It’s crazy how some people are able to keep up with everything going on in several different industries at the same time.

If you ask them for the latest gist in the entertainment industry, they’ll tell you a dozen latest happenings.

Politics? They’ll tell you everything.

Sports? They’ll even give you gists that aren’t mainstream.

Of course, it’s good to be well-rounded in terms of current affairs and information. But keeping up with every single trend, even totally insignificant ones? Then that’s probably a sign that you need to do something (more) with your life and get busier.

Speaking of gists in the entertainment industry though… This time last week the whole Naija internet went berserk over celebrities fighting each other online.

Wizkid vs. Davido

Wizkid vs. Don Jazzy (basically his guys)

Kizz Daniel vs. Tekno

Etc.

Most of it started with Wizkid calling Don Jazzy an influencer.

I understand why people, including so many celebs, were berating Wizkid about it. He said it in a demeaning way.

Other than that, what is wrong with Don Jazzy being an influencer?

I’m not here to take sides, as it’s not my business. I’m only particular about that word “influencer”. And I’m looking at it from the angle of an entrepreneur and marketer.

So let’s check the dictionary: who is an influencer?

Generally, influence is the capacity to have an effect on the character, development, or behaviour of someone or something.

So, an influencer is someone who has such capacity, yeah?

Good.

But in marketing and social media terms (which is what Wizkid was referring to), it’s a person with the ability to influence potential buyers of a product or service by promoting or recommending the items on social media.

Now look at both definitions and tell me how it’s a bad thing to be an influencer in any of those capacities.

If we go by these definitions strictly, then not only is Don Jazzy an influencer, Wizkid is an influencer too.

Both of them have in one way or another shaped the music industry (definition 1) and they both promote stuff on social media (definition 2) whether it’s someone else’s product/service or their own music.

At least Wizkid promotes on social media his music, his shows, products from his endorsements, other people’s music, etc.

I understand that this is not a fun argument in the whole saga. But as business owners and marketers, we need to think differently when things like this happen and pick useful lessons.

As a business owner, you MUST become an influencer. It should be one of your goals.

Whether it’s through your personal brand or your business brand, and whether it’s in your niche professionally or personally (like a personal blog), you should have some influence online.

Don Jazzy is one of the best in the music business and having almost 16M followers on IG is a part of business!

No, my gait would probably change with pride.

I’m sure Don Jazzy has no problem being called an influencer (he even won major influencer awards in the past) and that should be your goal too.

Be an influencer in your industry.

Be well known.

Be able to sway people towards anything you want to promote, whether it’s a product, a service, a brand, a person, an idea or a thought.

That is when you get to the peak of your career — when people buy things JUST because you asked them to!

Cheers to lifelong influence.

"She tell me say, my baby tell me say" midget.