5 Reasons Why Social Media Won’t Guarantee Sales

 

 

1.     Facebook Likes – You’ve made a film. You’ve written a book. You’ve done the one thing that so many people have never done. So what do you do next? Tell the world obviously. And the only way is through Facebook. Media planners and internet experts will tell you to start a Facebook page, start a personal group, and post on your own timeline. So you put up photos, reviews, columns, excerpts, illustrations, anything you can to tell the world what you’ve done. You promote your page. You spend shit loads of money in advertising and it will show you how many number of people the post has reached out to. You get more and more likes. But guess what? It isn’t going to guarantee sales.

 

2.     Twitter Re-tweets – A tweet is a thought written in 140 characters. But to get the maximum number of re-tweets you must write succinctly, intelligently, humorously and identify with the audience. Write what they think but can’t express in words that you can, and leave enough room for their few characters to fit in front of your tweet. It takes skill, practice, and constant effort to get that perfect tweet. And voila! You’ve achieved it and the Twitterati is going ballistic by re-tweeting you. It’s great for the ego to see that so many people have retweeted you, favourited it for future reference and your follower count has gone up by 10 people. But none of it will ever convert into your product being sold. It will not guarantee sales.

 

3.     Incessant Blogging– So you need more than just a photo or 140 characters to tell the world about what you’ve done. You’ve got to make them read about it! So you post reviews, photos, links and further quotes from the people who have loved your work on your blog. Then you share it on other social media sites. Phew! It’s out there man. People can read about your success and say, “Hey, that looks so interesting. I must drop everything I do and rush out to buy it.” Not going to happen! People will glance over your stuff in exactly six seconds and move on. All that blog posting isn’t going to guarantee sales.

 

4.     YouTube Videos – “Let’s make a video! That’s definitely get people to see our work and then we’ll be rich and famous. Yeah!” Said the entrepreneur who quit his job, found his niche, and then ended up as a pauper. Stop the dance around the room. Even if you’ve splurged on the YouTube video and put it up on a channel and posted it to all your friends, it’s not going to get people to buy your product. They may or may not watch the video. They may or may not subscribe to further videos from you. Do you even know what that subscribe button means? Exactly. It’s not going to guarantee sales.

 

5.     Whatsapp Groups – Oh what the hell, at least you can rely on your friends right? Wrong! Try it. Send your achievement to your Whatsapp group. Tell them to go watch that film, see the TV show, buy the book, go to your new store, buy your fashion brand, attend your event, or even spread the word about your new venture. From the 1000 people you will send it to, probably two will forward it. And one will do as you say. That one needs a favour from you in return. So your amazing friends might compliment you later, ask you how it went, and may even promise to help you in the future but for now, they’re not guaranteeing any sales.

The secret to what will guarantee sales lies in the next blog post! Coming soon!

5 Rules to be a Great Parent

From Soul Space magazine

It is a misconception that as soon as you have a child, you’ll become great parents. Just because you can provide for your child and keep him safe and fed, doesn’t mean you’re the best parent in the world. I’ve heard from my friends “He’ll grow up anyway. Look at us. We turned out ok.” We forget that earlier times were simpler. I don't know everything about parenting. I learn as the days go by. But this is what I know so far:

1.     Have A Routine – Contrary to what you think, children do better when they’re in a routine than when they’re left to themselves. During school days, they must have a schedule which they should follow. Set a time for your child to wake up in the morning, eat, play, study, go to school, read, bathe, sleep. You must find a balance as well. And with each activity allow ten minutes for the child to get into it instead of forcing him to stick to the exact time. In between if, they want to watch an hour of TV or do something that’s different, allow them to do so. But only for an hour. And on non school days and vacations, let them enjoy themselves completely and not have a routine. They’ll appreciate the value of structure then when they grow up.

 

2.     Don’t Give In to Everything They Say – By buying your child everything he wants, or taking him to destinations across the world or letting him only enjoy high class restaurant food, you’re depriving your child of experiences from life. If he doesn’t get something from you now, he will deal with disappointment and it won’t affect him when he’s older. If he has only seen airports, he’ll never enjoy train travel and understand the concept completely. If you buy your child every toy then his expectation level in life rises and he’ll never be able to take rejection later.

 

3.     Listen & Give A Choice – Once a child turns 5 he has opinions, ideas and suggestions. Treat him like an individual. Consider them as a friend. Give them choices. “Would you like to sleep now so you can wake up early and have a shower? Or would you like to take a shower now so you can sleep in longer tomorrow morning?” Once you give your child choices they’ll understand that you’re respecting them. Listen to his suggestions. Implement them in front of him to see the results. Let them learn by showing them that their ideas could work or not. Be aware about his feelings. If he’s unhappy, figure out why and turn it around. You don’t need to always protect him, but understand he’s still a child and needs your support.

 

4.     Be Honest- Children remember everything. This is a hard lesson I learnt as I asked my 6 year old if her mama has done anything that Ana didn’t want. And she replied, “Yes, when I was three years old…”All I could do was roll my eyes and swear to myself that from now on I would be honest with her. Tell your children who you’re meeting, where you’re going, what work you do and sometimes even how you feel. You don’t need to break down in front of your children but you can easily say, “I’m sad today because my boss screamed at me. But I know I did something wrong so I’m going to work extra hard to make it right. Because I’m strong, like you!” You don’t need to go into details but you need to tell the truth so that when you ask them something, they’ll feel they can tell you the truth as well.

 

5.     Forcing Them to Be Someone They’re Not – So many times we ask our children, “Say hello to uncle.” Or we ask, “Be polite, go play with your friends.” Or even, “All the other children can do it, why can’t you try it as well?” We feel we want to make them stronger, tougher, confident, and ready for the world. When in fact, we’re doing just the opposite. Why are you forcing your child to play with someone he doesn’t want to play with? Just because you’re friends with the child’s parents doesn’t mean you should subject your child to be friends too. And if you’ve told your child not to talk to strangers, then he’s just listening to you by not talking to uncles and aunts he doesn’t know. Don’t send out mixed signals. Explain to him that he can say hello to your friends if he chooses. And if he still doesn’t speak to them, don’t be embarrassed by him and say, “He’s a shy child.” You can be proud of him and declare, “I’m sorry he doesn’t feel like talking because I’m sure he has something more important going on in his head.” And when you defend your child in front of people, he knows you’re on his side. And that’s the bond you want to create with your children. That’s being a responsible parent.

This article was printed in the Soul Space magazine in Indore by Tavleen Foundation.

Advantage Love Book Review - Book Geeks Blogger

By Sankalpita for Rupa Publications

 

I have read Madhuri Banerjee’s work before. It was much before we envisaged BookGeeks and thus, I never got a chance to post its review on our website. “Advantage Love” is way more complicated and demanding in terms of writing than “Losing My Virginity and Other Dumb Ideas” was, but I must say that, Madhuri has done a really good job out of it. When I sat down to read this book (with its charming title and beautiful cover design), I already had a preconceived notion in my mind; that which said that this book is going to be yet another of those, which proves the point – don’t judge a book by its cover (and title).

 

To say that Madhuri’s writing has matured over time would be a great understatement for she has conked-out all my notions and proved me (and I believe everybody else who read her first book) wrong. But more on that later; let’s get on with a hint of the story first. Trisha is a strong opinionated and independent girl from Lucknow, who comes to the city of Delhi for her formal education at the JNU (Jawaharlal Nehru University). She is a simple grounded girl who is leading a quite simple life until she meets Vedant Dheeraj Kirloskar, the debonair and effervescent son of a high standing Maharashtra politician. As Vedant tries his level best to win over Trisha, she too falls deeply for him.

 

As their college life progresses, so does their romance, but, life comes to a standstill when their college is over. Their relationship, with Vedant failing to give a firm commitment, fails to shed its status quo and falls over. Trisha is shattered, but nevertheless moves on, swearing to never fall in love again. But eight months down the line, she falls for Abhimanyu, a leading tennis star and a celebrity in the making. Both are in love but lead separate lives in separate places. As the curse of long distance befalls their relationship too, both are confused as ever. In amidst this confusion, Trisha comes across Vedant again and this time he wants her back too. So, who will Trisha choose? Her never ending flame Vedant or the compassionate Abhimanyu? To find out about Trisha’s final decision, do read the book.

 

I may not be able to tell you who would be Trisha’s choice, but I can surely tell you that, the book, in its entirety is indeed very interesting. A good plot, complimented by impressive characters is what makes the book so special and worth a good read. The language is kept simple and the narration in third person is indeed overwhelming. The writing style is simple, yet expressive, enabling instant connections with the readers. Thus, my verdict is clear. The book is surely the one to go after and I therefore, sincerely recommend it to all my readers.

http://bookgeeks.in/entries/chick-lit/advantage-love-madhuri-banerjee-book-review

 

Buy it here: http://www.flipkart.com/advantage-love/p/itmds3hgffrvnxqd?pid=9788129130020&otracker=from-search&srno=t_3&query=advantage+love&ref=20898c40-882c-412c-b296-6949602d9c6f

5 Rules of a Great Marriage

 

Somehow, the earlier generation got it right. The husband was the provider and the woman the nurturer. They had their roles defined, almost written in stone. There were no complications, no angry bouts over not understanding each other and definitely lesser divorces. Our generation is just lost in the field of relationships and when we think we know everything, we decide to settle down and get married and make the other person as confused as us. With the rate of divorce in 2010 as high as one in four couples in India, people are grappling to figure out what to do to have a healthy marriage. Here are a few tips.

1.    Communicate Positively– Don’t just talk to each other about what you did in the day, your bosses’ angst, the traffic problems, your children’s school issues and the deadlines you need to finish this weekend. It’s all boring! Share what excited you about your day. Convey how you accomplished your dream today or how you overcame a difficulty in office. Share some gossip about friends you overheard. Explain a new problem you might need your partner’s help with. Speak about how your partner made you proud that day. Express effusively. Be generous in your compliments. Your partner wants to make you proud. Do not overdo so he/ she will not care after a while. Some days while your partner is in office or out of town, correspond through messages or emails a fantasy you have about him, click a photo of yourself and send it to him saying you are missing your better half right there and even say a simple “I love you.” Hearing those words and feeling that you are wanted in your partner’s life helps you stay connected. Indulge in a little sex talk. Be naughty and wild. Routine communication can come once a week when you are both lounging at home.  

2.    Book a Hotel – So you and your partner are working like crazy. You are juggling your career and managing children. It is tough and you need a break just to unwind and reconnect with your partner. If every weekend results in sitting in front of the television, having dinner with friends or playing with the children, you need to take a vacation. Not a big vacation of a few weeks that you have planned in summer, but a mini vacation for a night. You need to leave the kids with responsible adults/ family members who can look after them and check yourself in to a hotel. Go on Sat morning and check out on Sunday. Just a day’s break from the minutiae of daily domesticity and work deadlines can rejuvenate you. Do not put on the TV in the hotel room but use the facilities of a pool to lounge together or swim together and spend time walking around the premises. Connect with your partner physically and mentally. Get a couple’s spa. Do this on a regular basis where sometimes he makes a booking and sometimes you pay for it. Both of you will come back refreshed.

3.    Participate – You like capoeira, he likes reading. You like partying every evening, he likes having single malt with his friends. You like cleaning, he is a slob. You have different tastes, different backgrounds, and different groups of friends. How do you combine to have a healthy couple life? The thing is you can’t most of the times. You have to let each other be to enjoy what they like doing most. Nevertheless, this doesn’t mean you can’t share in their activities. For every three times you or he does something, the other person has to be with you on that activity once. So if you’ve gone partying with your friends three times, the fourth time he needs to go with you. Then you must not include other people and just spend an evening with him alone. If he has gone golfing three times, you must go with him the fourth time. Even if you sit and cheer him on from the stands. We need to participate in each other’s lives. We cannot live in a bubble content with who we are. We married so that the other person completed us in some way and we need to make an effort to grow and learn from each other. The only way we can do this is by trying to be happy with the other’s hobbies and learning a bit more about it.

4.    Work, Space & Internet – Most of us are in a rat race of some kind. We want to work hard, earn well, and retire early. Therefore, we work like maniacs. We often forget that the people who we are working for need more time and attention from us than the things that we buy them. Finding the balance seems to be extremely difficult. Moreover, what most of us want at the end of a day is space and on the weekends some peace. We live in a world where we connect with people every day but find it difficult to connect with our spouse. So we can use the web to connect with them. Have a steamy twitter relationship, send some encouraging words on his Facebook dp, Whatsapp him about stuff you did. We have to start supporting our spouses in their dreams, the lives they want for us, their hopes and only then will they support us back. Marriage is teamwork. You give and you will get back. Just don’t expect it. It will happen when you least anticipate it.

5.    Commitment - Many of us get married because our parents want us to. Some get married because they think it’s the “correct time” and a few to procreate. Marriage is an extremely strong bond that two individuals choose for themselves. It’s a commitment for life to look after that person because now they are your family. Many of us give up easily. We feel we’ve done enough. The spouse doesn’t “get” us anymore. The love, understanding, consideration is gone. We even find someone who we have a spark with! All marriages are the same. At some time, the passion will die. At some point neither of you will understand each other nor love each other. And you will want to move on. This is the time when you need to hold on even more. Your boat of marriage is going through a rocky patch of tumultuous waters and you both need to hold on to the boat, if not each other to get past it. This could take a few months, even a few years. But when you do come out, you will be stronger and wiser. Many people will find that spark with you. You are a scintillating person. Show it off to your spouse and fall in love with each other all over again.

 

How Not to Fall In Love in Summer!

It’s summer time! That means vacations, new adventures, and obviously new people. It also means summer romance and heartbreak later. To make yourself immune to that summer fling here are a few suggestions:

1.     Concentrate On The Food – Breakfast buffet! You can eat until you pass out, wake up, and eat again! Experiment on local cuisines and hunt for the best restaurants. You’ll soon be in a food coma and hardly have time to think of what moves to make on that pretty girl or how to react when a cute boy asks you what you do.

2.     Check it out Yourself – Go for a day’s trip to the city, spend the day at the beach alone, and hike in the mountains. The solitude helps you think and enjoy the new sights even more. If you find someone being chatty, walk on!

3.     Family Bonding Time – If you’ve always hated your family here is a good time to connect with them on a `family vacation.’ The purpose for your parents to drag you all the way out there was for them to get to know you better. Spend time making them understand you rather than a stranger who won’t care after the two weeks are over anyway.

4.     Just don’t Do It – You’re tipsy with that wine, that person has been noticing you for so long, you’ve even chatted up and felt the “connect.” You can almost feel the words “Want to come back to my room/ Wanna go for a walk alone” coming out of your mouth. Don’t do it. The momentary pleasure will set your hormones in a tizzy and before you know, you’ll be Facebook friends and on Google talk. Bad idea!

5.     Get a Hobby – Catch up on your reading if you’re a book worm. Find a local library. Get involved with arts and crafts, adventure sports, painting, or even meeting local heroes. Plunge yourself in activities. Push yourself to do more each day on your vacation rather than finding the “one” and hoping to live happily ever after. A summer is not the time to fall in love. It’s the time to relax and enjoy who you are!

Yahoo India with Dove present Fab & Fearless Woman: Madhuri Banerjee

Yahoo India and Dove made a series of Fab & Fearless women mini documentaries.
The one on me was made last year when I was a few pounds heavier and hadn't signed on my 4th novel Advantage Love or my trilogy series Scandalous Housewives or my comedy genre My Clingy Girlfriend.

The core values still remain the same. And my daughter Ariaana makes her debut.

Check it out as their PICK OF THE WEEK!

https://in.news.yahoo.com/video/madhuri-banerjee-084409376.html

Advantage Love video. Guaranteed to make you smile!

To know more about what happens read it here: http://goo.gl/RW3VQ1
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Also on you tube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tD3aC3q8CkQ