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Bongani Ndlovu, Showbiz Correspondent
THE inaugural Zimbabwe Social Media Awards are on the cards to celebrate individuals and brands that are producing innovative content and excelling at utilising social media.

The awards, organised by Tribe of Influencers, will be held in August in Harare.

Twenty two categories have been set, with some being Top Facebook Live Influencer, Instagrammer of the Year, Twimbo of the Year, Facebooker of the Year, Best WhatsApp Group, Celebrity Influencer of the Year, Best Entertainment Influencer, Best Fashion and Style Influencer, People’s Choice: Social Media King and Queen.

Entries open on June 18 and close on July 2.

They are to be submitted through Tribe of Influencers Social media accounts.

According to Kudzanayi Tondhlana, Tribe of Influencers Business Development manager, entries are open to all Zimbabweans.

Winners will be determined through public vote and by a panel of experts and qualified judges.

“The Social Media Awards celebrate the influencers who’re excelling at using social media and connecting with their audiences. The judges will be looking for quality and originality of content, innovative use of social media, engagement, marketing and analytics,” said Tondhlana.

He said the panel of five judges would also be looking for social and online impact as well as popularity.

“This includes the work, campaigns and initiatives that they have previously done as brand ambassadors. An assessment of their likes, comments, overall engagement, views/reach, follows, shares/retweets,posting frequency and originality will also be looked at.

“The public will then vote for their favourite influencer in their respective category to come up with an overall winner.”

The judges will include esteemed people from advertising agencies, a veteran content creator, digital agency, New Media publication and marketing manager,” said Tondhlana.

To enter, one’s social media account must be for a Zimbabwean individual /brand and must have a minimum of 5 000 followers.

“Nominees must have a social media presence of no less than six months and the account must be open to the public.”