New 2013 survey reveals Rwanda’s social media users

A maiden media ranking has named President Paul Kagame top most public official using social media in the country. The Ejo Social Media Ranking Report 2013, the first in Ejo Social Media history, presents top 10 and top five social media users across the country, differentiated in seven categories including brands, tweeters, influencers on Facebook, public officials and institutions, causes and NGOs, journalists and media houses, and bloggers. The findings are based on facts and figures from up to 70 accounts collected over the last 12 months of 2013. Activities on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram and Flickr, the quality of posts, their influence and their innovation were put in consideration for the final ranking lists. Ejo Social Media is a social enterprise that specialises in social media marketing and management. In the category of public officials, President Kagame was ranked the first among the top five. The President has previously been listed among top African Heads of State most active on various social networks. He has been most active on the Net, especially via Twitter his handle @PaulKagame. Previously, President Kagame said he spares time for different online networks to be part of “whatever debate, whatever knowledge there is to share.” According to media experts of Ejo Social Media, President Kagame is “inspiring many young Rwandans and encouraging leaders to join and use social networks to express views and interact”, and therefore the best social media user 2013 in the category of public officials. Others in this category are ministers Jean Philbert Nsengimana (Youth and ICT), Dr Agnes Binagwaho (Health), Louise Mushikiwabo (Foreign Affairs) and Prime Minister Pierre Damien Habumuremyi. Rwanda National Police led a pack of important public institutions that used effectively the social media in 2013 to reach out to the public, followed by City of Kigali, and Migration. In organisations, Goethe Institut Kigali came top, followed by Imbuto Foundation and SolidAfrica, in informing the online world about their activities and programmes and organisations TNT is top media The New Times publication led as “the most active media house on social media,” according to the report, followed by Kigali Today, KFM radio, Flash FM and Radio Isango Star. “Social media has become an essential tool for Rwanda to tell its story to the world and many believe it will become the most important communication tool of this century,” the report says. Top brands making the best of their abilities on social media were named as MTN Rwanda, The ServiceMag, Tigo Rwanda, Illume Creative Studio, Rwanda Clothing, RwandAir, Bourbon Coffee Shop, Bank of Kigali, Youth Connekt and Shokola Cafe. Lucy Mbabazi, a public policy and IT specialist, was recognised for being the most active Rwandan Twitter user in 2013. Minister Binagwaho’s Monday sessions on Twitter are said to be interactive and informative, which makes the ministry responsive to feedback. “This ranking was done right. Keep up good work …deserved the recognition indeed and we look forward for more informative tweets,” Livingstone Nkusi wrote of President Kagame and [Lucy] Mbabazi. The survey was geared to understand how people and institutions are using social media, the impact on daily and on institutional life, and develop strategies that facilitate conversations that bring the world closer, make people discover their potentials in telling their own stories through major social media platforms, according to Allan Gatera, Ejo Social Media communications assistant. Gatera said Ejo Social Media normally keeps a close eye on Rwanda’s social media sphere and follow users’ activity on a daily basis–also using online metric tools–but spent last two months of 2013 analysing data and getting the raw info ready for the ranking. A report by Portland Communications, a political consultancy and public relations agency in 2012 placed Rwandans seventh top users of Twitter in Africa.