“Facebook is more like a next door friendly dog”

Dr Falguni Vasavada Oza, Professor, MICA explained how each of the social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram and LinkedIn are different from the other and therefore, need to be utilised in a different manner.

Professor Oza highlighted, “You can’t have content mirroring, there needs to be a content strategy in place because the audience sitting on these platforms are also very different. It is very important for social marketers to understand as to how each platform is different from the other one. So first understand your brand, the category into which you are and the purpose of using social media.”

She further went on to explain these social media platforms with the help of a metaphor and the kind of objective brands should have in mind before using them.

Facebook: Facebook is more like a next door friendly dog, whom you love to pat. This platform reminds me of friends, warmth and of peer to peer conversations. Most people whom you know on Facebook are your direct or indirect friends. It is more for conversations and building up the community for your audience.

Twitter: If Facebook to me is a friendly neighbourhood dog, Twitter is then like a deer, one who is sharp and someone who runs very fast. Twitter doesn’t allow you to edit anything; it is all about spontaneity and the pace at which you write things. It has to be very real-time. Speed and spontaneity are key elements when you are working on your content strategy on Twitter.

Instagram: This platform to me is like a peacock. It gives a visual treat to your eyes and can create a visual imagery for your brand.

LinkedIn: It is more business oriented, a place from where recruitment is going to happen and also a place to establish thought leadership. Therefore LinkedIn in my mind is like a wolf; it is cunning, smart and wants to be a leader. Street smartness needs to be shown on this platform.

Snapchat:  Snapchat is like a monkey, here the user goes from one activity to the other and they are documenting their day in the form of a story.

According to Professor Oza, there is no need to buy followers; it may take time, but genuine reach can be achieved through content and conversations. The better your content is, the higher is the pull and once they come to your content, they will see how responsive you are.

Oza pointed that, “Your word of mouth is now the world of mouth in the age of social media. Everything starts with the consumers, if you know your audience, it leads to media finalisation and then it leads to content finalisation."

"Advertising doesn’t drive sales. In fact, nothing drives sales, but everything is pushing towards sales. Word of mouth is like the new currency and it is better to ride on this currency.”

Creativity is the only way by which you can differentiate yourself in a world where there is clutter in every medium. So make sure to present your content creatively, but never mess up with the personality of the brand.

“Social media is less about technology, but more about psychology and sociology,” Vasavda concluded.

Dr Falguni Vasavada Oza Professor, MICA spoke at #SamosaChat organised by Social Samosa.