Nigeria

Advertising is a way of promoting brand, image, products, and services of a company. An advertising agency is a professional service provider.

It deals with the art and science of developing and deploying effective and targeted advertisement efforts for meaningful returns on investment.

An advertising agent is someone who promotes the campaigns of or for a company, its reputation in a bid to convince the consumers to purchase their products.

Read Also: Top 10 Ideas On How To Advertise Your Business In Nigeria

An advertisement agent or advertising agency believes in and promotes the quality and quantity of the products being produced by such a company that an advert is promoted for.

In Nigeria, an advertisement is a pill for any company that is facing huge challenges in making the consumers believe in what they produce for the people in and outside the country.

Profitability Of The Business

There are a lot of benefits being attached to an advertising agency business in Nigeria. Some of them are:

Reliable to Operate: This is a business that will give absolute security of job because you are protected by the law to operate effectively. If you do not go against the will and rule of the law, in Nigeria, your business is intact forever.

Focus and Steadfastness: This industry will make you focused and steadfast in life. Your client’s interest is your goal and you do not want to disappoint them. Hence you will be steadfast all the time.

Not Expensive to Run: Advertising business can be launched with any amount you have. You only operate within the limitations of your capital.  

Read Also: How to start online advertising in Nigeria

An Advertising Agency Business Structure

There are two ways in which you can operate your business. You can focus on online advertising or you can run advertising agency offline.

While doing online advertising agency, your advertisement may come in the form of texts or graphics such as video clips which will show your clients products and services. As an online advertising agency, you need a website where your clients can visit you for your service.

When it comes to operating your advertising business offline, you will need an office space in the city or town within the country.

If you have an office, you can do both online advertisements as well as offline advertisements. A form of offline advertisement is the advertisement on billboards.

In this case, cities like Lagos, Abuja are the best places for you to operate. In Lagos, there are so many companies who are in need of a good advertising agency.

Lagos is a commercial city. Just like Lagos, Abuja will be good for your service because it is the administrative seat of the federal government of Nigeria where different publications are made almost every day. 

Competition and Opportunities

In Nigeria, there are opportunities for you to get more clients in the cities such as Lagos and Abuja.  But there is huge competition in those areas because those cities are the focus of other advertising agencies.

Nevertheless, you can still get more clients. All you need to do is to maintain your standard and ensure that there is creativity in the quality of services being rendered to your clients.

Read Also: 12 Advertising Ideas that Work Well in Nigeria

How to Start Advertising Agency Business In Nigeria

Before you start your advertising business in Nigeria, you need knowledge, experience as well as the funds to kick off. Training will bring knowledge while experience will come on-the-go. And then comes knowledge.

Training

For you to be outstanding, creative and unique, you need knowledge in the field of advertisement business. You can acquire this knowledge from school.

Although there is no special advertising school in Nigeria, at least yet known to me, there are some courses you can study in the Polytechnic or University that will make you an expert in the field.

For instance, mass communication is one of the courses in Nigerian universities which teaches students how to do advertisement in the media.

Apart from learning the art and craft in the school, you can also do an internship in one of the leading advertising agencies in the country.

If you want to do your internship, Lagos could be your best place. There, you will learn and know how to relate to your clients and tackle challenges of competition.  

Fund or Capital

The capital you need to commence your business depends on your financial ability. You can start with any amount. If you do not have enough fund, online advertisement is the best for you. But if you have enough, having an office is good.  

Material and Non-material Requirements For Startup 

Before you start advertising agency business, you need to get the following ready:

Obtain a local Businesses Permit

This is the first step you need to take before starting your business. This means that you register your company with the government and get certified. The place to go here is the Corporate Affairs Commission of Nigeria (CAC).

Read Also: 12 Advertising Ideas that Work Well in Nigeria

Technology

You need technology for effective performance in this business. This profession cannot do without technology. You need a good website, with a paid domain name, hosting and maintenance as at when due. The following are other technological devices/gadgets you may also need:

1. Photo Scanner

2. Computers

3. Printer

4. Phone

5. Fax

6. Digital camera

7. Other things you need include your company’s business card, stationery, tax certificate, high-speed internet service etc.

Management

You need active management of your office. You need to get an advertisement manager too. Other employees must have experience in advertising and creative. Your workers must be experts, hardworking and goal oriented. 

Advertisement

You are wondering why an advertising company should advertise itself. Of course, they should. If you have your office, you can create a vacant billboard, write your contact details and tell your audience why they need to choose you or your company to advertise their business(es).

Business Sustainability

For the sustainability of your business, you need to meet up with the deadline at all times. Avoid disappointing your clients.

Make sure that there is creativity in your advertising efforts. For the sustainability of your company, please see the following section on advertising agency sustainability & productivity tips.

Advertising Agency Sustainability & Productivity Tips:

Creativity and Uniqueness

Understand that your clients are looking for the best advertising company in town for maximum returns on investment. So, make sure that your adverts are unique and creative to attract and keep more clients in your company.

Incentive

To make your clients stay with you forever, you can subsidize a certain percentage of the money you usually charge them. This may not be every time, but it should occur once in a while.

Beat Deadlines

Quick delivery is one of the key things that will make your company sustain its reputation for years. You should deliver your service before the deadline. 

Read Also: 11 Best Places to Advertise Online In Nigeria

Summary

Advertising is a professional service rendering business. It does not require a huge capital to kick off, but the major thing that one should not miss is good management and quick delivery to keep the clients in your office, and even more, coming in.  Get more business ideas here

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