Make your Social Media a Happy Place

 In a world that now highly depends on technological advancement, social media brought us together and it made us apart. It increased our knowledge of the remotest corners of the world and it kept us glued to our mobile phones. We've had enough debates deciding on whether this gift of technology is a boon for modern society or, in fact, a bane. No matter which conclusion we reach in the due course of time, we have to agree that social media has become a crucial part of our lives be it in the terms of connecting with family and friends or promoting your business online, making it reach potential customers on the opposite side of the globe.

Social media is a place that you hate to love or vice versa. You just cannot ignore it. What makes me say that? I plan on a social media detox that I miserably fail three hours into, and you know I am not the only one. 

I have talked about 'social media and privacy concerns' and 'Online harassment' in my previous articles. Being someone who is an active user of this technology, I have come to an understanding that I am indeed in charge of how I use my social media and how I let it treat me. In this article, I am going to share with you how I transformed my social media from a 'crappy place' into a 'happy space'. 

CHOOSE WHAT YOU WANT TO SEE

Does that one influencer with no real talent make you insecure? or that acquaintance who regularly posts stories about his luxury? or a family member who questions your presence on social media, let alone your posts. Well, it's time you unfollow them. If you are someone who wishes not to unfollow someone then do not fret! Various social media platforms provide you with features that enable you to 'mute' someone so as to maintain a distance from them over social media. For example, Instagram calls this feature 'Restrict'. When you restrict/mute someone, they will not be able to see your posts that often, nor will they be able to view the comments on your pictures. Their messages to you will end up in your message requests. 

CLOSE FRIENDS ON INSTAGRAM/PRIVATE STORIES ON SNAPCHAT

Various social media platforms, particularly Instagram and Snapchat provide you with an option to hide your stories from certain people. If you wish to post something private, particularly a story, that you don't wish to share with all your followers, you can create a 'close friends' list on Instagram or a 'private story' on Snapchat. The pictures and videos that you upload on your 'close friends' story will only be viewed by accounts listed by yourself. 

CHOOSE WISELY WHO YOU FOLLOW 

I cannot emphasise this enough but follow pages and people that make you feel good about yourself. There is a huge variety of feel-good accounts and influencers on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter that can change your perspective on things like life, society, politics and whatnot. Consuming good and meaningful content for content is the king for any social media. Positivity and self-care are #trending. 

FOLLOWERS AND LIKES ARE JUST NUMBERS

Followers and likes are just numbers we attribute so much value to that at one point

we use them to define our self-worth. Do not rush after increasing your followers and likes. Refrain from purchasing fake ones as more than anything, it's unsafe. People you should be concerned about probably already follow you.

POST WHAT YOU WANT

Post that picture that embraces your scars or that quote which defines your homosexuality. When I say this, I mean post what makes you feel good or defines you without fret. But the social medium must be used with a responsible attitude. Make sure you don't hurt someone else's sentiments in an attempt to make your own social media a happy place. together we are wishing for a pleasant and safe social media experience. 

IT'S OKAY TO BE MIA

For those of you who don't know what 'MIA' means, it is a common abbreviation used for 'missing in action. It's okay to not be active on your social media for a while. You don't have to explain your social absence to anyone but people who are truly concerned about you. 

Any kind of media is great as long as humans know how to manipulate their access to it according to their needs and comfort and when it comes to social media, various apps and platforms are coming up with updates that enable you to design your own experience while using them. Make the most out of new data and security apps, and indulge in responsible behaviour. Don't do to others, what you won't tolerate yourself. In the end, consume only content that does well for you and society. Avoid promoting content that tends to mock or hurt the sentiments of a community. 

PS- Never take social media seriously. Most of it is a lie or an illusion created by influencers and businesses to market their products and people. Happy scrolling. 

Marketing Behind Skin Care Products

 Let us begin this blog with a few questions; How often do you purchase skincare products? Have you noticed a new beauty trend in which people are now more drawn to natural and chemical-free products? If you somehow happen to have the answers to these questions, then you may have also observed a shift in the way these products are marketed and advertised. 

As you may have seen, nowadays, people are more concerned about their health. When it comes to beauty,  according to the latest consumer trends, people are now more woke about the ingredients, particularly in their skin and hair care products. Marketers were first to recognise this trend and acted on it through their marketing strategies. Let's see how:

 The Gamechanger 

Previously, the advertising for skincare products focused on listing out the benefits of the product or associating the product with some kind of success or achievement in life. To cite an example, we may look at the advertisements for 'Fair & Lovely' over the years, the brand has always tried to associate its product with the success of a working woman based on her beauty. The latter strategy created a need for the product, which generated high sales. 

Now, people have started to embrace their bodies the way they are, are done with the fake advertising promises and have started looking for and researching the ingredients in a product. And, marketers were the first to identify this shift in consumer behaviour. 

What Changed? 

Marketers and advertisers noticed that listing the product benefits alone won't be enough to create a buzz for the same in the market and generate a need in the consumer, which may ultimately not result in sales and profits. 

Many newly launched brands adopted a new marketing strategy. After having done a SWOT analysis on the product and applying the AIDA Model correctly, they decided to list out the benefits of their skincare product range, but with a twist. Instead of rattling about the product benefits, brands decided to target keywords like 'Science Backed' or 'Made with Science' in their marketing communications. 

Marketers understood that vaguely listing the product benefits and fake promises would not create the need or desire in the consumer to convert to their products. But mentioning the ingredients or the %age value of certain ingredients like 10% Niacinamide, 2% Vitamin C in marketing communications would lead the customer to believe that the skincare product is medicated or 'science backed' and may work.

The Result? 

This approach has been successful in generating high sales for products like 10% Niacinamide face serums or 2% Vitamin C face serum or 3% Redensyl and 5% Minoxidil hair growth serums. We don't know if these products are effective or not until we purchase them. And, having the consumers purchase a particular product is the goal of most marketers.