ASK AASHISH ANYTHING on Content Marketing – the Chat that was!!

We had a fun #RodinChat session with Aashish Chopra y’day. (not to miss the anu malik moments!) This was the second RodinChat in the series. In case you missed the previous one – Ask Alok Anything on starting up. For the latecomers, you can catch it here and YOU CAN STILL ASK HIM QUESTIONS!

 image source

 

Y’day’s RodinChat was on Content Marketing, Making Videos Viral and breaking the internet! If you missed the live chat feel free to ask more questions either here OR ON AASHISH’S DEDICATED ASK PAGE.

Here’s the edited version of the transcript of the live chat! Pls note – I HAVE NOT corrected the typos/grammar/language of anyone’s chat 🙂

 

Asha: hey all, so welcome to our second RodinChat :)))

hey aashish – thanks for taking time out to do a RodinChat with us!! 

• Aashish Chopra

Heylo there 🙂

Let’s start the Q&A about everything content marketing, if you got Qs about videos all the better 🙂 

 

Asha : i would like to start with a couple of q’s from rodinhooders who can’t attend

Kaizad’s q (he’s based in manila and is at another startup event!) – Everyone is moving to snackable size content. So if you are a service biz, and not a product, how do you go about marketing your content? Should it be intagram?? 

• Aashish Chopra

Kaizad: Yeah snackable content is the new buzz word 🙂 You could be any business, if you need to engage with your users, it makes sense to produce and distribute content where they are.. if they are on instagram great, if FB great 🙂

 

• Asha

Sunaina’s q – Myself, working at BlogAdda, the largest community of bloggers in India. We provide brands with content marketing solutions and blogger engagement programs and enable them to get credible mileage in the form of earned media.

My question is – With the latest articles in Mint on Twitter Teen Influencer & Manufacturing Twitter Trends doing the rounds, as a content marketeer what is your take on using Twitter as a platform for content marketing? Additionally, from a brand’s perspective what in your opinion are the key points that a brand must keep in mind while engaging bloggers for any blogger engagement program? 

• Aashish Chopra

Sunaina: First Twitter is a very real time platform, FB on the other hand provides a longer shelf life to the content, infact FB keeps brining back good quality content back into the newsfeeds. If you want to use TW as a platform, it would make sense if your product/service/brand has that real time.

DNA, I think if a brand wants to engage bloggers, it makes sense to provide them with basic brand guidelines, but not limit them or stifle them into creating content which looks like Ads, coz that would be frustrating and no one cares for the brands IMO, it’s the value of content.

Brands must be facilitators of content, conduits.. 

 

• Ramana Kumar

Why is that offlate inspite of having a good content it doesnt create traction. Let us assume i have a good e mail content 

• Aashish Chopra

Ramana Kumar: As far as FB is concerned I can tell you that because competition has increased,because its easy for anyone and their cousin to create memes and FB posts.. the reach for everyone is decreasing. But I believe if the content is powerful, it will work, if not instantly.. then eventually.

Cont’d… case in point, a video we made few months bacl hit a million views and platuaed, but after few months it hit 5 million! 🙂 About email content.. I’d say re-imagine the content if it ain’t working. Make it easy to digest on small screens.. keyword is visual content. Attention span is super low 

 

• Shwaytaj Raste

Hey Ashish, I’m betting on content marketing to be the next thing for brands to leverage. I wanted to know whether you have a set of processes in place to do this. For eg:something like a) Understand what the world is talking about, b) See which conversations fit your brand c) Check influencers…

and whether you use any existing tools / products for this

• Aashish Chopra

Shwaytaj: You bet, last two years have been a crazy time documenting all the best practices. The method to the madness in creating share-worthy content. I’ve compiled some in a quick slide-deck.. if you have specific questions I’d be happy to answer: https://www.slideshare.net/aashishc 

 

• Asha

i have a q 🙂 actually quite a few ones!

• How will facebook instant articles and what fb is doing with vids change the scenario? Will people be spending more and more time consuming content from fb now? Is that good or bad considering traffic to one’s site will go down? 

• Aashish Chopra

Asha: Well FB is trying to become the numero uno destination, first they pivoted to videos heavily, now with instant articles and a lot new features coming up. I think we need to have a win-win strategy using FB, till the time we can find distribution fir our content on FB. I think instead of feeling threatened coz it would take the traffic away, it makes sense to pivot/innovate and use it to our advantage.

 

• Sanchit Goel

How does one play with content to market something that is almost practically non-existent? Not on cards; never heard of before;but connects to marketing a person through his/her content?

Sure you can write articles/blog eetc, but isn’t it too bland to simply introduce someone…too boring… ? 

• Aashish Chopra

Sanchit: If you want to create content around something which is non existent and create super buzz around it.. then that thing must be the exact opposite of boring in first place. Think iPad, non existent before, I remember I bought it first day.. the buzz!

Con’td. also you need to have a distribution channel in place first before to dive into creating content for that, and with that in parallel you need to get super creative and create something which compells users to share, its not the views.. but shares we need 

• Sanchit Goel

Right. The creativity that leads to share. Thanks!  

 

• Asha

On an average how much do you spend on your ixigo vids that keep breaking the internet? Are they all made in-house?

• Aashish Chopra

Asha: Yes in house.. it would be embarrassing if I share the amounts.. it ridiculously low.. near zero budgets 😉 

 

• Abhik Prasad 

Apart from Yourstory, are there any other companies / brands which are going multilingual with their content marketing initiatives?

• Aashish Chopra

Abhik: One I know of is Planet Gogo, an app.. other than that.. I believe in few years videos will completely replace multi-lingual content, since it is visual communication, but that’s just my bet 😉 

 

• Asha

What roles do online communities play in content marketing? Will communities be the way brands will go? or will fb communities become more popular? 

• Aashish Chopra

Asha: I think it all depends on how strong the community is, coz if you got a loyal community which is super engaged and are almost like evangelists to recruit new members, then it becomes an ecosystem which is ready for content distribution. FB stays strong only because it’s solid for distribution coz users spend so much time on it, if they start spending time on another community then.. content moves there 🙂

 

• Sanchit Goel

Being in the publishing business, I find it very hard to push a superb book but not a trending genre. Pure FB advertising does not generate sales and videos (not in house) are costly. What would be the best idea to place it on the trend list and what kind of approach is most suitable? 

• Aashish Chopra

Sanchit: First let’s stop thinking Ads when it comes to content marketing. You can run Ad campsigns and tst them but when it comes to content, its the exact opposite. If you want something to come in trending list, then I would think conversations and not campaigns. Creating content which starts a million conversations, and keeping that momentum of creating creative content. Only when the conversations are happening, a trend will appear. 

 

• Puneet Nirogam Aggarwal

Do we focus on shareable content even if it is very subtly referencing the brand, or should we focus more on content which is brand-focussed or product-focussed. I feel nobody likes to be sold to. Do you agree ? 

• Aashish Chopra

Puneet: Oh you bet, 100% agree. No one gives a **it about brands yours or mine, users are so evolved today, whenevr they see the Ad BS, they bounce to something else super fast. Content must add value, must be authentic to get that compelling share. Its when shares happen, that the magic unfolds 🙂 

 

• Richard Macwan

Hi, We’re a month old Travel startup engaged in online visa assisting. We want to create a very few animated explaining videos. How should we go about it with low budget on hand? Thanks in advance. 

• Aashish Chopra

Richard: If you have low budget, first would be to create a script (which starts with highlighting user pain points and then move to solution), then after script, find a video which comes close to the sensibility you want, next find a filmmaking student, they are skilled and passionate, then give them a deadline 🙂 You need to be the director, knowing exactly wnat you want, research, curate and know exactly what you want they would provide the skills and craft 🙂 For low budget videos 

 

• Puneet Nirogam Aggarwal

Adding to Richard’s question – Aashish – for someone who cannot make videos in-house, where should we seek help from ? Any recommendations ? Do you think we can make potent viral-videos in 5-10 thou Rs. ? 

• Aashish Chopra

Puneet: I say if you’re beginning, think 10 videos, an then wear an Anu Malik hat and look around for ideas around the world you can get inspired from. Not copying but truly get the sensibility you want and type of videos which have made it big. Then curate the topics, and find filmmaking students..

Once you show them the way, in video sensibility and idea.. they are super passionate and skilled to create something awesome. Remember, its when you do ten experiments, that two work.. 

• Puneet Nirogam Aggarwal

Great point, Aashish. Thanks. Humming Anu Malik now “Unchi Hai Building, Lift Teri Band hai…..” – Thanks.

• Aashish Chopra

lol Puneet, thanks now i’d be humming that unknowingly all day! hah 

 

• Asha

AASHISH – In a nutshell – what 5 tips would u give startups to create content that will become super viral

• Aashish Chopra

Asha – 1) Build a distribution channel, where would your content go? Invest in building a Fb community 2) Obsess about your users life and create kick ass content, if its not share-worthy, drop the idea 3) Make mobile native content, thats where the consumption is happening 4) Pick ideas which are either inspirations, useful, topical, celebrate users life or have the dna of changing the world and 5) Be consistent, its not creativity but consistency at creativity that’s important! 🙂

• Asha

wow – i like your consistency part. a lot! Thanks 

 

• Asha

Linkedin or medium – which one is better for content to get consumed and shared? As a writer vs content marketeer

• Aashish Chopra

Asha: I’ve had experience with LinkedIn, and getting to Pulse (their version of newsfeeds) works like magic, share skyrocket, so does other numbers. Haven’t had Medium exprience yet, adding to my list 🙂 

 

• Sanchit Goel

Okay so i am pitching to one of my clients. trying to convince them to shed some money so that i can market their stuff. what should be my style? what pointers should i bank on? 

• Aashish Chopra

Sanchit: It’s not about campaigns but conversations. It’s not about Ads, but content, content which impacts users life. Let’s think share-worthy and not viral viral! Your style should be representing the users, the content is for them. If they love it, its a win-win 

 

• Puneet Nirogam Aggarwal

Aashish – any particular tips which you would offer for someone who is trying to build a personal brand ? What kind of content could be bite-sized, shareable ? apart from that the person is speaking to the audience standing there in front of a screen

• Aashish Chopra

Puneet: For personal brand, start a blog.. create content on regular basis, like crazy regular.. weekly, and start distributing only after you have about 10-15 blog posts. Coz when someone lands on your blog, it must instill credibility. Also build distribution for your content.. LInkedIn, mailing or Facebook 

 

• Abhik Prasad

what do you think about Justin Trudeau’s quantum computing stunt ? 

• Aashish Chopra

Abhik: haha I loved it, nothing more to say 🙂

 

• Asha

u see instagram getting huge. pls explain how most of us should max that 

• Aashish Chopra

Asha: About instagram getting huge.. the ad rates are low, so drives app installs with super low rates (its almost a growth hack), then about content.. keep up the momentum of creating content, and experiment with videos.. coz its its 60s videos on Instragram which they are rolling out. But again..

Asha: brands have been forced to shift from mainstream advtg to digital to mobile. will social media be THE PLACE for brands to be in the future?

• Aashish Chopra

Asha: Wherever our fabulous janta goes, the brands will follow. We watched TV, they advertised there, we listened to radio, they captured that, Now we’re on social and they’re a little scared.. coz this time we talk back! So yes, if we are on social on our shiny mobile devices, they would be here too but Ads wont work here, so the pivot to genuine content

• Asha

lolz – to the talk back part

  

• Sanchit Goel

Would investors show interest if someone came up and said we are trying to become ‘medium’ of India? 😉

• Aashish Chopra

Sanchit: Think they should

 

Asha

any final gyan to all of us aashish? what do u think we should be doing more on trh?

• i know short bite-size videos for sure! 

• Aashish Chopra

Yes short bite sized videos fir sure 🙂 Also this whole thing can get a little overwhelming, so I’ve been busy compiling them intoa book, till let you know when it comes out.. do join the mailing list 🙂 www.aashishchopra.com/the-book/ 

 

• Puneet Nirogam Aggarwal

Aashish – What is the best proverb/idiom to describe content marketing that you know, which one can keep beside his/her pillow to keep reminding ourselves about the truth about it.

• Asha

(not unchi hai building for sure puneet) :)))

• Puneet Nirogam Aggarwal

LOL 🙂

• Aashish Chopra

Puneet: here’s one which I have on my wall: ” No one gives a shit about you, your product, your srvice or your shiny brand. It’s about them, their lives, their happiness. When you impact that, they come in millions becoming your evangelists”

• Asha
• thank you so so much aashish for chatting with us for an hour!!
• thank you everyone for joining in!!! 

• Aashish Chopra

Alrite then.. it’s 6.30 this was wonderful, thanks for having me over.. loved the energy in the room 🙂

 

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On another fun note, check how Aashish constantly creates home productions!! Watch my child’s fav one – Monster in a bag (even she associates Aashish’s name with crazy cat content!!)

Her q for aashish – What’s the most adventurous thing your cat has done during a video shoot? Do you use her often as a prop? 

• Aashish Chopra

Asha: Cat stays indoors.. and prefers sleeping all day, except at 2 in the morning, when she’s super active running around. See to dogs.. you feed them take care of them they think you’re god. for cats, they think they are gods!

(sowrie, couldn’t embed the video here ‘coz it’s on fb, not youtube! meow meow!)

 

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Feel free to suggest folks you’d like to chat with and we’ll invite them over!