Influencer Marketing Archives

New Media and its impact on PR practice

by Mangal Karnad | Sep 29, 2018 | Public relations, Thought Leadership

Welcome to the Age of New Media. Gone are the days when we had select few print publications, a handful of TV Channels and a fixed style of news reporting. The advent of the Digital Age has bought in an exhaustive list of new media thereby expanding the scope of coverage and opportunities.

Traditionally, media companies presented factual, unbiased reporting to their readers or viewers in order to provide them information. Today anyone with a smartphone or a tablet can create and share news or information to reach masses through various social media platforms.

However, this doesn’t mean that journalism is dead. With a shift in demographics like higher disposable incomes and the need to be well-informed, the new age media has the onerous task of living up to it. The new age millennial has a shorter attention span, and they are always on the hunt for compelling and gripping stories and content. Hence, new age journalism is all about reaching a larger audience in a shorter period time with exciting content.

Role of a Journalist or a PR professional in the age of new media:

Journalism today is no more about just writing and speaking. New age journalists rely both on verbal and visual communication skills and keep themselves updated with various forms of social media to tell their stories. Often, they are needed to take photographs or shoot videos, design the layout for the website or promote their message through social media. The traditional media houses are catching up fast and are exploiting the new media to expand their reach. PR professionals need to be creative and sharpen their pitching skills.

The media today needs a PR person more than before. Journalists are constantly on the lookout for new stories and information, and they pick up interesting stories from the social media feeds! PR firms need to be on the alert for such opportunities for their clients. The ordinary pitch isn’t going to work much longer. A creative pitch which is short, crisp, and accompanied by videos and infographics might be preferred.

Influence of Social media:

With the changing times, media has evolved too. As everyone is glued on to his or her smartphones today, the source of breaking news is no more the Newspaper or TV, but the various social media handles that one owns. Journalists share their personal opinion or a story more openly on social media than via traditional medium. Therefore, there is less fact-checking involved here as there is a constant need to upload new information before it gets published (by someone else) and becomes stale. No wonder for publications the order of the day is “Publish first and then correct if necessary.” Twitter is considered as a “news network” as it is the social media platform where generally news breaks first.

Social media has influenced public relation practitioners too, and the industry has seen some dramatic changes as well as new opportunities for communicating with clients and businesses. As journalists are more active on social media and pick stories from these mediums, therefore PR people should be active on these mediums too and portray and post newsworthy content on behalf of their clients in such a way that it is of interest to the media.

It is important to grasp these new channels of communication so that we can effectively use them as a means to communicate with the public and to see how it affects the PR practice. The journalism and PR programs in colleges need to implement these changes in the course curriculum to equip future practitioners with the knowledge and skills required to handle these media.

Do I really need a Website? – Part 1

by Dhanya J | May 1, 2018 | Branding, Content Marketing, Design, Marketing

website

/wɛbsʌɪt/

noun

a set of related web pages located under a single domain name.

A question which haunts any small businesses is “Do I really need a website?”.

In simple words possible, Yes! You do!

The reason is also extremely simple. In one word, No, two words to be precise.

Digital Footprint

It may sound preposterous. It really isn’t. The whole idea of anything ranging from posting a personal photograph to updating your current location on social media is all about Digital footprint.

Having a website helps a business greatly.

Visibility

It is a beacon where customers can queue in front of your door. It not only provides you with visibility but also sales and a way for you to advertise your expertise. A clean, beautiful website with necessary content surely puts you ahead in the game.

Credibility

Small businesses face problems with credibility. A customer is always aware of this fact and before placing for service or product, he/she will have a look at your website. And what would they think if you had no/mediocre website? You guessed it right. They walk right past you. This has a huge impact on sales.

Engagement and Retention

Customers are always on the lookout for engaging content. Blogs are a way to achieve that. Websites with blogs are always appreciated. Blogging is also a way of increasing traffic to your website and it is one of the most sought-after marketing tools.

According to Hubspot, 53% of marketers use blogging as a top inbound marketing priority. Another statistic to blow your mind away, according to Hostingfacts, There are now 3.74 billion Internet users in the world as of March 2017.

So, in short, your business is available to this huge number. With proper plans and marketing strategy, you can tap into the plethora of prospects.

Why

The question now really is “Why don’t I own a website?”. Think about it, in this time and age, where there is tons of competition, getting ahead is what counts. Smaller things in a business which were not a priority, makes a huge difference now. Companies are finding out ways to entice customers. Websites are one way to create a buzz and remember “First Impression is Key”.

High on Happiness – Interview with Alicia Souza

by Mayur Bhat | Apr 10, 2017 | Design, Influencer Marketing

It was our pleasure to meet Alicia Souza at the art exhibition of Balraj KN. We had the pleasure of having a long chat with her, made more comfortable by the easy and relaxed setting of the event.

The best kind of job in the world is when you get paid to do something you absolutely love.

She considers herself lucky, though a sizable part of her job is not illustrating, but also managing the business. It involves talking to clients, accounts, working on briefs that are not always exciting. She says sometimes she needs to draw even when she truly just doesn’t feel like it. Being a commercial illustrator, she needs to work with both her heart and also her head. When it comes to working with clients and making a brief work, it is a lot of the latter. She realised that it’s a business where she needs to make money and also build her career.

When I asked her for an interview, she very graciously accepted. Below are the excerpts from both the interaction and her responses:

How did you start a career as an illustrator? Was this by default or by design?

I was trained as a graphic designer but the minute I finished university, I knew I wanted to get into illustration. There were a lot of twisty turns before I actually landed up as a freelancing illustrator, something that I didn’t think was ever going to happen.

You have been an entrepreneur for the last couple of years, describe your journey thus far

It’s been exciting, challenging, scary and extremely satisfying. It’s truly been a roller coaster ride.

Starting out is always a bit hard. I created a niche by just doing and doing a lot of it. I can almost compare it to digging a hole. When you start digging, it’s too small to notice but if you keep at it, you have a hole that only you’re standing it and more people can see it. I had to keep doing a lot of things that I wasn’t too keen on doing, like talking about money or drawing things that aren’t exactly my cup of tea. Same with the business/online store. I think I got lucky with the online store because I have a partner who keeps me on my toes. It took a lot of self-convincing because I really wasn’t sure I could handle another responsibility. But I could! So sometimes taking risks also pay off.

Your illustrations are based on a narrative/story, what inspires you?

I think I draw things like I would write in a diary. Just thoughts, events, happenings and feelings that I have throughout my day. I guess that’s why it is what it is. So anything happening in my life or things that I see and do are my inspiration.

Do designers also have a block (like the writer’s block)? (if so) How does a designer get over it?

I think if you do it enough, it’s almost habitual so you don’t get blocks. But you definitely get moods. Sometimes you feel like drawing way more than other times. Everyone has their method of madness to get over the ‘nahhh’ feelings. I just do other productive things and mostly deadlines help force you into the mood even if you don’t feel like it. Sometimes just a walk in the park helps.

I’ve read in one of your posts that you are self-taught, what is your method of learning?

I learn by doing and doing a lot. If you’re not learning about illustrating, you’re learning about how to schedule projects, the most efficient way to do a job or about people in general.

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Your body of work comes across as ‘Happy’ and you as a happy person. Are there times when you are sad, or unhappy and just want to shut the world out? How do you deal with sadness?

Like any human, I have a wealth of emotions. I don’t feel sadness as much as I get angry. When something bad happens in the world, someone passes away, horror-stricken event, whatever the calamity, I tend to feel rage rather than melancholy.

Having said that, I do have sad streaks. And unlike some artists and writers who can create beautiful works from those emotions, I don’t even remotely feel like drawing then. Please note that sadness is very different from depression. I’m talking about the general sadness that sneaks in every now and then. Here are a few things I do when I get in this state:

Do whatever I feel like doing- I would rarely feel like drawing but I truly enjoy just inking pencil sketches and would scout out drawings that are yet to be inked. This is my sort of ‘peace’ and ‘meditation’ that gets my brain almost still without thought.
Play my favourite music- I ADORE country music, I listen to it both when I’m happy and also when I’m sad.
Confront the sadness- I don’t like leaving things in the air. If I had a tiff with someone, I clear it up. With people, it’s easy to just take a deep breath and confront the source of the sadness.
Time- And then there are things you don’t have control over that just need time to get better. Understand that things DO get better with time.
A box of you- Another thing is knowing what you like and makes you happy. I sometimes like cleaning or baking. Sometimes just getting away for a while. Or getting a pedicure.
Let yourself be- I think it’s ok to be sad sometimes. It’s even normal. Whether you need to shed a tear or two. Be nice to yourself and I think the worst thing would be to beat yourself up about being a little down. When you know it’s ok to be sad, you can let yourself be happy.

Oh! I forgot to mention, sometimes happiness is a sleep away. Literally, some days can just be a drag and understand that when you go to bed at night; so when you wake up the next day, the sun is shining brighter just for you!

What is your advice to a budding designer, who wants to pursue a career in design?

For design, it’s to learn the basics before you explore. For illustrators, it’s just to draw and draw some more.

You are a celebrity & an Influencer, what is your opinion about influencer marketing? (Please detail this)

I’m really particular about what I post on my social media platforms. I’m really picky about promoting and if I do, I make sure it’s a product I like or a service I believe in, or I politely decline. When I do allow for promotion on my posts, I make sure my audience is aware that I’m working with the company and I have a limit of how many posts I allow to be promoted in a given time frame. I also always write the text content that goes along with posts. This, I believe, makes for real-ness and respect.

I respect my audience, their time and their attention.

You mentioned that you endorse/write about the products/services you use or what you truly believe in, can you please detail it for our readers?

Like I mentioned, I only post when I’ve had a chance to interact with a product or know about the service enough to talk about it. Everything I post about is something I experienced and so it’s very important that it’s the same with the promotions I make as well.

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You are a pet parent, what is your message to other pet parents? (People keep abandoning their pets once they get old or when they are unwell…)

The only message I have to a pet parent is that your pet is the non-human child you brought into your family. Treat them like your own.

Is there anything else you’d like to add? Please do so ?

Get enough sleep ?

Public Relations as an Influencer Marketing tool

by Mangal Karnad | Jan 5, 2017 | Influencer Marketing, Public relations

Wikipedia defines Public Relations as ‘The practice of managing the spread of information between an individual or an organisation and the public’.

Simply put, PR is getting media to write stories or articles about your company, products and services on a positive note so that your prospects get to know about it. These stories or articles are not paid for.

The stories get written when the reporters get to know you and your company and see the value your products and services can provide to their readers. A good reporter will also research on his own, to ensure that their readers get authentic information.

PR is an effective influencer marketing tool for quite a few reasons:

Newspaper reading is habit forming. Most people tend to stick to a certain publication. They form their preferences for reporters and feel that if the reporter is writing about your company, you must be doing something worthwhile. Media and reporters rank highly as Influencers. It is the credibility of the publication and the reporter which makes the article authentic.

PR has high credibility – Tweet that.

PR has a greater shelf life – longevity. An article gets shared and referred to if it strikes a chord in the reader.

PR has a wide reach – Sometimes, your story which appeared in a local publication might get picked up by a trade publication or national media and get wide visibility.

PR is almost free – The cost incurred is for the resources. It is the manpower and time dedicated to researching the right kind of publications and getting to know the reporters of those publications. An investment made also to create content to be shared with them.

There are also spends – for hiring a good PR consultant, to create ‘news-worthy’ stories, press releases dissemination, to meet and greet media etc.

PR is also called Earned media. It helps establish you and your company as subject matter experts. It helps create awareness among prospective customers who read about your company in media.

How can a start-up or an SME practice Public Relations?

Great PR requires creativity, careful planning & persistent effort – Tweet that.

You don’t need to be a large corporation to invest in Public Relations. Even a start-up or an SME can practice PR by following the steps listed below:

A simple approach to practice PR:

Get a good understanding of the publications and reporters that write about your industry.
Read the articles/stories written by the reporter you are pursuing. If you like his stories, let him know by either writing a mail or commenting online about it. Follow him/her on social media. Share the article with your prospective customers if relevant.
If you have a good idea for an article, create a short but concise note on the idea and reach out to a reporter. There is a possibility that your story idea will be turned down. Try to find out the reason and improve your pitch for the next idea. You may succeed eventually and the same reporter might end up treating you as a source of reliable information on an ongoing basis.
Most reporters work against a tight timeline. If and when the reporter reaches out to you for a story or a quote, be sensitive to timelines. If, for some reason you are unable to provide the information, keep the reporter informed in advance.
Be persistent without being a pest. Understand what’s the right time to call the reporter. Know his pressures and be of help.
Remember to thank a reporter when he writes about you or your company. Share the article on your social platforms. Share it with every stakeholder to ensure it reaches everyone that matters.

PR can be more effective then advertising. PR is an effort intensive but high return marketing tool.

We provide PR as a service or provide consulting service to ensure quick and definite results!

The Power of Social Proof

by Mangal Karnad | Jan 5, 2017 | Influencer Marketing, Marketing

Your product or service might be the best in the world, even then it is not necessary that people believe you when you talk about it. However if a satisfied customer refers you to 10 or 15 of his friends who are also business owners and if most of them buy your product, then it is a testimony to how great the product truly is!

An Influencer

Let me introduce you to H V Shiva Kumar, Proprietor of Geetha’s, an 18-year-old multi-brand inner-wear outlet on DVG road, Bangalore. He is an Opinion Leader among the retailers on DVG road – one of the older, traditional markets in Bangalore. Shiva Kumar is convinced that his usage of technology – Tally, is making him look like a ‘Guru’. According to him, Tally is taking him one step closer to his dream of being a profitable retailer who is looked up to by the brands he is working with.

His position as an authority – a ‘Guru’ gets confirmed when other retailers seek his advice.

His firm belief is that a businessman, that too a retailer has to grow with the help of technology in today’s highly competitive environment.

Why Shiva Kumar refers so many businesses to Tally?

To be clear, we asked Shiva Kumar the reason for referring so many businesses (to the software he uses) and he gave us the reason:

He was happy with the value Tally had given him and he was sure it can help his fellow retailers.
He was creating a community of Business (Tally) users who can support each other with the usage of the product.
By doing so the dependency on the Technology company will reduce and they will be self-sufficient (as a community).
His status as an expert in Business and Inventory management gets established among peers and also with the brands he represents.

We subsequently came across a retailer in HSR layout (Rangalakshmi & Sons) who was also introduced to Tally by Shiva Kumar, via a Connector* – in this case, a sales executive of an innerwear brand.

One of the beneficiaries, in this case, is also Chethan Kumar of Infolink Business Care, a sales & solution partner of the software company, who is servicing Geetha’s for many years. Says Chethan, “Once Mr. Shiva Kumar refers a customer, I only have to install the product, there is no need for lengthy demos or negotiation. I wish I had more customers like him”.

What Is Social Proof?

Social proof is a psychological phenomenon where people imitate the actions of others in an attempt to reflect correct behaviour for a given situation.

Simply explained social proof is the need of an individual to check out a restaurant on Zomato or go through the review on amazon before making a purchase decision. It is to see if someone else has already done what one considers doing.

Have you considered going for a show just by seeing a long line of people waiting to get into a theatre? Have you ever tried to plant your friends among the audience to simulate laughter at a Humorous speech contest? In that case, you will intuitively know what Social proof is!

Why would a business owner like Shiva Kumar go out of his way to refer a technology product to a fellow retailer? Why does the retailer buy without negotiating? The explanation is quite simple – if Shiva Kumar, an influencer and someone who’s seen as a progressive business owner, has to recommend a product risking his credibility, there must be some merit in what he says! And that is what convinces the retailer to buy…

The explanation is quite simple – if Shiva Kumar, an influencer and a progressive business owner, has to recommend a product risking his credibility. People tend to think that there must be some merit in what he says! And that is what convinces the retailer to buy…

A recommendation from an Influencer reduces the sales cycle! – Tweet that

Influencer marketing is a subject we understand very well. Call us or mail us today, for more information on how we can help.

* Connectors are people who have incredibly widespread “social networks.” They are often successful businessmen or politicians and play an integral role in the spread of ideas.

In this case, the person is a sales person, who due to his profession, is in touch with a large number of retailers. Read more about Connectors in Malcolm Gladwell’s Tipping Point.

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