“Social media is not one off, it is a constant channel where you can get instant feedback,” says Prahlad Kakar, advertising guru and also one of the panellists on the Social Media Day event to be held today (June 30). *See Disclosure
Kakkr points out that social media need not be integrated with the mainstream as it will allow people to say what they want without any interference or censorship. “I’d much rather that it not be in the mainstream than on the fringe,” he mentions.
On being asked whether or not he sees a shift in consumer behaviour, Kakar readily agreed that he sees a major shift in the pattern. “Absolutely, there is a massive shift among youngsters. They’re buying online and are highly influenced by what is trending,” he explains. The behaviour of consumers shows businesses who people want to buy from, and how consumers find the right company for them to consistently use, this is why businesses need to hone their internet marketing to appeal to the customers they want to visit their sites.
But have brands accepted social media as an important medium?
Kakar is of the opinion that brands are making social media a very crucial part of them. He further explains that brands will go to agencies that specialise in social media than those that are still fumbling with it.
“The future of social media in my opinion is interaction. We still haven’t come to terms with that. When an advertisement is put on television, we have to get the audience to come back as they just look at it and absorb it. There is no instant feedback,” he states.
On advising agencies as they plan a communication strategy, Kakar suggests that the ratifications from youngsters on social media is instant. “If they dislike it, they move on. They don’t ponder over it too much. So therefore, you plan a campaign around dialogue where stories can be told,” he said.
Gautam Ghosh was is a Consultant in HR and was earlier Director – Talent Branding at Flipkart will also be speaking at the forum. “The scope to communicate a company’s culture via social media is immense, leveraging the employees and leaderships network,” says Ghosh. Along with talking about the tools that would aid such social media connect he will list out the perils and common mistakes companies make as well. All the more reason to attend it is Ghosh feels, “That in the future we’ll see a lot more roles focused on employer Branding and Storytelling. A lot of creative folks would be moving to such roles, in industries that are battling for talent.”
Also, scheduled to speak is Kiruba Shankar, a digital entrepreneur, author, teacher, podcaster and a farmer. He is the CEO of Business Blogging, a social media consulting firm. Shankar will be emphasising on the growing importance of Podcasting and its relevance for brands. He stands strong on his view that podcasts are the new thing, “Podcasting is a potent original content generation mechanism. Audio podcasts in particular are a wonderful multi-tasking medium and is great for listening when you are on a run, walk or driving. It’s a good storytelling medium and something that brands should seriously look into.” He will dwell deeper into this theory and backed by his view points. At a time where quality of content is debated so much, Shankar trusts certain techniques to generate better content when marketing on social media, “Crowdsourcing is a powerful mechanism. Tapping into the wisdom of the crowds is a good way to develop a strong community and it increases audience engagement. SnapChat has of late become quite popular and its usage has really skyrocketed in the last year. This is an area that brands should seriously look into.” There will be more of this tomorrow at Social Media Day.
A highlight of the day is a session by Tanvi Bhatt, a personal branding expert who also writes on all things personal branding under her signature column ‘Brand YOU’. Bhatt firmly believes that the future of branding are videos, “video empowers you to offer a first hand, authentic and personal experience of what your brand is all about.” And this further propagates what she means when she says, “Every single person must opt for personal branding. Your age, experience, designation, status doesn’t matter today. If you wish to stay relevant and be 2 steps ahead of your competition- you need to start building the Brand YOU. Attend the Social Media Daye event and let Bhatt give you a preview into how to build a powerful brand for yourself.
*Disclosure: Pune 365 is Media Partner of Social Media Day
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