Having moved cities to start The Plug Media, the struggles of settling down in a new city and laying a strong foundation for the company was our biggest challenge.
1.Tell us more about your company and your journey.
We started The Plug Media at the end of 2018 with a very simple idea- to demystify the influencer marketing process in the country. Within a span of 23 months, we’ve worked with over 180+ world class brands and executed over 500+ campaigns, with a young, talented team of professionals working tirelessly to make things happen. Just as we approach 2 years since we started The Plug Media, we’re launching Elev8, an extension of our roster to foster budding creators. The journey so far has been full of surprises, and I’m certain it only gets more exciting.
2. How did you come up with this idea and go about executing it?
Being close to some of the top creators in the country even before we started the company, we identified a number of issues the creators were facing due to lack of an efficient framework between the brands and the creators very early on. We quickly jumped in to fill that void and assembled a bundle of services to simplify the social media marketing process in the country.
3. What has been your biggest challenge that you faced and how did you overcome that?
Having moved cities to start The Plug Media, the struggles of settling down in a new city and laying a strong foundation for the company was our biggest challenge. It took us 6 months of raw hustle before we had our first employee and our first office. Going from that, to having a full fledged team of professionals working in the heart of the city in just 16 months has been quite a journey.
4. What are some of the most important factors for running a successful business?
In no particular order- commitment, sound financial awareness, willingness to take risks and to learn, a reliable team, decisiveness and consistency.
5. What are your tips for first time and aspiring entrepreneurs?
Give equal weightage to earning and learning. The only thing warranted in a startup journey is challenges, lots of them, and one needs to be quick to adapt and overcome them. Ride the tide and trust the process.
6. How can one overcome a hurdle of lack of funds when starting up?
As a matter of fact, we started the company with nothing more than ₹8,000/- that we used to but our domain, and stamp papers for the legal formalities. Being a bootstrapped startup, we cut down our overheads to bones, focused on saving every rupee, reinvested strategically and expanded gradually. We were cash flow positive from the word go. That helped strengthen our position today.
7. How do you guys feel about being an entrepreneur in your 20’s ?
It is empowering to be able to make things happen. Making steady progress at an early stage has certainly helped us be better equipped to take on bigger roles and challenges.
8. Your take on Future of Digital and Influencer marketing ?
The number of brands switching to and exploring influencer marketing has steadily risen in the last couple of years, and more so this year. The lockdown ensued that people were spending more time consuming content online which has catalyzed the shift even further with brands recognizing the advantages of influencer marketing over traditional forms. Influencer marketing has gradually
become a tangible marketing channel, something that’s concrete and here to stay.
ROHIT GOLIA
Co-Founder of The Plug Media and Elev8
Interviewed By
Hari Chandanaa Kistipati
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