Social media is often misunderstood as exploitation of technology but rather it is the service to the community. Social media and technology are not agents of change. They are just tools. We, the connected people are the real agents of tools. We don’t really have a choice on whether we do social media; the question is how well we do social media. The essence of social media is knowing your audience and engaging them into something they love. The strength of social media is determined by the strength of your content. They say don’t use social media to impress people but to impact people. And we believe so does Chief Minister of Rajasthan thinks. The state government of Rajasthan, understanding the importance of social media and the impressive coverage and affects it has on larger audience, is trying to make the full use out of it.
CM Raje understands that social tools are not just about giving people a voice, but giving them a way to collaborate, contribute and connect. Social media is about the people, not about the product. Provide the people and the people will provide for you. So to teach the people and to provide them with the best knowledge of social media platforms, especially Facebook, the Rajasthan state government has collaborated with Facebook to organize several camps throughout the state. People, especially in rural areas and hamlets will be taught about the technology, social media, the benefits of social media, and how that can easily connect with their leader.
Rajasthan is the largest state of the country and one among the most populous. There is a need of education, skill development and spreading knowledge among all for the ultimate development of the state. No state and country can develop without the development of its people. CM Raje has always kept the people of her state at the centre of her developmental plans and projects. To strengthen the people of her state, she has always taken great initiatives. With her new program named ‘Boost Your Business’, after collaborating with Facebook, Department of Industries and Department of Skill, Employment and Entrepreneurship, she is looking forward towards a great transformation.
Through this initiative, the aim is to help skill MSMEs and artisans of Rajasthan to go digital and grow their business by leveraging social media. This programme is being implemented in 6 key districts, across various sectors. These districts are Alwar, Ajmer, Bhilwara, Jaipur, Jhalawar, Jodhpur and Udaipur. The initiative was launched in Alwar on August 22nd and thereafter it has been launched in Bhilwara, Udaipur and Jodhpur. In Ajmer and Jhalawar, it will be launched on 16 and 18 September, 2016 respectively. Finally, the grand launching will be done in Jaipur in 3rd– 4th week of September, 2016.
In the technologically advanced world today, it has become necessary for every business to come online to improve their business. They say marketing is no longer about the stuff you make, but about the stories you tell. And what could be a better platform to do that than Facebook? Therefore, to provide a platform the small and medium enterprises of the state and for the entrepreneurs, the state government is organizing these camps. Through these camps the MSMEs and the artisans will be taught about the various ways through which they can give a growth to their company. This program will majorly help MSMEs and artisans in the following three ways:
- Build a digital presence, for free: This initiative will help MSMEs/artisans build a digital presence for free, avoiding expensive fees for creating and hosting websites.
- Leverage mobile economy: By creating a Facebook page for their products/services, MSMEs will be able to tap into the growing mobile economy – more than 155 million people in India use Facebook every month, and 95% of them do so on their mobile phones.
- Gain market access + grow their businesses: By learning to market their products to 1.7 billion people globally and 150 million people in India who use Facebook, MSMEs/artisans can increase awareness about their products/services, gain new market access, and grow their businesses as a result. This will create new jobs in the state and help the overall growth of the economy.
