Voompla's Playbook Helps GenZ And Millennials Build From Scratch On Social Media

The Holy Grail of Gen Z and millennials – being successful on social media. A strong online presence has become a prerequisite of sorts for many young adults, irrespective of niche and professional inclination. And the goals are specific – hitting a hundred thousand YouTube subs, fetching brand tie-ups on Instagram or landing their videos on Tik Tok’s For You page. The answer to ‘Can everyone make it big on social media?’ is Yes, but it comes with a caveat, ‘not overnight’.

Take a cue from Voompla’s Playbook. The news brand was launched in 2015 when social media was not what it is today. Video was yet to explode, and Instagram Reels were far from existence. Co-founder Kaushambi Bakshi saw this as the perfect opportunity to launch asocial media-first brand with the foresight that bite-sized content will go on to rule the roost. After a journey of amassing 10 million+ followers and 500 million+ impressions across social media platforms, she offers some insights into what individual creators and brands can take from Voompla’s growth and success. And can everyone make it big on social media?

Identify gaps in your niche of interest

Is there something you would like to see in your niche that hasn’t been done on social media yet? Is there more value you can add to a topic with your content? Identifying gaps in the social media space can make for a great headstart. “When we launched Voompla in 2015, there were a handful of players in the Indian entertainment niche on social media but not enough to cater to the growing content consumption,” says Kaushambi. “Zero in on what exactly it is that you want to offer”, she adds.

Polish your digital skills

‘Anyone with a smartphone and an internet connection can become a content creator’ is an overused statement and also a half-truth. Even if you have a knack for audio, music, photography or videography, you will still need to skill yourself with basic production anddigital marketing chops. It is one thing to start creating content spontaneously and another to go in with the intention of specific growth goals and future monetization.

Find your voice

Standing out in the social media jungle today is possible only if you have your voice. Voompla is followed by top Bollywood celebrities including Karan Johar, Malaika Arora, Ekta Kapoor, Kiara Advani, Kartik Aaryan and Yami Gautam, among others, because of the brand’s distinct identity – it is youthful and relevant. The same reason underlines why Voompla, a one-stop Bollywood destination is a favourite among brands and movie production houses for their marketing campaigns, be it Amazon Prime, Zee 5, Mahindra & Mahindra, Filmy Mirchi, Taco Bell, Godrej or Lionsgate Play. Pro tip: Think about why is it that you follow a specific creator? Is it because they simply keep posting videos or because you can relate to their content and feel like you are a part of their community?

Create a backup for Year 1

“When Voompla was launched, we went all in as founders, but that may not be the best strategy today if you’re starting out as an individual creator. The social media space then was not as crowded as it is now, and amassing a million followers took comparatively lesser effort,” says Kaushambi. Having a day job, investing in short courses before deciding to go full-time or working for another content creator briefly to learn the ropes will help streamline the decision-making process for you. “By starting out as a content creator, you are practically competing against everyone who is making a ton of Reels or pushing out videos on their YouTube channel. It’s not as easy as it looks,” she adds.

Becoming a successful content creator or a social media brand is not merely about uploading posts anymore. Be relevant and relatable or perish, the founder signs off.