We might have just launched a podcast—or something like it. Rather than a traditional “podcast” with all its expectations, I am excited to bring you an audio experience featuring insights from guest experts. I know some people prefer learning through listening, so we’ll be converting selected written content, both past and upcoming, into audio versions for those who enjoy learning on the go.

Today’s guest is Yemi, the Content Manager at Rise, recently promoted as the Content Lead, Africa overseeing content for multiple Rise-owned products including Chaka. In this session, he shares his expertise on topics like:

• How Rise selects its content topics, focusing on key themes and areas of impact
• Leading a fast-paced content team in a fintech setting where speed and accuracy are essential
• Training his team to maintain high standards through key practices that ensure consistent accuracy and reliability.

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Risevest: Mastering Content... Nov 9 · In the Marketing Room 25:01   ​

You can now listen to the audio version of the newsletter on Spotify, Listen to this newsletter here :)

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Sauce Of The Day:

Here’s what he has to say—in his own slightly edited words.

Yemi’s interesting career backstory

So, my journey in content marketing? It really started at Rise. But before that, I was a project manager at a real estate firm in Ikoyi, and I even earned my PMP certification. Then, one day, I got bored. I felt unappreciated and I didn't feel motivated as the industry was dominated by an older generation. After a particular incident at work that didn’t sit right with me, I handed in my resignation and thought, "Maybe it's time to move into tech."

At that time, I’d been writing on Facebook; mostly political content about Nigeria, the presidency, and the economy. (I studied political science in university, so it was a natural interest.) About a week after resigning, I saw a tweet from Eke, the CEO of Rise, looking for a researcher. I messaged him saying, "Hi, Eke. I’m interested, though I’m not sure I fully fit the description." He replied and asked me to write about five American companies that had performed well in the U.S. stock market over the past year, along with another topic I can’t quite remember.

With time on my hands, I did the research and sent it to him earlier than I’d promised. He was impressed and offered me the job. That’s how I got into tech!

When I joined, I thought I’d be doing research. On my first call with Fuad, who was my boss then, he told me, "Forget research. What we need is a writer. Can you write?" I thought, “Why not?” And that’s how my content journey began.

Over the years, I’ve refined my skills by working at Rise, learning how to align content with company goals.
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Climbing the ladder from “just the execution guy” to “the strategy guy”

So when I first started, I worked mainly with the MoneyRise team. MoneyRise is the storytelling branch of the company, where we use blogs and content to tell stories. Fuad was the lead, and I was helping him. But Fuad wasn’t the type to hold your hand; he’d throw you right in. If there was an article to write, he wouldn’t just write it himself. He’d make you research, draft, and do everything.

Six months in, Fuad got a job at another company. Eke, the CEO, was torn between promoting me to lead or bringing someone else in. He called me into a meeting…

I was like, “Can you do this thing? Do you think if I let you take charge of it, would it be worth it?” I told him that I’ve been learning for the past six months. I’ve worked on this, I’ve worked on that, but I didn’t think I could handle it all. And he just let me run the whole thing. That’s how we got to where we are today.

Six months later, I started shaping my own vision of what I wanted MoneyRise to look like and how I wanted our content to feel. From there, we began telling different kinds of stories.

We started doing what we call the “deep dives.” We solidified our newsletter. We introduced every other piece of content you see today. Before, I was just the guy executing ideas. I’d come up with something, execute, and that was it.

But after six months, I was the one starting the whole process. I have to say, a lot of this is thanks to the CEO’s support. It really makes a difference if you have a CEO who believes in you.

If you have someone who trusts you and thinks you can do it, that’s the most important part. His whole thing is, “Can you do it?” And you say yes. You don’t have to be perfect; you just have to try, and he’ll give you the opportunity.

It’s really a combination of talent and opportunity coming together. That’s my story.

Tired of reading? Listen to the complete conversation at your convienece

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Risevest: Mastering Content... Nov 9 · In the Marketing Room 25:01   ​

The secret ingredient is a supportive leader

Many content managers, marketers, strategists, and writers struggle with that. So that’s the key—get a CEO or a stakeholder who actually believes in you.

If your CEO believes in what you’re doing, if they read and engage with your work, it makes a world of difference. There are days you finish writing and aren’t sure it’s good enough, but he listens and values your input. Sometimes, he’ll even pop into Slack to acknowledge a job well done. If your CEO sees what you’re doing and values it, life is good for everyone involved.

Ferrari Only: How Rise plans their content to ensure speed and quality

At Rise, we work on a one-week content calendar. This aligns with our company’s philosophy. At Rise, we say we are Ferrari Only; like Ferraris on wheels—high quality and fast. A Toyota may be reliable, but it’s not as quick as a Ferrari. At Rise, we aim to be both.

We select content based on audience insights, industry trends, and business goals. Our content is focused on financial literacy, investment opportunities, and personal finance. We also ensure everything we create is timely and relevant.

For instance, every 15th of the month, both Nigeria and the U.S. release inflation reports. We plan around that date, knowing it’s coming. If there’s a global event—say, a crisis or a significant market move—we adjust and make space for it in our content, especially in our newsletter every Wednesday. If something urgent happens outside of that, we’ll send an email update immediately.

Every Monday, we have a marketing meeting to discuss last week’s accomplishments and set our goals for the current week. While we have some recurring items—like finance updates every Wednesday and our newsletter—we also have other content, such as investment articles and user stories, that we adjust weekly.
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Team dynamics are gears that move in sync

We currently have five team members: myself, Nduka, Cynthia, OVS, Temi, Kolore and Jide.

Temi handles SEO, Cynthia is the Assistant Content Director, Luca manages social media, OVS is the Assistant Community Manager and Kolore and Jide are Social Media Directors..

On managing these people especially with the need for speed and accuracy, the key is regular communication and collaboration. At Rise, everyone understands what they’re responsible for and the timing. We all live by our Ferrari Analogy. I handle the newsletter every Wednesday, no matter what. Cynthia handles MoneyRise user stories, and Nduka manages finance updates.

On Mondays, we set the week’s goals. If someone falls behind or faces a blocker, they can come to me or anyone on the team—we have an open-door policy. I even go to my manager for guidance if I hit a roadblock. It’s all about collaboration and communication; everyone helps each other to get the job.

I think it’s important to mention that we have a great culture at our workplace. For example, I can text my boss anytime to share my thoughts on what I’m working on. The door is always open for discussion, and that’s how we get things done. This culture cascades down through each department, so everyone knows their KPIs, what they’re supposed to do, and how their work contributes to our goals. We track our numbers, so we’re always aware of what we’re working towards.

If there are blockers, we know exactly who to approach for help.

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Heavy tech stacks does not equal to team productivity

For us, we use a straightforward Google Sheets as our marketing sheet. It's nothing fancy, but it has everything we’re doing as a department. In this marketing sheet, I can track content and social media management tasks, detailing what we need to achieve, the expected outcomes, and the deadlines. Every Friday, we review our progress, and then on Monday, we discuss the numbers in our team meeting. We assess what worked and what didn’t. This system keeps everyone informed about their expectations, so there’s no need for micromanagement.

In our marketing sheet, we track our activities, their status, the metrics we aim for, and our expected and actual outcomes. For instance, we might track our monthly community meeting: Is it in progress? Has it been completed? What is the target number of participants? This clarity helps us understand if we’re meeting our goals.

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Training teams for consistent quality, and maintaining consistent high standards

As for maintaining high standards in our work, training is an ongoing process at our company. Everyone participates in some form of training. We have access to Coursera and other learning resources, which the company pays for. I have several subscriptions that I use for professional development. We also hold regular training sessions that cover both the technical aspects of content creation and the specific compliance requirements of the financial industry. New team members go through an onboarding process where we teach them our writing standards and best practices.

Moreover, every piece of content I write goes through a review process. I don’t just submit my work and assume it’s perfect. It needs to be edited by someone who can ask questions and provide clarity. There’s also a final review to ensure everything meets our SEO standards and tone of voice.

We even conduct tests to see if someone not interested in finance can understand the content. I’ll ask someone outside of finance to read what I’ve written and explain it back to me to ensure clarity.

We make sure nothing goes out without at least three or four people reviewing it. It’s not about ego; it’s about ensuring quality. You might think something is perfect, but another perspective can help catch things you might have missed. For instance, if I write about a Muslim holiday, I want to ensure it’s sensitive to everyone’s perspectives. We have a close-knit working environment where everyone collaborates to uphold our standards.
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Tools in Yemi’s marketing toolbox

For work, I use a variety of tools, but some of my favourites are MailChimp and Grammarly. I really like MailChimp for email marketing because it’s user-friendly and makes designing emails straightforward. Grammarly is another essential tool for us—it ensures that our content maintains a consistent tone and style. Then there’s Google Analytics, which is invaluable. Ultimately, all our work is about understanding and improving content performance. It’s satisfying to check Analytics and see that a piece is resonating well.

For SEO, we use Ahrefs and SEMRush. Both tools are excellent for optimizing content and tracking our SEO progress. So, those are a few of the main tools I use, though we have others as well.

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What Yemi enjoys doing off the clock

Well, it’s funny because working in marketing and content often has me thinking about work even in my downtime! But I’d say football is a big one—I enjoy playing and watching it. When I’m not watching football, I might be relaxing with a movie or experimenting in the kitchen. People say my cooking isn’t the best, but I think I do a decent job!

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How To Use The Sauce:

A section to help you hit the ground running:

1. Jump in and adapt—opportunities open up when you do. Say yes to new roles and challenges, and let the journey shape your path.
2. Assign specific responsibilities for each team member—such as one person managing SEO and another handling finance updates. Clear roles prevent overlap and keep everyone focused on their tasks.
3. Onboard new hires with clear responsibilities and train them on team standards from start.
4. Have each piece of content reviewed by multiple people—when necessary to maintain standards. And to ensure simplicity and clarity for technical topics.

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What's Hot?

The only hot thing today is our new podcast audio content channel. Tell your friends to pull up, Kindly follow us on Spotify!

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Risevest: Mastering Content... Nov 9 · In the Marketing Room 25:01   ​

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