[Interview] From RJing to influencing, Malishka shares her journey  

Before social media, the most social medium was radio. Transistors were portable. The advent of social media, made radio only more free and accessible. RJ Malishka, Red FM – takes us through her journey from being a RJ to an influencer.

You embarked on your RJing journey during a time when there was no social media. How have thing changed since then?

Things have changed definitely for better. Radio has been a lively medium, more like social. Users get to share their views; it’s like a stress. Radio listeners are not passive like in other mediums. With social media, radio has got wings.

We are able to connect to more people, share more content. Radio restricts us to 4 hours when we’re on air. Social media is our extension of thoughts. We are like parents whose hands are full and social media is that trustworthy backup.

You were the first Indian RJ whose account was certified by Twitter. What tips would you give to RJs and other influencers to get this kind of Twitter status?

Honestly, there are no tips as such. When Twitter was pretty new in India, I decided to explore that platform. I started tweeting out to connect with my audience. India is a youthful country. Users want to see you up close and personal.

For instance, one of my friends told me to tweet only three to four times a day. According to her it was like the lesser I tweet the better. Because it creates curiosity! But that’s not true. It’s all about creating connect. Share what you’re good at and you should be good.

Prominent personalities are often trolled or face the wrath on social media. Have you ever been subjected to any of it? How do you deal with it?

It is entirely a process of learning. What works for me won’t work for you. Some give it back but that is not my philosophy. What does a troll want? They want attention, when you answer with anger or attention; you justify someone who talks nonsense. Your followers see a side of you that is not required. In the beginning I used to get upset and gave it back; not anymore.

If the person has a brain and it is relevant then I respond. My blanket philosophy is to smile and let it go. If its valid or not dirty then reply.

From the beginning of your day till you go to bed – how and when do you use social media? A peek in your social life

In the past 2 weeks I have been waking up and sleeping with my phone. In fact I have been thinking about hiring someone who can help me with my social chores. I need to tweet while I’m on air or while I’m in some live activity – it gets very difficult.

I usually begin my day by tweeting about what kind of a day it is. What can my listeners expect on the show? I share a lot of images and behind the scenes snippets. I also like to tweet with trending hashtags. Personally, I create different content for all the platforms I’m present on. Facebook messenger is something I check throughout the day. It is my major touch point for connecting with my fans.