'People are eager to know what's happening in someone else's home'

Social Nation artistes Bhuvan Bham, Jonita Gandhi on what it takes to make money off the Internet

In an era where off-beat professions have never had it so good, many wonder how social media artistes — including TikTok stars, YouTubers and influencers — make a fortune by building a career online. As an upcoming event, Social Nation, is set to bring social media stars for an interactive evening, two music creators, Bhuvan Bam and Jonita Gandhi, let us in on what goes behind the making of the web world's superstars.

Exploit your market

Only 21 when he began to play around with the video-sharing platform, YouTube, Bam shows that he still had the acumen of a businessman when creating the product he was set to sell. "In India, daily soaps work well. People are eager to know what's happening in someone else's home, which is why a show like Bigg Boss has the highest TRP. I thought there would be no better way to portray the problems of a middle-class person than by employing comedy," says Bam, who only began sharing his skills as a musician after securing himself with a hefty follower base acquired through the comic videos. "Given my followers, I have people who pay attention to what I do, but it is only my music's content that decides its fate thereafter."

Be a viewer's person

At a time when a probable career on the Internet is merely a few clicks away, Bam agrees that everyone wants a piece of the pie. A scenario such as this leaves little scope for mediocrity. Being skilled, he agrees, is the first step to making a mark, but Bam never underestimates viewers' reactions. "Ultimately, it all comes down to their verdict. Whenever I go online, the first thing I do is check out the comments section to see what people are saying about someone." Yet, Gandhi opines that in a bid to be a people person, an aspirant must not become the person he believes people want him to be. "You have to do something that's true to yourself; something you are comfortable doing. You need to represent yourself in the way you want, not how others want to see you. That's how you will stand out, which is important because everyone is exploring the platform today," she says, pointing out to the attention given to TikTok videos when adding that creating "sincere work" is not expensive. Even though Gandhi has established her place among the young crop of Bollywood singers, she still turns to social media when searching for an outlet for her original compositions. "There's no one to tell you what to do, or not on this platform. That feeling is liberating."

Be your own master

Both Bam and Gandhi agree that citing the current copyright laws, making a career off social media alone, is testing. "If an artiste can create and sell his own songs, that's a win-win situation," says Bam.

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