Social media marketing success - mystery unlocked
Globally, about 88 percent of buying decisions are made on the basis of information available online. In Pakistan, however, some people are still unfamiliar with online business marketing techniques and methodologies.
Keeping in view its scope, a conference on social media marketing was held by Canadian-based firm Get-Max Consulting in collaboration with Institute of Cost & Management Accountants of Pakistan (ICMA) in Lahore last month. The conference was attended by renowned traders, businessmen, professionals in practice including Chartered Accountants employed in different industries.
Addressing the role of social media, renowned international social media marketer and speaker Mr. Adnan Ul Haq said, “We ought to have a plan first . It is well said that if we fail to plan, we plan to fail. A smart and strategic allocation of resources over here can amazingly boost up business activities.”
The next session was about how data is being observed and analytics are being performed based on users’ likes, dislikes, tweets and check ins. “Surprisingly, in global market, activity on Facebook has been of great assistance for online business experts. With the help of “Facebook pixel”, marketers collect data and analyze it. For instance, people who tend to react with “heart emoticon” frequently on Facebook posts are presumed to be romantic; therefore, a café business could be very successful in that particular locality where these groups are present. This is merely one example. This is how each and every activity of online user can be fruitful in one way or another. Other relevant factors such as areas where good number of people love to travel and check in frequently, gender wise interests and affordability of customers, etc. can also be taken into consideration,” said Mr. Haq. He further added, “A smart and successful business expert never says his product is valuable; he merely highlight that you (as a consumer) are in dire need of it!” Even Linkedin profiles are used to systematically observe and find out like minds in accordance with a particular organization’s overall culture and environment. A D.I.S.C (Dominant, Influence, Steadiness, Compliance) approach is fundamental in this regard that categorizes people and then conducts analysis.
The speaker further strengthened his viewpoint by presenting a report’s result that suggested that one of the key factors that kept Donald Trump ahead in the presidential race against Hilary Clinton was savvy use of the social media - especially that of Twitter. The report endorsed that Trump’s social media force consistently outclassed Clinton’s online team throughout presidential campaign.
Footpaths: not a safe option!
Every day, amid the swirling dust, children look at the traffic whizzing by and learn to read and write at the same time. They call this footpath their school!
Ocean Welfare Organization (OWO) introduced footpath schools after the APS incident and since then they are providing children with free-of-cost education.
“Our school is especially for those children who are forced to beg on the streets, those who are caught up in child labour or are just left to loiter around aimlessly,” says Syeda Anfas, the president of the organization.
“Mafia is after us; they can’t see these children being educated as these children make up cheap labour for their businesses.” adds Anfas. OWO receives threats everyday; the harassment they faced recently at the hands of some policemen was an attempt to intimidate us. They are trying their best to provide security to the children, but the question is how safe these open roads could be made.
These footpaths schools have angered the drug dealers and addicts who went about their business under these hidden spaces of flyovers without getting noticed. This is a brave move by the organization to stay determined despite all this resistance from the ruthless drug mafia.
But, children’s security can’t be compromised here as they could be harmed easily keeping in mind their socio-economic status.
Open space under the flyovers was a great spot to begin with educating children, but these schools should soon be transferred to enclosed spaces where children would at least get the security of walls around them. Of course, the organization can’t do it alone; if the local government cooperates, these children can be schooled in a better environment.
A hack day
You are sitting on a fixed plastic chair in a hospital waiting for your turn; walls are all pale, the patient next to you is incessantly coughing, and the nurses keep sprinting past you with bandages and medicines. Do these sights and sounds make you sicker?
Interestingly, doctors and architects have realized the importance of pleasant ambience for treating patients in the hospitals. To gather ideas for designing a child-centric children hospital in the future, professionals at Aga Khan Hospital invited 110 creative young people to a three-day hackathon activity. Participants worked under the mentorship of experts and came up with interesting ideas.
For instance, some participants thought about revamping medical instruments like stethoscopes so that they don’t terrify children. Some pitched the idea of using colourful medical flaps to help doctors insert cannula without alarming the patients. Most importantly, they talked about making waiting areas airy and exciting. What about having a mini-zoo with monkeys, peacocks and snakes to look at? To have a small library would also be a great idea to examine!
Dr Asad Mian, associate professor and organizer of the event, shared, “Our focus is on making a patient-friendly hospital where treatment is high-tech and low-cost.” Children will recover more quickly in an environment that supports their needs. Walls painted orange and green, greenery and flowers, a play area, colourful magazines and books would make their visits to the hospital more pleasant.
These ideas received special attention:
By SG