We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Nigeria Anderson a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Nigeria, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today So let’s jump to your mission – what’s the backstory behind how you developed the mission that drives your brand?
Urban Buzz Magazine Where Key Players Speak! was not designed to just interview those in entertainment, but be another partner for promoting their product or music in a positive way. Therefore, I will not support anything I don’t believe in. This is a role I have stood by since 1999. It is my goal to provide inspiring information and quality news as content to develop solutions to some of the industry issues and balance out the pros and cons. All to provide readers with an experience of what it takes to achieve their goal.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
Nigeria Anderson, is the founder/CEO of Urban Buzz Magazine, an online entertainment publication. We launched in 1999 in the midst of the black music era of hip-hop and R&B. I enjoy speaking to people and listening to music and Urban Buzz Magazine has provided that enjoyment for over 22 years. Urban Buzz Magazine Where Key Players Speak! It was designed to provide the reader with a backstage experience of the entertainment industry. Allowing our guests to speak freely and candidly about the pros and cons of their business. More importantly, to honor those who have paved the way.
I have always been interested in entertainment since I was a young girl. I had friends who worked in radio and publication. I wanted a hook up but it never happened.(laughs) I am very ambitious. So I decided to launch my own magazine and Urban Buzz Magazine was launched. Transferring from print to online was the best thing ever. Owning a magazine is not an easy feat. You have to interact with printers, graphics, agents, managers, talent and deadlines. Which means you are always waiting on someone else to help complete the task. In order to make the wheel spin. Being online has made life much easier. Now it’s an email and a download. However, I am still mastering how to provide the best quality product online as well.
Since COVID, we are working on some collaborations to provide additional quality entertainment for our website. I am working with independent film directors, recording artists and comedians to provide exclusive content for our media page. I have been combing through content to make sure I’m providing the quality our audience has enjoyed for our brand thus far.
I have treated Urban Buzz Magazine like a talk show but in print with an audio component. Our tagline where key players speak! It has a purpose. We only do interviews if we can actually speak to the person. We do not do reviews or repost bios. I remember buying a magazine because Janet Jackson was on the cover. Of course I am a Janet fan. When I paid my $3 and sat down to read it, it was her bio, the same info from another magazine article I had read a few months back. I was so upset. I never brought another magazine. For this reason, if you do not want to speak to one of our interviewers, we will pass. Where Key Players Speak! It provides authenticity and brings the listener in.
I am proud of the Urban Buzz Magazine brand. We have been consistent, our followers know what to expect and we want our readers to know they can trust the news we bring. NO FAKE NEWS. I come from an era of real reporting. So, I will keep that format and not change to click bait tactics. I have a saying: as long as there are people on the earth, someone will like what we do. Currently, we are working on providing entertainment experiences, through team collaboration, to increase engagements and things are really looking good. I want Urban Buzz Magazine to be that site you go to and know you will find a great interview, new film, and a premiere video or the next hot recording artist.
What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?
When you own a business, your reputation and integrity are everything. Urban Buzz Magazine is an information news outlet for people who want to know the who, what, where and how about entertainment. Making sure we give them the right information is vital. If, for one minute, people think you are trying to manipulate them or provide poor service. Game over.
We built the brand on Where Key Players Speak! To represent that we have the right information by speaking to those we interview. Which helps to validate the brand. By speaking to an individual or meeting them in person adds value. It helps to build relationships. I appreciate social media helping expand a brand’s reach. However, there is nothing like an introduction. Another one of my mantras; you’re one introduction away to your next level. I value relationships. Connecting in person or by phone creates a reputation others will enjoy or not. The key to any good business is to win the trust of your demographic.
Any thoughts, advice, or strategies you can share for fostering brand loyalty?
Key players are family. I have been invited to thanksgiving, birthdays, weddings, and concerts by those I have interviewed. I return the favor by staying on top of birthdays, special occasions and personal calls. I like to align with the vision and marketing plan of those we interview, to see if there is a collaboration opportunity. Urban Buzz Magazine has assisted in promoting and sponsoring various events with many key players we’ve interviewed. We don’t ambush our guests if they want to share a TMZ story. Cool but we never bring it up. We enjoy going beyond the touch points of the conversation. Through these strong connections, Urban Buzz Magazine continues to be relevant. We serve and give back to the entertainment community which we enjoy sharing news about.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.urbanbuzzmag.com
- Instagram: @urbanbuzzmag
- Twitter: @urbanbuzzmag
Image Credits
urban buzz magazine