Leveraging social conversations with Kanika Mittal of Twitter: Insights, trends & ideas this festive season

Kanika Mittal, Twitter explains how brands can leverage social conversations to engage audiences and prompt buying behavior this festive season.

In conversation with Kanika Mittal, Country Lead, Large Client Solutions, Twitter India at Festive Marketing Camp, Social Samosa unravels the tips and tricks to engage audiences and prompt buying behavior this festive season. She walks us through tactics to tap into social media and social conversations for driving impact for the brand during the festival season.

Diwali Conversation Trends

Mittal explains that about half of the social interactions on the platform took place before the festival, and they were all about how people would celebrate, what they wanted to buy, and how they wanted to give back.

Approximately 35% of the conversations peak on Diwali day, with discussions about the festive delight. Additionally, another 15–20% of the conversations continue to happen after Diwali.

“If you want to tap into your customers it would be good to plan your media and campaign outreach in a way that it not just picks up before Diwali but also sustains engagement during and after,” Mittal adds.

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Inspiring The Consumers

She explains that, 61% of people said they would use social media more during the festive season this year than last year. Given that more people are talking about festivals on social media, it is also crucial to note that they want to talk about and listen to more entertaining content. They are looking at brands to inspire them and get their creative juices flowing around Diwali.

Additionally, 52% of their customers said they will use more shopping apps and food delivery apps during Diwali this year compared to last; so what they are really seeing across the board is that customers are eager to spend during the festive season and are not just looking for deals and promotions.

She expresses, “What would be interesting is to have a balanced creator and communication mix that just doesn't give the customer a nice discount or a deal on Diwali but also appeals to their emotional state and get them excited through tips, tricks, recipes, decor ideas, and more. “

Listen, Listen, Listen

On average, 4 out of 5 brand conversations are actually considered very trustworthy. These reviews and discussions are coming from consumers therefore when other consumers come in and tap into those conversations and reviews they come with the same level of trust.

It is therefore a two-way exchange rather than the top-down approach that usually prevails in an ATL or in a setting that is relatively static or similar to a television. According to Mittal, a campaign should be designed for participation, and not just consumption.

“Your consumers today are extremely active on the platform so it is good to have your ear to the ground, listen into what are the trends, and pick up the notes that are of value to you and then you become not just a listener you actually participate and play an active role in driving culture forward. You want to be the brand that is in the driver's seat and drive culture to participate and design for participation by listening to trends.”, Mittal shares.

Trends could be hidden in anything - be it user conversations or fandom over a personality. The key trends to capitalize on, need to be determined. Develop a strong brand voice by taking all of the content and strategy. Without a spectacular voice, it will be difficult to connect with the audience and drive conversion.

You have a secret sauce that is an absolute magical weapon called cultural relevance that you can tap into and create a very special connect with your consumers. Ultimately it is all about inspiring brand loyalty in the long run. If you have a strong voice, are consistent, and engage the users with storytelling, you will eventually break through,” she concludes.

Kanika Mittal shared her inputs at Social Samosa's Festive Marketing Camp. You can view more interesting insights from the virtual conclave here.