Leveraging Social Media to your advantage

There is so much hype around Social Media, and all companies are trying to use this medium to “sell” their products.

How far do we agree that this medium used for selling the product would prove to be beneficial?? If you ask me, if you are joining the “Social Media” paradigm just to sell your product – you are surely going to be doomed!!!

Imagine a marketer telling his customers about the product on the blog. It would merely look like as if he is “shouting” about the aspects of his product. How effective that would be??

Social Media is about establishing relationships, and networking with people – knowing them and connecting with them. One needs to get that bonding or connect before s/he can actually hit the nail and make a sale. Gone are the days, when you can make a forced sale to your customers, and now it’s very difficult to sell them “what they actually don’t want”. It’s a tact to create a need for your product and sell it to the customers – and by this, you might end up getting a “happy and loyal customer”.

Marketers believe that making a blog and promoting their brand would actually prove fruitful for their business and would improve their marketing ROI. Well…No..! This doesn’t really happen. Even after making a blog, this cannot guarantee success. As a matter of fact, one can never be sure or estimate how successful the Social Media activity would be – as it is about making a connection, and one may or may not be able to impress the other individual.

Social Media is a medium of understanding your customers and giving them what they want and understanding the reasons of there disconnect with the product (if any). Just starting a blog or having a Facebook profile, and adding people there would not serve the purpose. One needs to understand the customer and market the product what is actually suited to them.

An incident...Lesson learnt

It was winters, and I was driving back from work. Around 9-9:30 pm….and I guess by mistake, the dipper of the car was left on.

I entered my home lane, and another car was coming from the front. As the lane was narrow, coz of the car's parked on either side, I had to stop and let the other car pass first. So, I stopped….and the person in the other started and stopped next to my car, and opened his window. He knocked on my car's window, and I was surprised as well as hesitant….but the guy looked decent. He was rather very cute to look at

I opened the window, and he said, "Can I request you something"….i was shocked ..!!!!! Hesitantly, I replied "what's the matter"….this guy very sweetly said…"Im sorry to say, but please don't use dipper on roads, it becomes very difficult to drive"… hmm…I replied, "I'm sorry, I just forgot to turn it off…I'll keep that in mind"...

This was such a funny, at the same time a learning experience. Since that day, I haven't used dipper on roads (and I don't drive on highways)…and I always make sure that it's not on..

All I want to say is that if a message is conveyed in a proper manner, it is bound to make a mark. Had that guy been rude, or had blasted me…I'm sure I would have fought with him, and forgotten the incident. But the entire incident was so nice, that I still remember each and every word spoken that night. I can't recall that guy's face…however I remember he was driving a Zen

Google Adsense

Quite a surprise…I made this blog as I wanted to use “Google Analytics” on it and understand the various metrics used in that software. However, I never made my blog public or optimized it; as such there were hardly any hits.

I added “Google AdSense”, again with the purpose of learning the functionality of the software, and also to make money if anyone clicks on the ads.

Whenever I login in my blog, I see different ads floating around, and I always end up clicking on them…they are quite interesting!! Some of which I’ve already clicked upon include:

• Ad promoting gmail
• Some pregnancy site
• Sunsilk’s new ad campaign – Live can’t wait
• Ibibo – Don’t be a balti
• And just now, I clicked on an ad posted by an Analytics company based in Mumbai – Cartesian

Cartesian happened to be a “blessing in disguise”. I wasn’t even aware of this company and it is hardcore into analytics and also “Customer analytics” – so worth a shot..!!!

Note to the readers: Do click on the ads and help that campaign to be effective, and maybe you end up finding something interesting.

State of mind - A poem

This is not exactly a poem, as it doesn't rhyme – but expresses my feelings just so right. This is how I was feeling last night….depressed and lonely. :(

When I write, I feel light

Ah, once again the world looks so bright

Feel like again giving a fight!

Life’s a battle, and no one wants to loose

Only one gets happy booze, and can go on a cruise

Life is full of choices, and surprises

Lucky people get what they want

Only unlucky ones are left behind

Struggling to find their shore, and a reason to rejoice

Life gives so many chances

And one has to dance on that chance

However, that dance may not be the best dance !

One Life - One Job??

How would you react if you get to know that you need to do a “particular” type of job for the rest of your life; and you need to make that choice of taking up a particular job or stay unemployed for the rest of your life..!

This was one of the underlying theme in “The Bee Movie” that forced Barry B. Benson (the maincharacter- the Bee) to explore other options beyond the defined scope of his job.

Is it possible for us to do ONE type of job over and over again? Imagine, how monotonous that would be – same thing everyday. It surely would hamper personal growth of the individual due to lack of motivation and also the person would become complacent with that job.

When a person knows that there’s no scope for improvement or enhancement in personal growth, one tends to be demotivated and feels just lost.

It’s also a proven fact that any kind of imbalance in personal life affects professional life and vice-versa.

Another factor that is worth thinking is that Barry talks to humans – that was against the “Bee Law”. Had he not interacted with Vanessa (the human, who saved his life), the movie wouldn’t have been possible :-) The bee was enticed by that charming girl, and hence mustered the courage to talk to her. Everyone has a romantic side (even a bee!), however its just a matter of time, when a person showers their love on you. Everything has a time and place (place – may be not!)

However, on a serious note – “One should do what ones likes doing, and not what one is forced to do”!

Another random thought – isn’t it an amazing concept wherein movies promote themselves by affiliating with the restaurants? Take an example of McDonald….even before the launch of Bee Movie, its toys had flooded McD outlets, and all kids want to grab their toys. A very good strategy to reach their target audience.

Even PVR, was giving away Bee headbands (made of cardboard) as a promotion strategy of the movie.

For all Internet freaks, an website has been created solely for the movie - http://www.beemovie.com/, where one can watch trailers, download pictures.

A right mix of advertising can do wonders for a product!

Hoping aginst Hope !

Why does this happen that when you are with somebody special, the person you adore - you are elated about everything…the whole world looks so beautiful, rather the whole world is “him” for you at that point in time.

Why do we think about someone when we wake up? Why do I always look at my cell phone, just to start my day with a “good morning” message from him? I wait to read that message and start my day with a smile – a smile that I owe to him.

You always wait to talk to him over the phone, and tell him how much you miss him…how much you are missing him at that moment and how you desire to be in his arms. You always have an urge to express your “love” for him, but you hold back thinking that he might take it in a wrong sense.

When you meet that person – there’s a spark in your eyes, a glow on your face that surpasses even the stars….your love for him is evidently visible in your eyes.

I don’t understand, why people claim to be with you, when they actually cannot stand by you…why do they make themselves your “bad habit” when all they do is to leave you in middle of nowhere?

Is “hoping against hope” bad? Do we call it optimism or foolishness??? Had that not been the case, things would have been quite different today..!!!