Know your leader: Narendra Modi

Narendra Modi is currently holding the Prime Minister's office for a second term. Here's a glimpse into how he uses social media for communication.

Narendra Modi — Prime Minister of India

Though most of the interface is in English, Narendra Modi's website has an access option in 13 languages. All possible information about him, his public appearances and diplomatic relationships can be assessed here. He also has a standalone application where news articles are shared and there is a dashboard for those who wish to volunteer and help with causes in sync with his political goals.

Social media footprint

Modi is very active on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. He is very easy to keep track of using these platforms. Though similar posts are pushed out everywhere, each platform is used in a unique way. While Twitter is used for announcements and interactions with important personalities, Instagram acts as visual documentation of his professional life.

Also Read: 5 Twitter lessons to learn from Narendra Modi

He often takes the vernacular route to reach out to audiences or a more diverse demographics, especially when he meets a prominent personality of a specific region. This strategy is also extended to a political discourse where he usually replies to international politicos with the help of a quote tweet feature instead of replying to their original tweet.

Also Read: 8 takeaways from PM Modi’s Instagram Stories

Facebook and YouTube are put to use in a very interesting way — almost all his speeches and public interactions are shared live. The reactions he gets on these videos are usually messages that reflect from people who adore him as a political leader as well as a person — the connect can almost be termed intense.

Pop culture references

In a recent interview with Akshay Kumar, Modi had commented on the culture of memes stating that he enjoys the common person's creativity that they reflect. "Earlier the opinions we used to get were like well-crafted five star kind. Now, with memes and internet, we get a more street food kind of perspective that lacks the finishing but tell you the truth." he had explained.

Modi has always maintained that he reads opinions on the internet and it helps him understand people. He often uses pop culture references in his speeches by mentioning elements like PUBG and 'How's the Josh?'. His interactions with Bollywood personalities and travel-blogger-influencer pictures have, at many instances, fueled popular meme templates, bringing him traction.

People connect

Humane Image

Like most social media savvy brands, Modi too leverages social media platforms for their core strength. For instance, Instagram is used to depict his humane side - the one of a tourist who is enjoying with his DSLR at play or posing in the serene hills.

The pictures shared by Modi often show a soft side to his demeanour, working as a pull factor.

Social media users often write to him, expressing their admiration and delight at his actions as well as expressing their woes. None of his profiles replies publicly, which can be understood how it could lead to the setting of a precedent that would be very difficult to sustain.

His overall social media persona is one of a leader who cares and is doing his best to stand by the people who gave him power.

This is a part of the series — Know Your Leader. It's a series by Social Samosa where we put across a concise analysis of how our cabinet ministers use social media to communicate. You can read all the parts here.