How a 24-Year-Old Nigerian Marketer Built a ₦20 Million Business on WhatsApp

[justseyi]

How a 24-Year-Old Nigerian Marketer Built a ₦20 Million Business on WhatsApp

Almost everyone in Nigeria uses WhatsApp — to chat with friends, keep up with family groups, send memes, or get the daily “good morning” messages from that one persistent auntie. But while most people use it casually, a 24-year-old entrepreneur has turned the platform into a thriving business, earning as much as ₦20 million in a single year.

Her name is Kita, the founder of Kitarific, a marketing agency that helps entrepreneurs grow their brands. What started as an accident has now become a structured business, complete with sales funnels, digital products, CRM systems, and even a dedicated team.

From Accidental Hustle to Big Business
Kita’s journey began when she launched a YouTube channel teaching people how to break into tech for free. To spread the word, she reached out to a WhatsApp influencer who showed her how to host classes and generate leads from WhatsApp communities. She gained over 1,000 subscribers almost instantly, and her first free class became so popular that people began asking her for more.

Encouraged by the demand, she created paid programs and within three months was making ₦300,000 to ₦400,000 selling knowledge online. What had started out “for fun” quickly transformed into a serious revenue stream.

The Power of Energy and Extra Effort
Selling information online isn’t straightforward. As Kita explains, “People can’t see or touch the product, so the way you market it makes all the difference.”

Her strategy relies on enthusiasm, consistency, and trust. She pours energy into her classes, creates engaging videos, designs landing pages, writes compelling copy, and refines her WhatsApp pitches until they work. She doesn’t stop at making content — she also consistently follows up with interested leads until they’re ready to buy.

Customer reviews play a huge role in her success. Many of her students have secured jobs or built thriving businesses from her teachings, and their testimonials attract even more learners. This cycle of proof and delivery has made her brand stand out in a crowded market.

Building Trust in a Skeptical Market
Earning credibility is one of the biggest challenges for Nigerian online businesses, especially on WhatsApp where scams are common. For Kita, trust is built over time. Some clients buy within days, while others take up to three years before committing.

Her approach? Consistency. She posts daily on her WhatsApp status, responds quickly to messages, shares reviews, and shows her personal journey — including behind-the-scenes glimpses of her work and lifestyle. By giving both content and context, she makes people feel like they’re part of her world.

Her Sales Funnel: Free Value First, Selling Later
Kita’s sales process is deliberate. Every three to four times a year, she plans campaigns months in advance — creating flyers, marketing videos, and free WhatsApp classes designed to attract her ideal audience.

These classes often bring in 800 to 1,500 leads per round. Interestingly, she rarely sells anything in the classes themselves. Instead, she builds relationships afterward, using her WhatsApp status to nurture trust and showcase her products. When people are ready, they buy.

Even when potential buyers ghost her, she doesn’t stress. She simply follows up until they give her a definite “no.” Often, the follow-up leads to a “yes.”

Scaling with Systems
At first, managing 100 to 200 messages daily was overwhelming. Saving numbers, replying to DMs, and personalising responses felt like a full-time job. As her business grew, she invested in a CRM, email marketing, and trained salespeople to handle customer relations.

Broadcast lists and WhatsApp status updates remain her primary tools for launches, but email campaigns have now added another layer of engagement. She also hired an assistant to handle routine tasks, freeing her up to focus on strategy.

The Numbers Don’t Lie
Since starting out, Kita has sold about 15 different digital products. Her earnings have grown dramatically: ₦6 million in her first year, ₦20 million by 2024, and peak monthly revenues as high as ₦2.5 million during a big launch.

The growth hasn’t slowed down. With new systems and strategies, she’s positioning her business for even bigger milestones.

Advice for Aspiring WhatsApp Entrepreneurs
Kita insists that success doesn’t happen by chance — it requires the right skills and mentorship. She credits her growth to working with four different mentors who taught her specific aspects of business.

For beginners, she outlines six core skills:

Lead generation – attracting the right customers.
Offer creation – designing irresistible products.
Community building – fostering trust and loyalty.
Content creation – educating and informing potential buyers.
DM sales closing – converting conversations into sales.
Strategy development – creating short- and long-term business plans.
“These skills work no matter what you’re selling,” she explains. “I sell digital products, but the same strategies would apply if I were selling hair, shoes, or anything else.”

She’s also documented her full journey in her book Monetise Your Mind, where she shares lessons on how she built her business from scratch and turned WhatsApp into a multi-million-naira marketplace.

The Bigger Lesson
For Kita, WhatsApp marketing isn’t just about making sales. It’s about showing up daily, building real relationships, and playing the long game. In a world where many dismiss WhatsApp as just a messaging app, she’s proof that it can be transformed into a serious money-making machine.

From ₦300k in her early days to ₦20 million in a year, her story demonstrates that with creativity, consistency, and structure, even the simplest platforms can become powerful tools for wealth creation.

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