"On social media, it's more critical to have a personality than a product": Shaili Chopra, author, 'The Big Connect'

There's no denying the fact that sites like Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn are changing the way Indian citizens, especially the youth, communicate with and relate to one another. But that's not all. The online world also influences the way we perceive and assess our political leaders and the ideals they stand for.

It took business journalist Shaili Chopra around six months to put 'The Big Connect: Politics in the Age of Social Media' together, a book that lends insight into the way politicians use social media and the way this impacts Indian voters. This is Chopra's second book; her first, titled 'Birdies in Business' - a book about golf and its special relationship with the world of business - was launched a couple of years back.

An award-winning business journalist, Chopra is best known for her role as senior editor and lead anchor at ET Now, business news channel of The Economic Times. She has also worked with NDTV Profit, a popular business news channel. She is a columnist for DNA and has written for Tehelka in the past.

We spoke to Chopra about her second book and the marketing lessons it holds.

Edited Excerpts:

Edited Excerpts

Social media is at the core of politics, marketing and brand strategy. Today, if politics can be considered a brand building exercise, then politicians ought to put themselves out there in a way that helps build their image and personality. The way the urban youth has been frequenting this medium has made it imperative for political parties to build an online presence, to build their 'political brands' and to spread information about themselves.

This information may take the form of texts, selfies, pictures, graphs, videos, etc. The growth of social media coupled with an increased usage of this platform by 'political brands', led to the book.

Politicians have been driving interest on social media this election season. Secondly, I notice a very interesting pattern in the way Narendra Modi and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) function on social media. Both these entities can be called social media wonders.

Hashtag wars are the new debating platform. Digital is going hand-in-hand with traditional 'bhashans' as far as reaching the masses is concerned. Any politician, with a long term vision in India, needs to be socially elected, not just elected.

One should not look at 'doing social media'; rather, they should focus on 'being social'. If marketers see what politicians have gained from social media, they will realise that it is all about engagement, and not about thrusting the brand in the consumer's face. On social media, politicians don't constantly tell us that they are the best. They create conversations around people's issues and interests.

For brands also, it is more critical to have a personality, than a product, to represent them on social media. An excellent example is Anand Mahindra on Twitter. He has more followers than Mahindra's Twitter profile does. This is because he is able to create conversations.

I don't think so. And I am sure the numbers are not static. They are changing and getting higher all the time. Any brand manager is aware that his/her brand is not meant to reach out to the entire community that is online. A brand must target its users according to their preferences.

What is overrated is marketing guys' understanding of social media. It's a misconception that all social media tools are useful for all brands. Tools should be thought out according to what the brand is looking for from the medium; communication on the medium should be tailor-made accordingly.

Social media is not always about the first-mover advantage. Rather, it is important to capitalise on this advantage. In my book, I have explained that BJP and Narendra Modi enjoy the advantage because they have made the most use of it.

If leaders today can influence ten people, those ten can influence ten more... it's a multiplication effect. The parties that have joined late know they are late but are doing a lot of exciting campaigns to generate interest. So, you are never too late on social media if you know exactly what you want to do there.

And having 200 relevant followers is far better than having 2,000 followers who do not have an opinion on you or your brand.

It is through social media that the party gained momentum, connected with people, and invited members and donations. They even circulated their dharna schedules on social media. This wouldn't have been possible on any mainstream media channel.

AAP used social media as a tool to mobilise and connect with the audience. Mainstream media magnified the popularity that AAP already enjoyed on social media, and took it to the national level.

Investing in content is probably the most important thing a brand can do for itself. I am yet to see a brand get serious about owning content in India.