Tete-a-tete with Shabia Walia, Founder, Tattva

This week we are celebrating women's week and we strongly stand by every women entrepreneur, propeller and enabler. Shabia Walia is iconic and showcases dynamic personality across many roles as a woman.

Tattva, her home brand produces natural skin products and has fetched 25 lakhs in annual turnover, the very first year. We interviewed her on how she uses social media to enhance her business.

Introduce our readers to yourself and Tattva

I am a media professional. Having worked in television for over 21 years in different capacities as: a creative director, writer, script head, producer; I have also penned the bestselling book 'Mamma Mania' based on my pregnancy and motherhood experiences in 2011.

Alarmed by the number of chemicals in our body products, I started making my own natural body products which led to the launch of my entrepreneurial venture 'Tattva'. Ever since, there is no looking back as Tattva scales new heights every day.

We have grown enormously with significant presence online and in different cities through retail, corporate tie ups and debut in the hospitality space, in less than a year.

My deepest satisfaction stems through my contribution for our environment as well as making a difference in people's lives, those who choose natural living over a chemically laden one.

How has social media helped you achieve branding?

My entire business is driven by Facebook from day 1. While I made products, my husband clicked great pictures and with a little description to go with them, I posted them online. And lo! Orders would pour in minutes on Facebook. I would then make the products as per that day's orders and get them delivered.

Facebook helped my realize everyday that my products were being well received. This led to approaching online selling since a lot of my customers were online.

Social media has been a great help for my business. People from all over the country get in touch with me. This is attributed to acquaintance with my products either online, on Facebook or while reading my blog. I blog about natural living on babychakra.com.

Which platforms are you most active on; some key uses of this platform and how it has worked for your brand?

I am most active on Facebook. It allows me to post comments, pictures, long descriptions, chat with my customers and engage them. Also my customers feel connected to me; they know me, and they have access to me. It helps create personalized appeal when the customer closely knows the owner. This gives our products an edge. I have always kept my 'Tattva' followers updated on what I am planning or doing; the company's growth, be it bagging a new order or posting pictures of our workshop. My customers are a part of my 'Tattva' family. We call ourselves 'Tattvaites'.

They write to me and I often post their comments and reviews on our 'Tattva' page thus building more visibility for the brand. There is no match to customer comments and reviews about your products. New customers always rely on feedback from people who have tried products and liked them. Our 'Tattva' family has grown substantially with testimonials.

Most memorable social media win was when Fab Bag got in touch with us to send out thousands of our products in their December 2015 bags. A lot of bloggers reviewed us and this helped gain the initial digital footprints.

I have recently started tweeting about natural tips on beauty and health.

What is the one thing you have always wanted to use social media for?

I think I am doing what I always wanted to do. Conducting a business, reaching out to far flung places and enhancing my business everyday. But what I intend doing this year is reaching out to a global audience through 'Tattva'. I also want to start online workshops on making soaps and other natural products at home for children and adults. Maybe start a youtube channel which speaks about natural living and everything connected to it.

What are your pain points when it comes to using social media for your brand?

Time is a major factor. Since I do everything from visualizing to researching to executing to packaging myself; besides balancing a full fledged career in television, I am often pressed for time and wish I could spend more hours on social media. I wish I could tweet and blog more often. I also want to increase and drive more visitors to our website and Facebook page; have more people engage and involve with us leading to more meaningful vendor-customer relationships and business conversions on the whole.

What is your advice to other SME entrepreneurs w.r.t social media

Be active: write something about yourself, your product, your activity everyday. Being lazy does not get you eyeballs. I have learnt from my own experience that being real is a huge assurance to your customers. Take them with you on your journey. Involve them and they will reward you with their loyalty.

Social media can give a good product wings but it cannot salvage a bad product. So, build your product first and then use social media to bring it to everyone's notice.

I am still exploring the power of social media. But one thing I am absolutely sure of - be it any profession or marketing technique, honesty, even today, is the best policy.