How to succeed in the social media space? Learnings from Voompla’s rise to the top, for brands and influencers

Palash Bakshi & Kaushambi Bakshi

‘What's trending?' are the buzzwords when it comes to businesses that are digital-first and target audiences that are born to the internet. Creating and delivering constantly evolving content strategies are the biggest challenges for brands and creators in the online ecosystem.

Entertainment news portal Voompla was launched in 2015 and has now amassed a global follower base of more than 10 million across social media. In a matter of just few years the internet as a space for consumption has changed completely. Web based long-form content has been replaced by vlogs, game streaming, video and even AI driven content.

"Adaptability in our domain is all about keeping a track of content consumption trends. Audiences are constantly finding newer ways to consume news. Social media took over web-based consumption. Now, content-driven apps are trying to take over" says Voompla co-founder Kaushambi Bakshi, an MBA from RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia with an undergrad from St. Xavier's College in Mumbai.

A changing content consumption landscape is not the only challenge for brands. This is the age of the creator and they're taking away all the attention. Style and fashion influencers, home chefs on Youtube, dancing divas making reels on building terraces and even doctors simplifying medical concepts on Instagram - social media is now a potpourri of content.

Creators who make it big have brands wrapped around their fingers. "You don't necessarily need to take the ‘big business route' to succeed in social media. Find your niche - success is just one viral video away. The barriers to entry are stupendously low. Even individual creators can make it big" adds Kaushambi. ‘Trends' is the new buzzword in the social media ecosystem, especially with the onslaught of TikTok style Reels on Instagram. Keeping up with ‘what's trending' is key.

"Understanding analytics and continuously adapting to changing trends is critical" says co-founder Palash Bakshi. Charles Darwin sums it best in his seminal work On the Origin of Species. "It's not the strongest or most intelligent of the species that survives, but the one that's most adaptable to change."

News stories by Voompla reach out to 500 million plus monthly impressions across various social media platforms including Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and Tik Tok. Celebrities like Karan Johar, Sara Ali Khan, Ananya Panday, Malaika Arora, Arjun Kapoor, Kiara Advani and Kartik Aaryan are long-time followers. Collaborations for brands like Amazon Prime, Lays, Godrej, Lionsgate Play, Snickers, Reliance Entertainment, Taco Bell and Mahindra & Mahindra for their marketing campaigns are a staple.