Aashish Mishra

Nepal is witnessing a media shift. Radio, once the primary source of news and information for the majority of the population, has been replaced by television (according to surveys by the Sharecast Initiative Nepal). And television, too, is in the process of being replaced by digital media. More and more people, especially in the urban areas, are turning to platforms like YouTube for entertainment. The number of social media users has skyrocketed in the past decade. There is no denying that Nepal is going digital. The traditional media – print and broadcast – have already understood this and are thus investing resources into building digital online versions of themselves to keep up with the shifting eyeballs.

With technology advancing so rapidly and the unpredictable nature of what the next big thing will be, this shift in eyeballs is admittedly difficult to catch up to. But it is also a huge opportunity for marketers.
If capitalised on in the right way, brands can now lure large numbers of people to their products and services at a fraction of the cost they once needed to spend on advertising. However, there are a few things they need to understand, one of the main ones being working with influencers.

Digital media allow brands to become influencers. Business owners can position themselves as opinion leaders by developing blogs, for instance. There are great opportunities to publish branded content, both paid and non-paid.
This is in stark contrast to disseminating the content on traditional mass media where it might not get picked up at all or has a risk of falling on deaf ears, being ignored or being misunderstood. Alternatively, brands can work with outside influencers to develop unique and exclusive content that will resonate with their target audience. As Candace Huntley of Meltwater states, “This is a more involved creative process when putting together a successful influencer strategy. This also allows for highly targeted individual pitches to media and influencers. The emphasis is on quality, not quantity.”

Social media also allows brands to directly interact with their target audience without any middlemen. Such direct communication helps build trust which then translates into brand following and loyalty. Additionally, an active social media presence gives a brand an appearance of transparency. It is also a platform for direct and instantaneous redressal of consumer grievances if any. This builds a positive image of a brand among the people. Furthermore, accessibility of live streaming options on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and more means that companies can not only connect with their audiences directly but also in real time. At the very least, live-tweeting is to be done.

Companies today also have the boon that is multimedia. It is now time to sway away from expensive television and concentrate on digital media which offers most of the services that TV does and more at a very minimal cost. Plus, content uploaded on various digital media, which includes websites, social media, blogs, etc. builds up to a library which forms an accessible archive.
Libraries are attractive to consumers and also media circles which is never a disadvantage. Also, multimedia means everything like text, audio, video etc. rolled up into one; which means targeting multiple senses at once, hence, becoming more appealing and having higher retention.

The importance of social media can also not be understated. Let it be noted that the media and journalists look for their stories on social media. Thus, managing to build a buzz on social networking sites and among social media users will increase the chances that the media will pick your brand up, thus providing free publicity. Social media helps a brand create its own PR opportunities.