Social media Archives - Sajith Mathew

How Super Social Connectivity Operates

We’re living in a society of super connectivity.
No, I’m not just talking about the accessibility to other people.

But, more from an idea standpoint.

An idea has a 1000 times potential reach today than what was possible 20 years back.

A popular idea can travel far and wide today

But, why does it matter?

It works in a way that the most popular idea or a concept or a trend reaches a huge number of people, in a really short time.

Not just because of the connectivity factor.
But because the social platforms we use today are incentivized in that manner.

Let me explain.

Any social platform we see today works in a specific manner.
Take, for example, Instagram.

All major social platforms whose major revenue comes from ads work in a similar fashion

Incentive – company level

Companies are incentivized based on the time users spend on the platform.

More users and more time on the platform, more ad money.

So, it will always take measures to increase the time users spent on the platform, just because its incentives lie there.

Incentive – creator level

Remember we talked about the super spread of ideas and trends. When the platform finds something that gets traction on the platform, it spreads it, I mean it really spreads it far and wide.

A creator is highly rewarded for finding and making trends

So, for a creator, it makes sense to go out, find and use the trending ideas and concepts, even start one, so that they’ll get a huge reach.

One metric of success on a platform is the number of followers.
And our creators are incentivized to do this.

Incentive – user level

The users/consumers constitute almost 90% of the platform.

If a user finds an idea/concept/trend share-worthy, he/she shares it with the network and it goes further and further.

A user is a potential big creator on the platform. Also, getting a little dopamine rush while being on the platform.

Also, the platform makes it a point to show a share-worthy idea /trend to a maximum number of users as its incentive depends on it.

You might wonder what’s the incentive for the user?

A user gets to know what’s trending without much effort.

The platform makes sure that you see it somehow. You need not dig deep to find a trending idea/concept/trend.

The user gets a huge audience on the platform to share her skills, hence a potential big creator on the platform.

Oh, and a little rush of dopamine when you scroll through the feed.

The platform makes sure you get it. Because without that feeling, you’re not gonna come back. And without users, a platform is dead.

Users get a little dopamine rush while being on the platform, making it a little addictive in the process

This is not to criticize any social media platform.
It happens on all major social platforms, be it Twitter, TikTok, Instagram,…

What’s the impact?

A popular idea can reach the farthest corners of the world, in a few hours. If the idea roots for something good, a larger positive outcome.
If it’s bad, a greater negative impact.

Mind you, popular doesn’t necessarily mean the best.

This thought goes in line with an earlier post, changes follow the direction of incentives.

I would love to know your thoughts.

A Simple Framework To Use Social Media Effectively

Digital Marketing

Do you wish to know what your customers think about your brand/business?

You need not have to get a fancy data analytics tool in the beginning. All you have to do is to use your social media presence effectively.

Simple, I know right?

Let me tell you how.

A two-way communication is much more effective than a one-way one, which we see in billboards and TV ads

Social Media encourages two-way communication.

If you have an active presence on Social Media platforms, you can ask your customers to share their thoughts and questions on your content.

All the more, you can get direct customer feedback on your products and services.

Do you think that getting unfiltered direct feedback from your customers helps you in your business?

I think so.

A better way to hear and utilise customer feedback can make all the difference for your business

This feedback loop helps you in developing some amazing products and services.
Also, which customer doesn’t like a brand that takes their opinion into consideration.

Also, you can respond as fast as you can through your social handles.

You don’t have to worry whether you customer’s query is answered, if you have an effective strategy to address it through social media

Let us divert a bit and think about what makes two brands that sell similar products different. One might be raking in revenue and loyal customers while the other is just staying mediocre.

It is the story that makes the difference.

When you converse with your customers or your potential customers on your social media platforms, you can become as creative as you can. You can also use it as a way to communicate your brand story in a subtle way.

As a business/brand, your story makes all the difference. Social media gives you a space to share your story with your customers and potential customers

Social Media is a goldmine for any business, regardless of the niche, if your strategy is right.

We, beingplato digital, help businesses create effective social media strategies that reap great rewards.

We take care of your Social Media Strategy, letting you focus on your core business.

Originally published at beingplato digital

What Are 3 Areas Upstox Could Do Better?

Digital Marketing

Let me tell you what Upstox is all about. Also, how I would implement a strategy to make it better.

It is a digital platform enabling tech-savvy users like you and me to easily invest in a variety of instruments. This includes everything from mutual funds to futures & options to digital gold.

Now, let’s analyse few aspects where this start-up is doing really good.

They are trying to differentiate themselves from the competitors out there.

I specifically like the digital gold option. Why? it is a new concept and unique product offering by Upstox, maybe you can call it a differentiating factor.

Also, Upstox design team is really doing a fantastic job. You can feel it from their website design to the content they post on Instagram. They have some mindful creatives working hard on their design aspects. I was just going through their website and their offerings, needless to say, it was all neatly mapped out. The whole experience was just smooth.

Let’s see 3 areas where they can do a lot better.

Customer Relations

The first thing I noticed was this, many of their customers regret signing up.

This trend is so evident everywhere, from their social media handles to their online reviews.

The major reason for this pattern is poor customer relations. Customers queuing up on social media handles to get their queries resolved, partners lining up in their social media to get their referral bonuses even after the stipulated time period.

The whole thing is a mess. The customer care team might be doing a good job, but the customer relations strategy has to be improved.

Businesses who values their customers, gains ultimately

Now, I would say customer engagement is essential. But customers queuing up wherever you are, just to get their queries answered is clearly an indication that the customer relations team can do much better.

Social Media Presentation

The Upstox content creation team is trying to create some great content, but it comes out to be a mix-up.

The social media posts are not getting enough traction, not just their fault. This is the case with almost all businesses out there.

The metrics look really good, like businesses having lakhs of page likes & followers. But, if you check out the content on Facebook and Instagram, the engagement is lesser than 3%. This is true for any business out there, from small to large ones.

The way people perceive a business online matters, specially on social media

I’m not pinpointing the engagement rates here, but the way the social media team moderates the engagement.

For example, if you check out any post on their Facebook page, 90% of the comments are either some kind of a query or partner referral links. The queries should ideally be handled by the customer relations team.

For me, it doesn’t make any sense from a customer/user viewpoint. I’m talking about the referral links here. 99% of people who liked the Upstox page on Facebook will be their customers, so does it really makes sense for a customer to use a signup referral link?

The whole point is to put out the best image of the business online. That takes an all-around approach. But the initial step is to start moderating engagements on the social media handles.

The content a business is posting on social media is important, as new potential customers might be checking your social media

This is important because nowadays we all first check the online reviews and social media engagements before signing up for a service or buying a product. So it makes perfect sense to make your customer relations a top priority which can drive up or down your business.

Ultimately, social reviews represent what customers have experienced.

Online Marketing Strategy

I see some good sparks in their marketing efforts.

The educational content they put out in their marketing strategy is a good initiative. The idea here is to educate and empower people, to become their customers along the way.

Educational content is a way of providing value to the people

They have realized the potential of social media marketing. They run Facebook ads for that matter. Do you want to hear a secret about Facebook ads?

Facebook ads are a beast if used the right way. As a business, if you’re not getting the proclaimed returns from Fb ads, now you know the reason. You can target people of any demography, any relevant behavior, any interest, or any location through Fb ads. This way, you’re able to reach your ideal customers.

Now the question is, are they able to relate to my messaging or the story I tell them. If yes, then Facebook ads are a goldmine for you. If not, you know the answer. That’s why if you just copy what is working for a business, chances are, it might not work for you unless you have the same customer base.

Strategic use of Facebook ads is important to get great results

Upstox can use social media marketing in a much more powerful way, mixing up their educational content with some carefully crafted messaging that resonates with their target audience.

I love the start-ups and businesses that make my life easier and simpler. Upstox is in that niche. I believe most people have this thought when they choose a product/service.

If Upstox can act upon the concerns I listed above, they can spread like a wildfire with the core products they offer. I wish them the best.

We beingplato digital help businesses and brands share their story using the power of Social Media Marketing. If you would like to work with us, shoot us a quick message.

Originally published at beingplato digital

3 Ways Technology Play With Our Psychology

Technology

I cannot live without technology today. This is me. I need to check emails, Facebook, Instagram, Quora, and feed my curious mind by some google search.

99% of us are in the same way. We are handicapped without tech no

Sure, It helps us to do a lot of tasks with minimum effort.
We work on it, we stream on it and it has become our closest buddy.
We are all on the same page here.

On the other hand, have you ever thought about how this buddy uses our psychological vulnerabilities? I observed my patterns for 3 months and came up with this list.

1. Manipulative Choices

I used to feel empowered by the choices I could choose from. But then I realized, I am choosing from the list of choices displayed in the menu of the application. Even though, we all feel like making our individual free choices, we are forced to take an option out of the list given.

We are choosing from the options provided, not from all the options available

There can be other great choices that are not listed on the menu. Those might be the best ones, but your choice is limited. Have you ever asked, “why am I given these choices and not others”?

Our perspective of what’s happening in the world is shaped by our newsfeed stories. Our relationships are guided by our list of contacts or friends on social media.
A person who is not on Facebook/Instagram is forced to get into these platforms to kindle relationships.

Along the same line, we often face with inconvenient choices in the digital space.
I have noticed that it is much easier for me to register/sign up for a newsletter or an app. On the other hand, it might be a bit hard to cancel the service.

Have you ever felt this way? It might take a minute to register for a service, but to cancel it we have to create a request to cancel and call in a number sent on our email. Businesses are making it easy to choose and hard to cancel.

2. Never-ending content

I remember using Instagram for 1.5 hours straight when initially I planned to check a few stories. If you notice, all social media platforms are built this way. We consume content even if we are not hungry anymore. We don’t get a chance to reconsider or leave unless our internet is slow.

Autoplay does the same thing, the next video starts after a countdown. It provides suggestions that it thinks we are interested in. And now we are hooked.

3. Instant Rewards

We are getting dopamine hits every time we get a notification. We get this reward each time someone likes, comments, or shares our content. Our elder generation thinks its easy these days for anyone to learn something. Even though this thought is ideally true, there is a major flaw when it comes to real life. It has become ever easy for us to get instant gratification.

Social media notifications give us instant gratification

There is no shortage of content you can access now. It requires extreme will power to focus on learning something. Our brain jumps for instant rewards rather than waiting for some reward in the future after learning stuff.

It is a superhuman task now to avoid interruptions and focus on the task at hand

If I have to write on how technology enables us to do great things, the post will be twice as this one.
But we cannot negate the fact of tech taking advantage of our psychological vulnerabilities. We cannot blame it on us. These products are designed by highly skilled engineers whose topmost priority is to make people spend maximum time in their platforms.

Time is our most valuable asset. By all these constant stimulations, We tend to skim through life without actually living it.
Being aware of the traps and flaws will help us make better choices.

That is the single most purpose of this article.