On this episode of Behind The Scenes, say hello to Daniel Orubo /Ow-ru-bo/, Head of Content at Piggyvest, filmmaker and founder of ConTech, a community for creators transitioning to tech. There’s a lot to unwrap in this interview with NerdEfiko – same person, don’t worry. This cool efiko has worked at Techpoint, Zikoko, Konbini, Backdrop and now Piggyvest.
He’s many things (you’ll find out as you read on) but the one thing he’s not is someone who sucks at what he does. Sure you might have read other pieces about Daniel but this is the one that will have you feeling like you took a joy ride into his brain and how it works.
Dive right in>>>
P.S.: If interviews are not your thing. It’s sad but here’s something we think you will love.
Hi Daniel, tell us about yourself.
My name is Daniel Orubo. I’m a content strategist by day and I try to be a storyteller in other aspects of my life. Professionally, I focus on content for B2B and B2C SaaS companies. My main job is Head of Content at Piggyvest, but I also freelance just so I keep my pulse on what’s happening in other industries. I think it has helped me keep my skills sharp.
When I’m not working, I enjoy film and storytelling. I directed an animated short film last year and produced a digital book that was a collection of joyful queer short stories. That’s just typically what I like doing. I find a way to create content or tell a story, I do that in my personal life and I do it at work too.
Tell us you’re a marketer without telling us you’re a marketer. Clock how he plugged Hanky-Panky, his short film and his digital book. Anyway, carry on.
Nice! Your username on X and Instagram is Nerd Efiko. What’s the story behind that?
My friends used to call me a nerd and an efiko in school. It used to kind of alternate. The funny thing is, I don’t think I really liked school. I just have a crippling fear of failure so I always read so I wouldn’t fail. Not like I was a typical efiko, you get? Anyhow, one day I saw the combination of “Nerd” and “Efiko” on a shirt in one of Wizkid’s music videos. I was like “yeahhh”
Shout out to Wizkid. So you’re a computer engineering graduate from Covenant University. How did you get into content marketing?
I got into it while I was in school. Odunayo Eweniyi and I were coursemates and we started a little blog together where we just used to write. I have always been interested in writing and I used to watch a lot of films and TV. I did a lot of reading and watched a load of YouTube videos.
Basically, I gravitated towards any kind of content. I found it compelling so I decided to try my hand at writing.
Not bad…
Yeahhh. I remember Odun and I wrote something together back at Covenant University. People thought it was good but I think in hindsight, it was bad. But I mean we just had to start from somewhere abi?
That’s how my passion for content came. Just to add, twitter was also an avenue for me to be creative in short little bursts and that’s how I got my first job at Zikoko. Seyi Taylor saw Odun and I’s tweet and went “Oh you guys are funny. Come and start this company that we’re creating for young people” and that’s how we were the first writers on Zikoko. Thanks to Twitter.
Essentially, this content and storytelling thing has always been in your blood. Very good!
You are the head of content at Piggyvest. That must be quite the shoe size to fill. What’s your day-to-day like and how do you handle it?
The thing is, it doesn’t feel like a challenge because I created the content in Piggyvest from scratch. There wasn’t a content department when I joined. I remember pitching to the company before I was hired. I wrote a document, telling them “This is what content can help achieve and this is how I can help Piggyvest achieve so and so with content. So if you hire me, this is what I will accomplish in the next three months”.
Such a power move.
Yeah, and I achieved what I set out to do in the first three months in the first month. After that, there was a sense of trust. Whenever I told them I wanted to try something, they were always like “Sure, go for it”. I don’t think I’ve ever pitched something my bosses refused. I only pitched something once and my boss, Josh, was like, “Daniel you’re juggling too much. Calm down” 😂
And that’s how we got our comic series, Grown Ups because I can’t think of any other company that would allow you to run a comic series. It seems so out of place but it ended up working. The savings report as well; it was full-on support. So yeah, because of that I consider it my easiest and most fulfilling job.
Easier than your time at Zikoko?
Ah! Working at Zikoko was hard. Having to be funny on command is hard.
The thing is, when you work at a company where content is the main driving force, it’s a different ball game. Different from where content is just complimentary as part of the marketing efforts. For Piggyvest it doesn’t feel like there’s a massive weight on my shoulders to always deliver virality. The fact that there is room for experimentation allows me to be a bit more creative.
You have a stellar track record. You live in London, correct?
Yeah, I just moved here.
So you’re team Japa?
I’m telling all my friends to run if they can. I know that not everybody can do it, but if you have the opportunity? Please carry your bag and run away 😂
Message received 🌚. What differentiates content marketers who get it from those who don’t?
I think the content marketers who get it are those who can look beyond themselves. You have to realize that you’re not just making it for you. While I don’t think that you should put out anything that you don’t truly love, you have to remember that you’re not the primary audience. That you find it compelling doesn’t mean your target audience will.
This is especially true for content marketing. It is not about you, it is about the product and the audience. It’s asking yourself, “What are the business goals?”, “What matters to the business?” and “What matters to the audience the business is trying to attract?”. For the audience you’re trying to attract, it’s asking questions about what they like, where you can find them, and the kind of content they engage with.
In a nutshell, content marketers that get it look beyond themselves. They don’t just assume or pick their preferences over what their target audience would actually engage with. It is about what would serve the business and the audience. Once that is cleared, then creativity can follow. So creativity comes last.
That was extensive and very packed.
Yeah, it’s a lot o. You know, it’s always funny to me when I see people who don’t do their research before pushing a strategy or tactic. Or when companies go “I think people will benefit from our blog”. How do you know? What things are you using to back that up? What makes a difference is when you’re data-driven and you think through what you’re trying to create before you create it.
You posted on LinkedIn about how awards are your thing. You have quite a few now, how does that make you feel?
Do I have a few? I don’t know o 😂
A passing lesson on humility for content marketers looking up to Daniel
(Stares in silence)
The ones I have are from Piggyvest and that’s nice. But I mean, it’ll be nice to win one from something else.
My likeness for awards comes from my love for film, TV and music. I love the Oscars, the Emmys, and the Grammys. Some people say that they’re not important, that they don’t always pick the right people. But sometimes they do and I’ve seen how impactful that can be. This year, Victoria Monet won “Best New Artist” and her song shot up the charts.
That’s exactly what awards do. It shines the light on people who otherwise might not have been discovered. So for me, I’m a big fan of watching people who I think have done great work, get rewarded. For instance, when I got nominated for the no-code tech awards, I was very happy because I think I did good work as a content marketer last year
You did.
Yeah, and Contech did amazing as a community as well. I was very proud of that. Even though we didn’t win, it was still nice to be acknowledged. I can’t form and be like “Oh no. I don’t care”. I can do the craft and care about awards please 😂
Solid, two truths can co-exist.
In 2021, you put out a post calling for a writer/editor. What was interesting is that you basically said “Fill out this form. If you are the right fit, we will reach out to you. No CV required”.
What exactly were you looking out for? And today, is that still valid when hiring for that role?
Oh yeah. I do not care about CVs. If I’m looking for a content creator, I’m looking for a creative person. Someone who thinks out of the box. One thing I guage when looking out for roles of that kind is your taste. What do you consume?
You can’t be a great writer and when I ask what you consume, your response is “Instablog”. You can teach people to be better writers but you can’t teach them to have a good taste. They do it themselves by consuming quality content constantly.
Also, I honestly don’t care much about where you have worked before. All I care about is that you’re flexible, willing to learn and you’re constantly consuming content.
Let’s take it back a notch. You mentioned earlier that creativity comes last for content marketers who get it. But it’s there. So how do you tie the creative end of content marketing to business goals?
The first thing is finding your customers where they exist. When you find that out, you need to create content suitable for that particular channel. That’s where creativity comes in. Do something that stands out and captures the attention of your audience.
The things that make us stop when mindlessly scrolling through social media are sometimes so out of place, but that’s why it works.
That’s where creativity comes in. After you have done your research and figured out your customer base, then you use creativity to create the kind of content that would make them stop to take a look at it.
Any practical tips?
When I was at Zikoko, I experimented a lot. It’s the little things. I would post an article with a featured image and a headline, to see how it does. Post it again, the next week with a different featured image and headline and see how that covers.
Summarily creativity comes into play by asking how you can stand out from the crowd, make your content shine a little brighter and catch people’s attention a lot more. I get to add my creativity after I have done my work as a strategist.
That leads to the next question. What is the “Daniel Orubo” process for content creation?
First off, I genuinely believe I have taste and it’s because I have forced myself to consume a lot of content from YouTube videos, films, TV shows and lots more.
It has helped me figure out why I like what I like and gravitate towards the kind of content that critics love and audience love as well. That is what I’m aiming for. Content that has broad appeal but is also creatively strong. The process includes asking a lot of questions
- What are people talking about?
- What are people engaging with?
- What is the new lingo?
- How is language evolving?
- What topics do people care about?
I also do a lot of listening. Then there’s experimentation and testing. I don’t believe that everything you do is an instant hit but I always iterate. So yeah the formula would be experimentation after thorough research.
You’ve written several money mistakes on Piggyvest, which one remains the wildest you’ve put together to date?
Omo sorry O! I worked at Zikoko so there’s nothing I’m interviewing someone for at Piggyvest that can shock me anymore. The stories that Zikoko tells are insane. Nobody is creative enough to come up with those things. They are insane! I mean see Love life and Sex life. My bar for surprise is very high.
The only thing that surprises me these days is Nigerian politicians. After that, nothing else.
Nothing can shock you anymore. 😂 😂 😂
Nothing oh. I’ve heard some crazy stuff.
You started Contech a year ago and you guys have been nominated for “No-code Community of the Year”. What inspired you to start the community and have you achieved what you set out to?
My experience from media to tech inspired me to start ConTech. It felt very isolating, which was very funny because all of my best friends are in tech. They are all Founders, CTOs, CEOs and COOs, so nobody was working in the creative space of tech. They are proper tech bros, which is sweet, but no one could give me the kind of advice that I needed at the time.
I eventually figured it out and other people started to ask me questions regarding that. Questions like what course to take and what area of non-code tech to focus on. Those were the kind of questions I was asking too when I started. So, I reached out to Ope Adedeji who had the same trajectory, from working at Zikoko to working at Paystack. Together we created something that would help people like us navigate their way around bringing their creativity to tech. That’s what inspired us.
Amazing…
We have kept evolving. We’re still quite young, but we have grown faster than we thought we would. One of the things I wanted to do was provide people with scholarships to relevant online courses because they can be pretty expensive. Giving out full scholarships to people who deserve it has been nice. I’m grateful to all the people who have donated to the cause.
That’s a lot of work and dedication to a part of tech that isn’t as loudly acknowledged as the code counterpart. Well done.
Thank you
The tweet below is a testament to Blurpe’s commitment to No-code talents. We’ve been called the Andela for Marketers. That’s a “now” goal. Soon? Read the tweet to see what “soon” holds for us.
That’s exactly why you should do number one and follow up with whichever number applies to you.
- Follow Tryblurpe on Twitter, Instagram or LinkedIn.
- Go to our website to hire a marketer
- Join our talent pool.
Back to the interview. There’s more to catch up on with Daniel.
Now to your passion projects. There’s Hanky Panky and Feel Good. Why are you interested in telling queer stories?
I’m interested in telling stories that don’t get as much attention. Storytelling is boring when you tell the same things over and over again. With Feel Good and Hanky Panky, I tried to work on two different spectrums. With Feel Good, I just felt we needed positive queer stories. Positive queer stories aren’t really being told. Even with the ones I’ve seen, the plot just goes sideways and I ask myself “Ah ahn, did this person have to die?” 😂
I just wanted to tell stories where queer people found love, hope and acceptance.
You said two different spectrums. What about Hanky Panky?
I didn’t want to have a single narrative kind of story which is why hanky panky was important to me. It covered how being queer or queer-presenting in a country like Nigeria can come with its challenges.
I think storytelling is important because it changes minds. It makes people feel seen and I think that’s very validating as a human being.
You’re vocal about the positive recognition these stories get and you have received quite a few. Have you ever received backlash from private bodies, governmental organizations and the like?
I haven’t. I have gotten some messages from homophobic people saying that we’re pushing the queer agenda but that doesn’t faze me. I don’t care. I’m not someone who listens to negative feedback more than the positive ones especially if I genuinely believe I have done something good.
It might be my delusion but I trust my instincts a lot. So if I create something and your objection is not that it is bad but that you don’t think the story deserves to be told then I don’t think I can ever pay attention to that.
I would be upset if I created something people consider harmful. I’d look back and check if I did due diligence. I don’t focus on naysayers.
Fair enough. You’ve had experience with B2B marketing. How do you go about incorporating storytelling in B2B Content Marketing?
The first thing is, I 100% believe storytelling can work in B2B. Too many people think of B2B content and start acting like they are creating content for a building.
😂 😂 😂
Yes o! In my head, I’m like “It’s a human being you’re creating for”. Sure they might want to be serious, but I mean at the end of the day, you’re creating for actual people. Of course, storytelling will work. There’s no universe where storytelling is not going to work especially when you do well to portray the business as the solution to your customer’s pain point.
What people need to know about B2B is that it just takes a lot more convincing because you’re usually asking people to part with a lot more money. It takes them more to commit so you might need to add product demos but your case studies can be story-driven. As long as a human being is at the receiving end, storytelling will always work.
A question popped up on X a while back prompting people to think of “What if?” moments. What’s yours?
Hmmm. Let me think about that for a bit
one minute later
I mean, I don’t know where I would have been if Seyi Taylor had not invited Odun and me to work at Zikoko. It changed my life and changed my perspective about work. It shaped my approach towards content. It was analytical thinking not just “Oh I just want to create and be funny”. Zikoko taught me how to add strategy to creativity. So yeah, that’s my what-if moment.
Also, just the people I’ve met. Meeting Odun at Covenant University, Dami at Zikoko, Timi and Ire at Zikoko as well. These relationships and experiences validated how good I was at what I was doing because imposter syndrome can be such a downer. That’s it.
How has freelance life been treating you?
I like that the people I’ve gotten to work with are cool. All the feedback has been very positive. The part I don’t like is sometimes not being able to see a strategy – for which I came up with the groundwork – to the end.
You have it good…
There are some funny people. One time, I told someone my price and they straight up cut it by 70%. The person was saying “Just work with us, believe in us”. I was like “Please I’m too old to be doing that kind of thing abeg”.
Please oh
Okay 😂
Yup, that’s just one annoying part. For the larger part, I’m glad I’ve spoken to people who see the value in what I can do, the work I’ve done before and how I can bring that magic to their company.
You have a pretty interesting network. The invitation from Seyi to come work at Zikoko to Damilola Odufuwa’s offer to work at Konbini. Then there was Fu’ad Lawal’s seductive invite back to Zikoko and Odun’s invitation to Piggyvest.
After you share the oil on your head, please share tips for building a substantial circle.
That’s the thing. I actually suck at this networking stuff. Whenever people ask me, I say it wasn’t intentional.
I actually really like these people. I think that is my tip. If you treat every relationship as “I wonder how this person is going to help me in the future?”, people can smell that.
There’s a stench that comes off that. Just genuinely be interested in the person because if you come into a relationship with “This person has a lot of connections, maybe if I kiss their ass enough they’ll connect me”, I don’t think that’s going to get you anywhere.
Plus I’m a fan of complimenting people. If I see something I like, maybe about work, I’d drop a compliment. Not everyone in your professional setting has to be your friend but you can compliment things and people doing what you like and that’s one way to go about networking, I guess.
Apart from cooking, what’s one skill or talent you have that you rarely talk about but thoroughly enjoy?
I think I’m a very good dancer when I’m high.
Everyone thinks they’re great when they’re high but okay
I am sure I’m great when I’m high o 😂
Other than that I have a weirdly photographic memory. I might not remember an actor’s name but I can remember what film I saw them in or what TV shows they were in.
That’s a superpower. You should be protected. Do you think a startup that focuses on connecting marketing talents to companies looking to hire is a good one?
Oh definitely! As someone who hires people, I think hiring can be so difficult. I remember the hiring question you asked earlier, for that I had to go through over 1000 applications. I eventually had to turn it off because “Enough of that” 😂
😂 😂
Almost half of the applications were from people who had never written before and had no sample to give me. But if there was a system that says, we’ve vetted these top 20 people. You guys now have the choice to pick, that would have been so much easier. I spent two weeks going through those applications. It was such a hassle. So I think yeah a startup like that is a great and necessary idea.
You know that’s what Blurpe does 🌚
Yeah. Yes I know
Very Very Good
😂 😂
Any advice for folks that want to do the kind of things that you do?
My advice is to be a consumer of content, that’s what makes you better. Read. Not just the kind of content you want to create, but all types. Fiction, non-fiction too. Have a critical eye and Interrogate what you read. Also if you want to create, just keep creating. That’s how you get better.
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