Sachin Tendulkar's Facebook Page: A Lesson on How Not to do Social Media

Ever since I started following cricket, when I was 7 years old I guess, I have been in awe of only one cricketer. Sachin Tendulkar is the kind of sportsman who comes only once in a generation.  And given how passionate we Indians are about Cricket, it was only a matter of time before we started worshipping him as a God.

As a fan, he's so much more than a cricketer. He's an icon and a role model to millions. And that is why when I see his official Facebook Page, I cringe. So much so that I have blocked updates from it.

It is a travesty for every Sachin fan/worshipper. And it's a lesson for every social media marketer out there. A lesson that social media goes beyond posting updates and spamming news feed.

Where's the Proud Indian?

Just as soon as you land on Sachin's page, your left eye starts twitching and your fingers start trembling with rage. The elegance and aura of his personality is nowhere to be seen. All you see is a ghastly layout that is more befitting a B-grade actor.

And why would anyone in his right mind put an invitation for a Live Chat in the 'About' section?

Where's that 'Proud Indian' that we see in his Twitter bio? Probably the most two beautiful words you will ever see in anyone's bio.

But alas! The agency which manages his Facebook page, Seven 3 Rockers, are going all guns blazing to promote his Live Chat.

This is Not My God

Any fan of Sachin knows that he's not some one who seeks milestones. He's someone who doesn't chase numbers.

It's his trolls who like to point that out. And unfortunately, his page feeds his trolls their most favourite dish. Each and every century of his is listed over there!

The agency has clearly failed to understand what Sachin stands for and have gone ahead and done something that is totally off track. What we would have loved, as fans, was more of a personal touch here.

Pedestrian Communication

Cringing turns to #Facepalm when you come across the updates shared by the page. The last thing I want in my news feed is Sachin posing awkwardly and wishing me a Happy Weekend.

Businesses do that... NOT LEGENDS!

If at all they do, they do it with elegance.

And never in my wildest dreams will I ever see/hear him saying what 'he' has mentioned in his page:

He's a reserved person! Why would he proclaim it in such a manner to his 8.5 millions fans? Yes I would love to see his personal updates but this one seems to be written by an amateur.

Engagement vs Branding

Every time the page shares an update, the brand 'Sachin' hits a new low. Yes I do know that Facebook edge rank is biased towards image updates. But that doesn't mean you upload a photo every 3 hours!

And most of his updates lack a context. If I see an update, I would want to know what it is about.

Take a look at how Big B communicates with this fans:

Pointless image updates might get likes from fans who are crazy about Sachin, but it is also diluting his image. He has an aura around him which is slowly being undone by his updates. The page is not at all communicating with its fans and there are hardly any text updates to be seen. It has been reduced to a mere photo album.

I agree the page has a high 'people talking about' number but at the cost of what? The branding!