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Tech News

Hi, welcome to Monday Tech News!

I hope that you are well associated with our different ongoing blog series by now. But if not you can check them out here.

Today we are introducing a new series, well not a series per se. It is more of a weekly update of various technological news across the world.

Technology is a fast-paced world. Every now & then new updates, launches occur & it is a little difficult to keep up with all of them.

To make things easier for you we thought of a fresh idea to start a Tech News every 1st & 3rd Monday of the month!

So let’s dive into today’s blog!

Google’s Bert Update

One of the leading news in the current scenario, BERT update is going to have a huge impact on the search engine protocol.

According to the Search Engine Journal, “The BERT algorithm is a deep learning algorithm related to natural language processing. It helps a machine to understand what words in a sentence mean, but with all the nuances of context.”

For search engine optimization, Google will now take prepositions like “to” or “for” to understand & give more meaningful results.

If you want a more detailed study on BERT update here.

Google Acquires Fitbit for 2.1 Billion

Google has recently announced to buy Fitbit, the iconic smartwatch maker for $ 2.1 billion dollars.

According to a statement released by Fitbit, the company will still take privacy for fitness & health data seriously, claiming “Fitbit health and wellness data will not be used for Google ads.”

The combo seems to have a bright prospect in the future as Fitbit can actually provide Google with a foundation for Android integrated wearable devices. Also, with so many fitness apps under its belt, a company manufacturing such devices will increase Google’s position in the market. For more information read here.

Microsoft Launches New App

Great news for the dedicated Microsoft users!

Because of it’s New Office beta app which just released, people won’t have to download all of them separately. The Office app has Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc for the users. The app will let you create, edit, manage your documents from your Android phones or tablet. It also has options to collaborate with your colleagues on certain documents. One of the most exciting features is it’s new ability to convert Word, Excel or PowerPoint files to PDF documents.

GrubHub, Uber Eats Gets a Pushback from restaurants

A growing number of small & mid-sized restaurants want to reduce ordering & delivery commissions which is currently as high as 30% by four food delivery apps GrubHub, Uber Eats, DoorDash Inc and Postmates Inc.

Last, week GrubHub saw a fall of 40% in the shares, reported weak sales and lowered forward guidance. For more information click here.

Infosys’s Partnership with Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy

As of November 4th, it is reported that Infosys will have a strategic long term partnership with SGRE to support its digital transformation.

For the project, Infosys will provide end-to-end IT infrastructure transformation of SGRE, including hybrid cloud transformation set-up of an intelligent desk & so on.

The brand has also been selected by SRGE to provide the application of management & transformation services.

Social Media Ads Lead To The Rescue Of 24 Parakeets

The power of social media can be incredible!

An ad on social media led wildlife officials to rescue at least 24 parakeets from different areas of South Calcutta.

“We were tracking posts on social networking sites and came across a man in Rajpur who claimed he dealt in exotic pets. The man had put up seven parakeets on sale and we managed to get in touch with him,” an officer said.

All of the rescued birds have been currently located into Wild Animal Rescue and Transit Facility Centre at Baisakhi, in Salt Lake. The trading of wild creatures & birds has led to a multi-billion dollar business, where Southeast Asia has among the largest market for these sales. And Calcutta is a corridor for these trades due to its easy access route.

Future Deal of Amazon

Amazon has got CCI approval for its proposed Rs 1,500 crore deal to acquire 49% of Future Coupons. By this deal, Amazon can become the largest shareholder in Future Retail and can exercise this call option anytime between the third and the 10th year. Although the details are yet to be announced, it is being said that Amazon.com NV Investment Holdings LLC, will give them a 3.5% stake in Future Retail, Biyani’s flagship company.

For more details check here!

Google Maps To Make Things Easier

Google is on a roll these days!

And it seems it has no plans to slow down.

Recently, Google Maps got a new landmark feature with prominent icons that make it easier for users to spot places of interest in a given city.

The new feature can be turned on tapping on the profile picture in the Google Maps app. Although there have been few glitches, prominent cities like New York, London, and Paris are showing larger icons for landmarks.

There you have some of the latest Tech News from the recent past.

If we have missed out some, comment & let us know!

And for more such interesting blogs read here!

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I Am A Travelpreneur – A Guide To Entrepreneurs

A new baby in the block, travelpreneurship hasn’t been recognized by the dictionary till now.

Travelpreneur is a person who operates a successful business but has an independent location. It means that you get to run your business, earn good profit but is not restricted to a certain location.

But giving that this is a new form of work profile, there are thousands of questions that may arise.

How can I run a business while on-the-go? Is it really a profession? How can I earn money? What are the essentials I need to be able to be a travelpreneur?

To help out new entrepreneurs we have our new series- “I Am…” where we give a first person’s view to help & understand the market.

For today our topic is- I Am…A Travelpreneur

“Travelpreneur? Is it really a thing?”

This one tops the most when I tell people about my profession.

Or the next one goes like, “So you write travel blogs? And Insta-stories right?”

To be honest, I had my fair share of doubts when I left my job 3 years ago to do this. There wasn’t even a term for this job when I thought about running my business while traveling the world.

I have a digital business & also work as a freelancing SEO expert.

Yes, I do brand endorsements as well on my Instagram page. But that happened much later when my business grew along with my social media following.

I agree that not all jobs allow you to be a travelpreneur, but you don’t need to have a blog or be a social media influencer to be a travelpreneur.

Tavelpreneur lifestyle isn’t for everyone but here are few criteria where you can go for this profession:

  • An SEO expert or analyst.
  • A digital business owner whose whole operation runs on the laptop.
  • A nomad who has already “made it” but looking for pointers on things like airlines, car rentals, homestays for his fellow workers.
  • Someone in the tourism industry.
  • And of course, a travel blogger or social media influencer or a photographer.

If your profession falls under these categories, then voila you are ready to be a travelpreneur!

One of the major attractions of my profession is, of course, the traveling part. But also on a business level, our jet-setter life has often allowed us to travel to different parts of the world to meet clients, crack new deals, etc.

Making Money…

A lot of times I get asked how do I earn money exactly?

Now the whole scenario of making money while traveling can be done in different ways. For instance, I do a lot of freelancing work apart from my business.

I do my meetings via Skype, Whatsapp, Google Duo, Zoom, Slack & other communication services. And for payments, I do online transactions of course.

With digital media thriving every day, money transactions, client meetings are no hassles!

Other than that, a great way to make money through social media posts like brand deals, promotions & sponsorships.

In fact, always being on the commute saves me a lot of money on electricity, office maintenance, daily commutes & others as all of my employees work from home.

The Absolute Necessities…

For a successful travelpreneur there are few necessities that he/she needs to carry.

For me I have a list:

  • Laptop –

This is where my world lies. Go for a laptop that suits your work profile. A well-configured laptop is where you need to make your investment. Also, it is better to choose a laptop where you can easily get access to their service centers.

  • A Wifi Connection –

To be precise a portable Wifi connection. Internet connectivity is crucial to bear in mind. For me, this is the heart of my profession. You need to be reliable, stay connected with your audience & clients. You need a fast internet connection.

For me, I use a Wifi dongle which is easy to carry & serves the purpose almost everywhere.

  • Passport-

This one falls into the travel kit. You need to carry proper documents, valid passport all the time with you.

I also carry soft copies of everything, just in case.

This may seem absurdly obvious, but you wouldn’t believe the number of stories I have heard from friends about arriving at the airport having forgotten their passport or realizing—far too late—that it expired six months earlier.

  • A Universal Adapter & A Hard drive-

One of the worst experiences that I had was to realize that I have a wrong-shaped plug for my laptop or phone!

It is literally a nightmare, that too when you are in the middle of some work, or deadline.

So I carry a universal adapter.

Also, a hard-drive is extremely necessary especially if you are a photographer. You need to keep your files intact right?

  • Medicine Kit-

Listen, you need to understand that while on the road, there will be no one, but you to take care of yourself!

Get a list of the common medicines like Aspirin, paracetamol, mosquito repellent, antiseptics, Benadryl, eye drops, motion sickness tablets, antacids & some emergency anti-allergic medicines.

I carry a small bag full of medicines & first kit box with me. You never know the kind of effect a new climate will have on your health right?

Better be prepared!

Also, keep your luggage minimum. You do not want to dress up every day like you want to attend the Met Gala!

This will save you extra luggage costs.

Lastly, think carefully about whether you really want to be in this profession. Do not make any rash decisions. There can be many challenges of being a travelpreneur which a lot of people do not consider.

Therefore, make a calculative decision.

Do you have any suggestions for us? Leave a comment below!

Also for more such interesting blogs, read here & Subscribe for the Newsletter!

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I Am A Foodie – A Guide To Entrepreneurs

Food is an integral part of our daily lives. The term “foodie” is used pretty frivolously nowadays.

But enjoying a meal doesn’t mean that you are a foodie. For a foodie, food is an experience.

Now, what is the journey of a food enthusiast? How is his perspective different from a normal person? Or what are the factors one should keep in mind before opening a food business?

To help out our fellow entrepreneurs we have come up with a brand new series “I Am…”

In this series, we give a first person’s perspective for different businesses.

Today we will hear the journey from…A Foodie.

A foodie is a person who has refined & ardent interest in food.

It is not just for hunger, I savor every meal to its last bit. A little difference in taste or texture can be detected by me.

But one thing that I need to make clear is that I am not from the food industry, like a chef, wine taster or anything. I just love to try different foods at different restaurants. And I believe that I am passionate about food more than anything else in the world.

The difference between a normal person & me you ask?

I would say there is a basic six-point difference between us. You know you are a foodie when:

· You can recommend restaurants on local cuisine. Not just Chinese or Mughlai…you know the local food of a place.

· You know the local ingredients in food.

· You don’t need the waiter to explain the whole menu to you.

· You try new cuisine every time.

· You have a “best of” list longer than 5 options.

· You are the go-to person among your friends for any restaurant, stall or menu options.

Now that I have made some sense about being a foodie, let’s dive into my journey.

I know being a foodie is someone’s innate perspective but I have been doing active food hoping over 5 years now. Literally half of my salary goes into restaurant hopping & food orders!

In my 5 years of experience, I have seen that my interest lies in three major areas.

The first is:

Social Media:

You might think about Swiggy, Zomato or other food apps but for me, I go beyond food apps.

For me, Instagram is a major source when ordering food at home. I love to try small, independent food delivery businesses.

One of my favorite is small cupcake shops. For instance, one of my favorite is 21B- A Dessert Co.

It is a small Kolkata based home-bakery shop with unique creativity!

I can spend hours on these pages & try to find some new innovative cuisine to try.

bakery

Like when I traveled to Goa, I went to a small home-bakery, Jila Bakery. It is a unique home bakery run by the 2nd generation of Antao family.

The recipes were secret but the coconut cookies & butter-caramel cake were to die for!

For me what sells for these businesses is their distinctiveness, presentation & authenticity. Presentation is extremely important as I am only trusting my judgment on the basis of what I see.

Next comes…

Local Food Stall or Food Trucks

To be honest, the food truck is still not a thing in India. But it is quickly growing!

For a food stall, the aspect that very serves for me is its availability & budget.

So if you are someone who is thinking about opening a truck or a stall, make sure you are near to your targeted crowd. And of course, pocket-friendly!

food-truck

Food stalls are generally for a quick grab. People won’t pay 500 bucks on a food stall. Also, it needs to be quick.

The worst experience while buying from a food truck is that I have to wait for 40 mins to get my food! The quicker the better.

Also, I would love if a food stall near my house sells food that is preferred by the neighborhood. For instance, most of us in Kolkata loves to have a roll, a sandwich, or chops & pakodas in the evening. And almost 50% of the office-goers travel through the metro.

So, any metro station in my city is bustling with snack corners in the evening. From sandwich to momos, rolls, chats, pakodas you name it & it is there within Rs. 60 to 70!

Now comes the finale…

Restaurant Hopping

For me, restaurant hopping is a totally different experience!

I do my research well before I decide to try a new dish at a new restaurant. I go through their website (if they have any), I go through their social media page or ask someone’s opinion.

salmon-dish-food-meal

I often take other foodie friends with me to have a nice chat about the experience.

The first thing that sells for me is their social media handle. Listings & great ratings on Swiggy or Zomato is great, but it always helps if the restaurant has their website or Instagram account.

After I visit a restaurant, the second thing that matters the most is the ambiance. Yes, I know it may sound clichéd but a good ambiance, warm welcome definitely enhances your experience.

I try to figure out what kind of vibe suits the place- a perfect date night, a casual hangout place, a family dinner, a small private party, etc.

The food is the grand event, of course. The smell, quality, presentation everything matters.

So for someone new in the food business must take everything into consideration. Even if you have a limited budget or you may not be a sophisticated dinner restaurant, your behavior, ambiance, presentation can up your game.

I often have an amazing warm experience in a small new restaurant. Whereas I have had a horrible experience in a chic classy dinner!

I hope the article helped you to get some idea if you are getting into the food industry.

In the end, food is subjective. What may matter to me may not matter to you! But having some quality experience purely from a food enthusiast’s view might earn you some new perspectives!

Do you have any suggestions or questions for us? Leave it in the comment section below!

And if you are interested to know more about our blogs, read here!

Also for more much interesting articles, Subscribe for the Newsletter!

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I Am A Buyer – A Guide To Entrepreneurs

The world of marketing can be quite overwhelming at some point.

Every day people are choosing entrepreneurship as their passion to try & create something innovative with their unique ideas.

But just having “The Big Idea” doesn’t solve the deal. There are hundreds of other aspects associated with it. And one of the prime factors is “marketing”.

Marketing helps you “Big Idea” to reach thousands of people. It is a bridge of communication really. But without it, your idea is just a theory!

But the big question is how does someone understand the market?

The market is a very wide term & not everyone is a marketer or a sales pro, to be honest.

So how does one understand his audience? Or their behavior? Or the way the market runs?

Keeping all these questions in mind we came up with our new series- I Am…

It is a mini-series just like our “Battle Of The Brands”.

Here we will discuss different facets of marketing from the first person’s perspectives – like, an entrepreneur, a customer, a Youtuber, an expert marketer & so on…

For today, we have:

I Am…The Buyer.

The buyer is one of the most important factors for any businessman. I am almost like the ultimate destination of your business!

A business without a customer base is useless!

A lot of marketing study has a full model of consumer behavior in a detailed comprehensive format. And they are pretty darn good, no doubt about that.

But how many of them are from my own perspective?

Frankly, we are all buyers in our daily lives. We buy foods, clothes, gadgets, amenities & whatnot. And all of us are very different from one another.

To include all the consumer behavior while buying various products & services can be daunting, so let me keep it basic & simple!

Let’s think about a situation where I, a buyer, will be buying a product or a service from a new brand.

So what will be my journey?

To keep it honest, I basically have like a three-fold journey while buying from a new brand.

First comes the:

The Awareness Stage

This may sound a fancy-marketing term. But it is actually a phase where I feel a need for a particular product or service.

Let me give you a situation.

A couple of months back, I needed to go to the salon for my monthly skincare appointment.

Now, usually, I would go to my trusted beauty salon after making an appointment. But since I started my job, time is a huge factor for me. Also, I needed something which would spare me the hassle of actually going out of my house on weekends!

And that’s when I remembered seeing ads about Urban Clap.

So you see, the need to get a salon service at home actually made me aware of a brand that I had seen some Facebook ads.

That’s where brand awareness comes. And that is why brands spend thousands of dollars on ads & promotions!

Now, awareness is often created by needs or desires!

Mainly, luxurious items indulge in desires. Like a Channel perfume. I would literally get smitten with desires by just getting a sample smell at a random mall!

So as a brand, you need to be aware of your customers. Social media ads, promotions are a huge thing now. Have you seen Levis? Their promotions are cutting-edge! They know how to draw a customer.

Buyers Journey

Now moving on to the next stage for me:

The Consideration Stage

This is probably the most important stage for me.

Continuing with my previous example, now after I remembered Urban Clap, I started looking, mostly doing some research work about it. I went to their website to get the hang of all the services they are providing & that’s where I got the information about all the other home services they provide.

So you see, providing the right content is extremely important. As most of us do our research online, you need to have an impressive online presence.

I did my research, went to their social media pages to see the reviews.

Reading reviews before buying is crucial for me. I read at least 60 to 70 reviews to get a multi-dimensional perspective.

So as a buyer, I would highly get interested if your business has videos, authentic reviews, their solutions, some testimonials. This for me can convince that you really know your job.

Now that I have my research done, it’s time for me to make a decision which brings us to stage three:

The Decision Stage

Here I will weigh in the pros & cons of a product or service.

For Urban Clap, the thing that sold me was their guarantee of hygiene & full salon treatment at home.

But again I went for a smaller package deal, in the beginning, just to taste the waters. Many of us also go for a free trial, if there is any.

For a business, you need to sell your product with all the USP to make the customer actually ‘wanting to buy your product’.

For me, it is a two-part stage. The testing stage, where I would just go for the brand as a one-time shot!

Now, if I like the product, I finally become a loyal buyer, which is the endgame!

For most buyers, like me, once a product captures our mind we try to stick to that.

Some of us even turn into fans, recommending your brand to our friends, following your social media handles.

Now that you have my perspective, I hope it made things a little clear for you!

If you have any questions or suggestions for the blog, leave us a comment!

And if you are interested to know more about our blogs, read here!

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Memes & Digital Marketing

Memes have become an undeniable part of the internet culture. Whether you are a social media addict or not, you can’t just ignore the craze of memes.

Every day you see at least a dozen memes on various topics throughout your news feed & with the increase in the number of brands joining the bandwagon, it seems like memes are here to stay!

Meme marketing is a legit promotional strategy used by brands nowadays. It is a fun, spontaneous way to engage with the audience.

What Is Meme Marketing?

Meme marketing is a promotional strategy where brands use memes to spread their brand awareness or product launch.

Meme

Brands use various types of memes, be it for a social cause or to announce their new product launch.

The thing with memes is that they never get boring!

The Journey From Humor To Marketing

Memes originated purely as a source of entertainment. They were used to poke fun at a situation or a person or a product.

But with time, brands started to use memes.

Some businesses have picked up on the fact that everyone loves a good laugh. When it comes to social media marketing, being too serious might backfire.

Memes work for brands because they’re designed specifically for social platforms and provide value through entertainment. Take a look at this example:

Zomato Meme

Memes create a connection with the audience through humor. Just think about it, after a long day at work & commute what would you prefer? Sharing a meme about the latest Disney movie or a 2 hour long promotional video?

Exactly, nobody has that time!

Not even die-hard Disney fans.

Benefits Of Meme Marketing

Memes are visual

Memes have a visual impact on the audience. Rather than dwelling into a 700-word long brand’s latest product description, few simple memes can be more appealing to the audience.

Virat kohli meme

Memes are entertaining & informative

Memes can be hilarious as well as give proper information regarding a particular matter. It allows businesses to be more approachable & friendly.

Free Leads

For instance, Zomato shares a lot of memes on their social media page which makes them so popular among the new generation.

Creating & Sharing memes are much easier

There are numerous meme generators online. Most of them are free and user-friendly.

To create a particular meme all you have to do is think about witty content, choose your visual & template and there you have your meme!

It’s quick, it can be super-relatable & saves you a lot of money as well as time.

Memes can get viral pretty easily as well. And once you have a reputation of being funny with your memes, your social media followers will get a significant boost.

Few Tips On Meme Marketing

  • Be relatable- All of us are self-critical at one point in time. If you are really thinking of indulging in some meme marketing, don’t be scared to get vulnerable. The audience can relate more to brands who have the guts, to be honest.
  • Select a proper language– Understand the lingo of your audience. If you don’t get the lingo right, your meme can immediately fall flat!
  • Understand the timing- Some memes are golden, have been around for years. If you are using existing memes, make sure it is in trend. While creating your own, be aware of the social climate.
  • Be clever while product placement- In the end, obviously people are going to understand your motive behind the post, that’s completely fine. But what is not cool is when the product promotion is too obvious without giving some genuine laugh to your audience.

Two and a half men meme

The bottom line is memes are not just for college kids. They require a certain amount of creativity to induce some genuine laughter!

Also, please keep in mind, that memes are not blatant trolling. If you are going to poke fun, make sure that it is not humiliating.

In the end, you cannot please everyone, meme culture has a certain fan base, so target your audience accordingly.

What are your thoughts on meme marketing?

Do you have any favorite brands that you follow just for memes? Let us know here!

Also, for more such innovative blogs, read here!

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Digital Marketing – Fans Vs Customers

With a huge flow of new aspects in terms of digital marketing, marketers are trying hard to build a brand identity through fans & customers.

Fans & customers are one of the major foundations of a brand. But people often get confused, as per where exactly the difference lies.

Knowing your audience is one of the prime responsibilities of any marketer.

So whether you are an expert or a newbie or someone who is curious about marketing, this article is definitely going to help you!

Customer

A customer is basically anyone who is interested in your product. He is someone, who is ready to buy your product just because he is interested in the product, not particularly your brand as such.

A customer can also be someone who may not buy from your brand all the time, he may just speculate your product.

Fan

A fan, on the other hand, is someone who is genuinely enthusiastic, loyal about your brand.

He is more of a loyal customer, who actually prefers your product or brand may refer your business to others as well.

He is a die-hard follower, they will buy your products repeatedly.

One of the major differences between a fan & a customer is loyalty.

A fan is loyal to a particular brand. For instance, imagine this. You are someone who lives on his own & you love the food of Swiggy. You order 5 days out of 7 in a week from Swiggy.

Now, while scrolling your social media, you come across some discount offers from Zomato. You scroll through their page & order something. You like the food. You like their service.

However, the next day you go back to Swiggy & for the same restaurant you ordered from Zomato.

This shows that you are a loyal fan of Swiggy. Even though you liked the food you went back to Swiggy to search for the same food you ordered on Zomato.

You are a customer of Zomato but a fan of Swiggy.

Which one is important for a brand?

To be honest, it really depends on your type of business.

If you are brand who wants to build a niche audience or a social media influencer you want to focus on building a fan base.

Like for example, a brand like Bewakoof, they focus on building a brand. They have a set target audience, mainly people from 16-24 years, students, professionals or entrepreneurs who can either be financially stable or not.

Whereas, for a brand like Club Factory, or Amazon, they focus on customers. They are a huge marketplace, which sells a massive variety of items.

They do not need to focus on building followers really, as there are a lot of one-time-buyers.

So you choose your audience.

However, a lot of brands are focusing on turning their customers into fans.

If you are one of them, here are few ways you can do that:

  • Be Authentic– you may start by getting inspired by someone else’s business model, but if you are thinking of building a niche, authenticity is very crucial. People want to see a brand true to themselves.
  • Be Consistent– especially with your customer service. You need to be connected with your audience through SMS, Email, live chats, posts & so on. Consistency breeds familiarity and familiarity inspires trust.
  • Be Approachable– a fan needs to connect with you or your brand. Apple is ranked as the top company for customer service because their staff is trained to “enrich lives” by “deepening and restoring relationships.”
  • Build Trust– a brand takes a lot of time to earn a customer’s trust. A customer with immense trust turns into a fan. You need to show your fans enough love to be able to be a part of their life where they refer you to their friends.

There you have it. Now that you have a clear idea about a fan & a customer, you can decide which one is right for you.

For blogs related to other interesting aspects of marketing, read here!

Want to build your brand identity through digital marketing? We at Skyram Technologies will help you to get the right customers or build a fan base for you! Whatever you prefer. Connect with us here to get a detailed idea of our services!

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Instagram Marketing Tips & Tricks 2019

If you are familiar with digital marketing, you must already know about influencer marketing.

Instagram is a major platform for social media influencers. People are earning loads of money & building their brand with the help of Instagram.

And with the rise of micro-influencers, the world of branding has opened a lot of windows for diverse career options.

Big brands are interested in working with micro-influencers for their product promotions, which we have discussed in our previous blog. So if you want a clear idea about the influence of micro-influencers, read here.

Now you might wonder why Instagram in particular. Why not Facebook, or Youtube? Well, truth be told, all of them are useful in their own way, but with Instagram is arguably the best for influencer marketing.

Just have a look at the data by Quintly study which shows the rate of interaction through Instagram as compared to other platforms!

Instagram Twitter Facebook

So, if you are thinking about building your brand through Instagram, here are some tricks that might help you through the process.

MAKE USE OF FREE INSTAGRAM TOOLS

First things first, switch your personal profile to a business profile!

If you want to do Instagram marketing, as per the core techniques of digital marketing, you need to have access to analytics or Insights, which will help you with access to impressions & engagement data.

Business profiles have certain advantages like followers can easily click your contact button from your profile!

To convert your profile just click on Settings -> Switch to business profile.

The free tools that Instagram provides you with is priceless. You can get specific analysis on specific posts & the exact amount of impressions generated by your post.

USE INTERACTIVE HASHTAGS

Hashtags are like the lungs of Instagram!

Using hashtags effectively can create instant engagement with your audience. Using multiple hashtags that are relevant to your brand will increase your followers!

Also when you are using relevant hashtag people who are using the same can easily find you. For instance, you are food reviewer & you are posting a restaurant reviewer with the #foodie. People who are searching for the same hashtag will be able to see your post.

foodie

More importantly, brands with innovative hashtags are able to connect with the audience much easier.

INVESTMENT

A very important underrated aspect of influencer marketing.

Invest in proper tools like a decent camera or maybe a phone with a high pixel camera.

Look, you can make all the difference by adding small changes. High-quality images have added advantages to Instagram.

The last thing you want to do as an Instagram marketer is to lose a sponsorship because of your image quality!

If you are a travelpreneur who wants to have proper tools like GorillaPod, tripod or GoPro to get perfect aesthetic shots for your page!

SPONSORED ADS & COLLABORATIONS

For this, you need a proper ad budget.

Sponsored posts & collaborations with brands is a business opportunity where users who follow you can see posts. This is a great opportunity to create your own brand identity as an Instagram influencer!

Nowadays, brands are collaborating with micro-influencers who has a niche audience to increase their reach further.

For ads & sponsorships use content that is engaging, appealing to the target demographic. Keep in mind to only collaborate with brands that are relevant for your own audience.

USE INSTAGRAM STORIES

If you want to generate proper leads, Instagram stories are the best tool for you.

Stories are short videos or “slideshow” posts that are available for 24hrs.

But Stories can be saved to any of your devices and reused at a later point.

Very similar to Snapchat stories but much better. Stories are displayed like daily news on top of the follower’s timeline.

For these stories, you don’t have to worry about being “aesthetic’. Stories are much more real-time, often behind the scene sort of a thing which connects with the audience much better.

You can experiment with different types of content like Boomerang, photos, videos, rewind video & so on.

DECIDE ON A COLLABORATION STRUCTURE

Another extremely underrated yet essential step before Instagram marketing.

You should have a proper understanding of the market & a structure of how you want to collaborate with brands.

Sounds overwhelming? Here are some factors to look for:

  1. Campaign Timeframe– make sure you talk with other brands or influencers about the definite deadline about a partnership.
  2. Content structure– You may want to present a product in a very different way than the company you have partnered with. Communicate properly how to want to market a specific product with your collaborators.
  3. Payment– As an influencer, you want to have a definite compensation structure.

As a brand it is important to know will you be giving them a flat payment per post? Or do you prefer to pay them based on their performance?

It might sound a little too much at first, but trust me once you get the hang of everything you will fall into a proper system!

Now that you have all the technical information with you, we have some tips to help you further:

  • Don’t Post Too Much– posting often is important part of staying relevant but don’t overwhelm your audience with too much content.
  • Interact With Your Followers– reply to your followers in the comment section. Simple engagement or a small greeting can be a powerful way to create a loyal fan base.
  • Promote Things That You Truly Believe In– the world of social media can be alluring but you need to understand your audience & promote relevant products only. Remember to tell a story & not sell a product.
  • Choose An Aesthetic– sticking to a proper aesthetic can be difficult with new trends every day. That a proper aesthetic will add a cohesiveness that guides your audience from one post to another.

Now that you have all the tips & tricks of Instagram marketing with you, get started!

If you have any more suggestions or you want to know more about Instagram Markering, here are few information!

Also, if you want some help to grow brand, we at Skyram Technologies do all kinds of Social Media Marketing. Connect with us here!

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Battle Of The Brands – Dove Vs Lux

The beauty industry is a huge rage now!

It earns billions every year with hundreds of new beauty products emerging every quarter.

The marketing strategies of the beauty industry have been in the news for long. It has its fair share of controversy, cut-throat competition & corruption. But whether you are a marketer or not, you somehow can’t ignore the fascinating world of the beauty industry.

So, today after a lot of debates, we decided to pitch two of the most unique & oldest beauty products of the world- Dove Vs Lux!

Both of them are significant beauty brands that have been in the market for quite long & both of them have a very different marketing strategy despite being from the same parent company- Unilever!

Go on give it a read!

BACKSTORY

Lux

Developed way back in 1899 by the Lever Brothers, Lux was originally named as Sunlight Flakes & was branded as a laundry soap.

Can you imagine that? Such a huge mainstream beauty product was originated as laundry soap!

Presently, the brand has it’s headquarters in Singapore, where it celebrated its 90th anniversary in 2018.

Lux started using movie stars as their model in the 1940s & 50s. A few of the most prominent stars to grace the face of its covers were Sandra Dee, Audrey Hepburn, Debbie Reynolds, Barbara Rush, Parveen Babi, Sridevi, Sharmila Tagore & many more.

At present, the brand has a range of beauty products that include, beauty soaps, shower gels, shampoos, conditioners, & bath additives.

Dove

Dove, again owned by Unilever is a beauty care brand but it was developed during 1955. The original patent-holder of Dove was Vicent Lamberti, while he was working with Lever Brothers.

Dove is sold in more than 150 countries ( Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Egypt, Germany, India, Indonesia, Israel, Ireland, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, Pakistan, Philippines, Poland, & many more), offering products for both men & women.

It produces body wash, beauty bars, lotions, hair care products & so on.

It also has a Dove Men + care & Baby Dove. These are much later additions to the family of course!

MARKETING STROKES

Lux

Lux uses 360-degree promotional techniques through TVCs, print ads, online ads, etc.

From the 1960s, the brand started a different approach for the promotion of this product. The integrated “Fantasy Element” that we commonly associate with the brand today, by simply using movie stars as fantasies.

The completely romanticized the brand using sensational & emotional dimensions associated with desire!

It was a genius move & worked wonders for the brand.

In India itself, Lux is related to a brand that uses beautiful women to endorse their products. Right from Sharmila Tagore to Sridevi, Hema Malini to Madhuri Dixit, Rani Mukherjee, Aishwarya Rai, Katrina Kaif, Kareena Kapoor, Deepika Padukone, Alia Bhatt all the women in the tinsel town have been the face of this renowned brand.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rKNpCmDMqsA

In 2005, Lux singed Shah Rukh Khan as the face of Lux in 2005, when the brand turned 75 years in India.

Some of the very well known ads of Lux are one with Srk & Katrina, just before Jab Tak Hain Jaan!

The brand almost ties major world stars like Elizabeth Taylor, Sophia Lauren, Audrey Hepburn, Hema Malini, Shah Rukh Khan together with one single product!

In 2017, Lux incorporated their new campaign “More than you see” which pushes boundaries & rises above social judgments. Lux communications now revolve around showcasing the different sides of women expressing their femininity.

In India, it celebrates its women with “Golden Rose Awards” every year to aspire to the female cinematic legends of Bollywood.

Dove

The target audience of this iconic brand is the middle-class & upper-middle class.

The promotional strategies for Dove has been very different from that of Lux.

Unlike Lux, Dove focuses on “every day, real women” with its unique campaign of ‘Campaign for real beauty’ focusing on the self-esteem of a woman.

Throughout its campaigns, Dove communicated that women of all colors & ages are equally beautiful. It celebrates diversity in each individual.

There are no models in their campaigns, it uses people of all body shapes, colors, ages in their ads.

It somehow normalizes the concept of “conventional beauty.”

Some ads focuses on women’s reaction after buying the product. This creates a sense of acceptability creating a positive influence in the market.

The use of ordinary women makes the product much more relatable.

In 2004, they created “Dove Campaign for Real Beauty” with Ogilvy & Mathher where they organized an exhibition titled “Beyond Compare: Women Photographers on Real Beauty”. The campaign became super successful among the crowds.

The brand even uses short videos or films talking about social issues like girl education, women empowerment & so on which are widely viewed.

GROWTH & REVENUE

Lux

Lux has built an empire!

According to Wikipedia, in 2009, Lux’s revenue was estimated to be around 1 Billion Pounds with market shares in more than 100 countries.

In 2019, in India Lux is reported to have ended with a turnover of Rs.136 crores!

In 2020, according to Mr. Saket Todi, the VP of the company said, “FY19 we ended turnover of Rs 136 crore which is approximately around 30 percent growth and similarly for FY20 we are expecting 30 percent growth and we should be closing between Rs 170 and Rs 175 crore.”

Other than this, their Facebook page has over 7 million followers.

Dove

Despite being embroiled in various controversies, dove manages to stay at the top of the game.

According to The Guardian, Net profits before exceptional items rose 17% to €1.2bn (£789m) in the three month period with earnings per share up by 18% in 2002.

In 2019, the revenue from Dove & Sunsilk gained Rs 4539 crore revenue for HUL.

The net profit in December 2018 was around Rs. 1,444 crores, a 8.9% rise in quarterly profit!

Other than this the Dove Self-Esteem Project has reached more than 19 million young people in 115 countries.

They are quite popular in social media with over 28 million followers!

There you have it. A solid comparison between two iconic brands, under the same parent company, with completely different take on marketing strategies!

How are you liking our series? Let us know in the comments!

Also which one is your favorite? Or you like both? Comment that too as well!

And for our other interesting blogs here is the link!

Disclaimer: All the above information is not to defame or promote any particular brand. This is just for reading purpose & do not have any unethical intention.

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Battle Of The Brands – IPL Vs NFL

Sports is one of the prime sources of entertainment for viewers.

But what’s more surprising is the fact that how sports can create a huge market for branding & promotions!

Did you know that in 2019, IPL or Indian Premier League have spent over Rs. 577 crores just on advertising?! Insane right?

Now just imagine at what mammoth amount of the promotions of Super Bowl or NFL or NBL will begin!

With every year passing by, sports & sports enthusiasts are becoming a wonderland for marketers. So we thought why not pitch two national-level sporting brands against one another, in this round of Battle of the Brands”?

We have IPL Vs NFL this time. The two most celebrated national sports events in the two most prominent democracies of the world!

Backstory

IPL

Indian Premier League started in 2008 by BCCI. It is a pro-level cricket league played in India, in Twenty20 format during March & April of each year.

Lalit Modi, then the BCCI Vice President was said to be the mastermind behind IPL.

The 8 teams were named after eight cities- Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Kolkata, Chennai, Pune, Rajkot, Hyderabad.

With each passing season, IPL became the most-attended cricket league in the world & 2014 it was ranked sixth by average attendance among all sports events.

NFL

National Football League is comparatively much older. Found in 1920, it is the grandparent of national leagues.

The league has 32 teams divided equally between National Football Conference (NFL) & American Football Conference (AFC).

Throughout the years NFL became a steady diet for Americans with pre-seasons, regular seasons, the playoffs & the king of it all the Super Bowl!

Marketing Strokes

IPL

IPL defined a new set of paradigms to do business in the Indian International market. The craze for cricket in the country made IPL a celebrated event with Bollywood, political, business tycoons joining the mega grandeur.

IPL has corporatized cricket in a unique way. It has added a new dimension of marketing and branding to the sport in India.

One of the biggest USP of IPL is that the teams are run by Bollywood celebrities or renowned business houses.

From Shah Rukh Khan to Sachin Tendulkar, Ambanis, Preity Zinta, Shilpa Shetty, Raj Kundra, Karan Paul everybody has a share in their respective teams.

Other than that the event is attended by every star of the tinsel town- Hrithik Roshan, Amitabh Bacchan, Abhishek Bachhan, Deepika Padukone, Katrina Kaif, Ranveer Singh you name it & they are in attendance.

The advertising campaigns are huge in IPL.

IPL has teamed up with major brands like Amazon, Vodafone, Parle, Jio, Cadbury, Vivo & others.

The Vodafone Zoo Zoo is one of the famous and oldest advertisement campaigns on the IPL theme.

The Cadbury “Subh Arambh” was another unique commercial for IPL.

The particular advertisement was made for the Indian festival and for those who have initiated something new in their life.

Other than TVCs, IPL also opted for Online marketing. One of the primary strategies of IPL was the tie-up with Google for live streaming of IPL matches through Youtube, a million dollar deal worked wonders for both parties.

IPL also tied up with PVR cinemas, for live screening of IPL matches in theatres.

NFL

NFL with its unique marketing throughout the years has built a timeless brand identity for themselves.

One of the NFL’s biggest successes that can be used in any strategy is consistent content distribution across multiple platforms.

The NFL positions themselves as the “premier sports and entertainment brand that brings people together socially and emotionally like no other.”

Their branding can be found all through social media, stories about their fans, social initiatives & so on. All build up their brand identity.

NFL creates magnanimous partnerships with brands. In 2018, it partnered with Nike for 8 years!

The brand has some iconic sponsors like Pizza Hut, Anheuser-Busch, and Gatorade.

It often works with small influencers or local businesses to promote their brand through giveaways, events & activities.

And the commercials!

Especially for the Super Bowls. From the iconic Cindy Crawford’s Pepsi 1992 commercial to Parisian Love by Google in 2010, Super Bowl gave us some unique ads of all time.

The most impactful in recent years? The “We Accept” ad campaign by Airbnb in 2017 Super Bowl Commercial.

NFL has a strong loyal community. These are not just customers by passionate loyal fans for whom the NFL is a part of their life.

In 2017, the NFL gave away 500 Super Bowl tickets to its most dedicated football fans. NFL believes in staying connected with its fans through giveaways, campaigns & promotions.

Growth & Revenue

IPL

According to Wikipedia, IPL as a whole is valued around $4.16 Billion US dollars in 2016 & in 2018 the number grew to $6.13 Billion.

The title sponsors pay around 200 crores to secure the rights for 5 years in IPL.

IPL teams are bought through a bidding system. Each player gets paid a hefty amount to be in the team.

For instance, Mumbai Indians were worth $112.9 million!

In 2018, IPL had registered a total reach of 302.8 million viewers of age above 2 years in the all India market for both urban and rural homes across 10 channels.

In 2019, IPL offered a prize money of $7.2 million dollars with the winning team netting 2.9 million.

According to Hindustan Times, in 2018, each team was predicted to have earned a profit of at least Rs. 75 crores from a single season.

Some teams could have generated as much as Rs 100-125 crore in profit.

NFL

NFL is like an empire.

According to Star, the revenues rose from $231 million in 2008 to $302 million in 2010.

As of 2019, each team receives $255 million annually from the league’s television contract!

According to Touchdown Wire, NFL disbursed $ 8.78 billion in revenue to its club from the money it made it last year.

It is estimated that around 2027, the revenues will rise to $ 25 billion!

Well…there goes some numbers that will take time to settle in!

It is unbelievable how massive these industries are. In the meantime, if you want some more mind-boggling studies about marketing strategies opted by different brands, read here!

And which are your favorite sports? Comment down below!

And if you have any ideas regarding our blogs or any suggestions feel free to contact us here!

Disclaimer: All the above information is not to defame or promote any particular brand. This is just for reading purpose & do not have any unethical intention.

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Battle Of The Brands – Sprite Vs Mountain Dew

Soft drinks are a daily part of our lives.

India being a tropical country has a huge demand for refreshing drinks. The competition is pretty stiff.

I mean just look at some of the advertising campaigns of these drinks! From signing massive stars to using witty taglines- the marketers can do crazy to make a single campaign a massive success.

Thus, after fashion, food, whiskey, we decided to bring soft drinks into our battleground!

Today we have two most popular brands with us- Sprite Vs Mountain Dew!

Let’s start then?

BACKSTORY

Sprite- A Refreshing Journey

Sprite was created back in the 1960s by The Coca-Cola Company, for the people who did not want to have black colored drink. It is still a major competitor of 7 Up as both of them are lemon & lime-flavored drink.

By the 1980s, the brand created a large following of teenagers.

The green color packaging was done to integrate the idea of refreshment among the buyers.

During the mid-1990s, Sprite changed its slogan to “Obey Your Thirst” with an urban hip-hop jingle.

Gradually Sprite outrun its main competitor 7 Up with its unique marketing techniques which we will discuss in the next segment!

Mountain dew- All About Pushing Limits

One of the primary competitors of Coca-Cola, PepsiCo introduced Mountain Dew long ago in the 1940s.

It was a citrus-flavored, less carbonated drink with more sugar and high caffeine levels.

Over the years the company diversified its product with Diet Mountain Dew & also added new flavors like raspberry, blueberry, orange, watermelon, so on.

MARKETING STROKES

Sprite – “Clear Hai” Campaign

Mostly conceptualized by Ogilvy & Mather, Sprite’s “Clear Hai” campaign is one of the most popular marketing campaigns done by a soft drink brand.

The ads are unique. One of the most popular ad is the Valet ad where it takes a fresh take adopted by the brand to show two elderly ladies get a parking spot with the help of the Sprite’s protagonist.

The jingle in the background “Duniya Lagati Ulti Gear” is really refreshing & the viewers are bound to get hooked to it!

Sprite’s signature ads have one theme. Mostly targeting the young crowd, it shows how the drink helps youngsters to attain clarity of thought & take a stand with wit.

The company believes in the promotion to a strong extent. They are mainly focused on the promotion activity of the company. They use all the channels like newspapers, radio, television, hoarding, net, etc. The company makes sure that the product reaches to almost all the customers.

This has created a huge brand awareness for the drink!

The campaigns are generally executed by theatre actors or struggling faces. Generally for India, the brand refrains from using big names to make the ads more relatable to the common masses.

Sprite, popular amongst its audience as a “Jugaad” drink, resonates with the idea of the ability to think clearly & overcoming obstacles to achieve one’s goals.

Mountain Dew- “Darr Ke Age Jeet Hai”

Owned by PepsiCo, this carbonated soft drink has a very different approach from Sprite.

The brand campaigns are about ultimate adventure & daring stunts.

In 2011, Salman Khan was signed for a year as the face of the brand in India. The ad was shot in the mountainous terrains of New Zealand with a high adventurous vibe, keeping up with it’s brand’s philosophy.

In 2013, Hrithik Roshan was signed as the face of Mountain Dew.

This was a major move for the brand, as it got associated with one of the most celebrated actors in the country!

In 2017, the brand always urges consumers to break out of the ordinary & launched a new initiative Risk Taker of India to inspire people from real-life heroes.

In these campaigns, Hritik Roshan portrayed the journey of five real-life heroes who broke boundaries.

For instance, in one of the commercial Hrithik portrayed young mountain climber, Arjun Vajpai, attempting to climb Mt. Cho Oyu- one of the most difficult summits to scale!

Other than this, Mountain Dew also partnered with Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara team to feature its drink in the movie!

GROWTH & REVENUE

Sprite

In 2008, Coca-Cola reported to have an 18% increase in sales.

It is currently the number 1 selling soft drink in the country!

According to WABE, Coca-Cola’s profit rose to 38% in 2017 due to the high selling of Sprite.

At present, the company’s Facebook page has over 22 Million followers!

According to CNBC, Coca-Cola did a business of $ 1.37 billion in 2018 which is a 32% share. And a lot of it comes from its baby- Sprite!

Mountain Dew

Mountain Dew’s parent company had four rough years consecutively.

Although their Facebook page over 2 million followers, PepsiCo had a hard time earning profits & competing with Coca-Cola!

According to Economic Times, in 2017-18 PepsiCo made a net profit of Rs 190 crore. It was a moment as the year before it had a loss of Rs 148 crore.

Apart from the eponymous cola and other brands including Mountain Dew, 7Up and Mirinda, Pepsi has also been branching into other segments.

Pepsi has branched into the fruit juices segment with Tropicana, and the sports drink segment with Gatorade.

So, here we have two comparisons in front of you. Two marketing approaches completely different from each other!

One relying on relatability & the other an inspiration.

Which one do you prefer?

Let us know in the comment section.

And for more such unique articles stay connected with us here!

Disclaimer: All the above information is not to defame or promote any particular brand. This is just for reading purpose & do not have any unethical intention.