Interview with Lindi Mngaza, founder of Explode Social Media
Find out how Lindi Mngaza from Explode Social Media empowers brands through strategic influencer marketing and creating viral organic content that drives revenue. And why her innovative approaches and success stories with various brands make her a standout in the field.
What’s your career background?
I started doing business-to-business sales at the age of 17. I didn’t go to university but was phenomenally good at sales. I went on the TV show The Apprentice, then started working in a group of manufacturing and engineering businesses that were bought and sold by a friend of mine. I would then go in as sales director. This allowed me to understand how to work in different types of businesses and sell to anyone.
I then set up my own celebrity magazine sales business and successfully sold Lorraine Kelly’s and Tess Daly’s magazines for about seven years. When people stopped reading magazines, I pivoted to social media and started Explode Social Media six years ago. I haven’t looked back since. We are now a team of 15 marketers exploding in the social space, working with phenomenal brands to help them go viral.
How did you move from idea to actual business?
I’m a “jump and find a parachute on the way down” kind of girl. I found an opportunity, saw it, set up a website, and ran as fast as I could towards it.
What’s your USP?
Our unique selling point is that we are young, diverse, and creative. We can create engaging, relevant content faster than anyone else that actually works on social media. We don’t create over-curated catalogue videos that don’t sell products; we create captivating social media content that excites people and causes a reaction.
Who’s your target audience?
We work primarily with big destinations, food, and retail brands. We’re phenomenally good at understanding their customers, doing clever activations to get footfall, and creating a buzz around influencers and celebrities shopping, eating, and dancing in places that make others want to go there.
How do you spread the word about what you do?
We spread the word about what we do via social media. My Instagram handle is @lindi__1, and my LinkedIn is lindi-mngaza-83b34a33. I post regularly and speak at events so people know who we are, where we are, and what we do. I’m a hunter. I go out and get leads the old-fashioned way by calling people and emailing them personally to start a conversation.
What’s been your most successful marketing strategy?
Our most successful marketing strategy has been meme jacking. We’ve worked with people like the four lads in jeans, taking them to the Bull Ring Shopping Centre and going viral nationally and internationally. We look at social media celebrities and influencers and use their influence to make a brand cool and relevant.
What’s been the biggest obstacle you’ve had to overcome?
The biggest obstacle I’ve had to overcome is scaling the business. It’s challenging whenever you win a lot of business very quickly or lose a lot of business very quickly. Most businesses fail when they grow too quickly or lose business too quickly. I’ve experienced both scenarios many times. It’s about keeping a cool head, knowing that you’re always going to win, and meticulously planning cash flow and staff management to stay on top.
What’s your proudest moment so far?
My proudest moments are the little things. It’s when staff tell me how much they enjoy working for such a vibrant organisation, or when clients tell me that they’ve worked with other agencies but nobody understood them like we do, and we’ve helped them succeed. For me, it’s the small things that make the journey worth it. It’s not about reaching one big milestone; it’s about making the journey exciting for everyone involved.
Who inspires you?
I’m inspired by anyone with a can-do attitude. I look up to people like Stephen Bartlett, Emma Grede, and Beyoncé. They have overcome the odds and succeeded with style, grace, and determination.
What are your three top pieces of advice for someone wanting to do something similar?
- Do something that makes you feel alive. There’s no point in doing something that makes you unhappy. We spend so much time at work; make it enjoyable and fun.
- Appreciate the little things. It’s not just about the destination; it’s about the journey.
- Be the best at whatever you do. Put your all into it, no matter what.
Find out more about Explode Social Media.
