The Saturday morning after ‘Sinterklaas’ I left the Netherlands for my first trip to India ever. It was also my first trip as a social media expert for Women on Wings. After landing in Delhi, I had one day to get used to India and the new time zone. It was Sunday, so a perfect day to do some sightseeing. In the evening Ronald and Ineke (members of Women on Wings team) picked me up and brought me to a recently opened guesthouse near the Women on Wings office. But unfortunately I could not check-in since it did not yet have a permit for foreigners…. It was already late and Ronald and Ineke decided to bring me to their home where I could stay in their guestroom. Incredible India.
Learning from each other
The next morning a team of six people from Unnati and SBMA came all the way from the Himalayan mountains (Uttarkashi) to the Women on Wings office for a three day-workshop. Day one was all about the 5 P’s in their marketing mix. It was really amazing what a lot of knowledge and ideas the team had on the different topics. It was inspiring to see that thanks to this new way of working for the team, they really opened up and also learned a lot from each other. Day two was all about their social media strategy. We focused on Facebook and a little bit on Instagram. We brainstormed a lot about the content which could be shared. In the afternoon the website builder of Unnati joined us and we reviewed their new website. We tweaked it here and there on the spot and choose pictures which are the best for the look and feel of Unnati. The last day we made a content calendar and a concrete action plan with quick wins. Then we waved them goodbye before they stepped on the bus to take the long journey back to the mountains.
Work is life changing
Late in the afternoon Ineke and I visited the social enterprise “ACT Paper Wings” which is just around the corner of the Women on Wings office. The founder shared her vision and the impact her company has on the 250 village women who make products from old newspapers which they collect from corporates in Gurgaon. We took a look at all their beautiful products and also saw some women at work. One was making a huge Christmas tree and she happily shared how her life had changed drastically since she started working at ACT Paper Wings. So impressive.
CropConnect keeps getting better
My last day in India I spent with the team of Women on Wings partner CropConnect in Delhi. Their social media are already on a high level but they needed some tips and tricks to make it even more better. So I gave them some theoretical background and we reviewed all their channels. We also brainstormed about the target groups on the different platforms. And finally we talked about influencer-marketing. They have invested a lot in their network of chefs and food bloggers who could be great ambassadors for their brand ‘Original Indian Table’.
Amazing experience
To summarize my trip; it was an amazing experience. I am proud of the work I did with the teams of Unnati, SBMA and CropConnect. Working together with Ronald and Ineke was a great pleasure and my stay with them was really ‘gezellig‘.
I had such a great time with all these motivated and dedicated people. I can’t wait to go back again!
Danielle Pels
Expert Social Media
@picture: Danielle (front, right) with Unnati and SBMA team
