Fernanda Gunsan — RevoU Instructor | Sr. Social Media Campaign Strategist at an Ecommerce Company
Fernanda's Profile
Do you know (or even love) the campaign “Waktu Indonesia Belanja” live streaming in collaboration with BTS, Blackpink, Twice ?
Fernanda Gunsan is the man behind it.
He is currently the Senior Social Media Campaign Strategist at an ecommerce company, where he worked for the past 4 years. His main responsibility is to build and execute social media strategy for the brand.
Through his work, Fernanda also got to manage and collaborate with KOL’s such as Arief Muhammad, Tasya Frasya, Boy Williams, and many others.
Prior to that, Fernanda worked at a renowned live streaming social network at BIGO Live as a Social Media Specialist. His contribution was promoting the app through social media, offline events, and seeking for high quality talents to become the official host platform.
Fernanda’s experience in the social media world is unquestionable. Therefore, we believe he’s one of the best people to share his knowledge with you in RevoU Advance Social Media Program.
Question & Answers
#1 Can you explain to us what your typical day looks like at your current company?
It is usually very tiring, but when you see local sellers smiled because you helped them to grow and develop their products here, It’s All gone. Working here is very impactful for the economy growth of Indonesia.
It’s an honour for me to help our customers, our followers and users to grow and to be the answer of their needs. It’s more of like all the people in Indonesia are helping the company and I to grow together.
#2 Biggest myths and misconceptions about working in Social Media?
Shooting, content calendar, and posting.
It’s more than that. You have to be the expert of the industry of your product/brand.
You have to know the audience, more than that. You have TO BE THE AUDIENCE of the specific community of the industry. Educate yourself about your audience, understand their pain points, and most importantly, SOCIALIZE.
People are always trying to find the HACK for Social media algorithm but they forgot that all you need is to SOCIALIZE amongst your audience, creators/influencers, and the field of the industry.
#3 Your proudest professional achievement at you current company?
Got a training in Facebook Singapore HQ, and collaborated with them to create one of the best live streaming session on Instagram. The story itself is on Instagram official success story. CLICK HERE.
Documentation: Facebook HQ Spore, The Story Behind it (Created by FB Spore team), And the post campaign recap video
During this pandemic though, I could proudly say that I am happy to be the primary Social Media Live Streamer responsible for here, Biggest Monthly promo and monthly live show, “Waktu Indonesia Belanja” Broadcasting BTS, Blackpink, Twice and u name it, right from my bedroom.
Documentation: One, another one
#4 What drives you to work in your current industry?
UMKM who are struggling with selling their own local product in their own country, competing against other big international brands.
I even try to help them not by giving them money, but by improving their business. I give free social media marketing classes, I help them to have FREE food photography catalog and social media content during this pandemic.
(How it started. How it’s going, Some of the pictures I took)
As a social media specialist you will understand that growth mindset and knowledge privilege is not the benefit of an individual, it is best served for the society you live in, and for the people who have the same dream.
Let’s grow together. We’re human after all, We can’t live without each other. Your costumers, your clients, your users, your followers and fans meant nothing if you do not value them the way they value yourself.
#5 Things you wish you could have learned earlier in your career?
The ability to learn more to LISTEN to understand than to learn to SPEAK. There is always these kind of people who would want to speak first for themselves in a meeting in a discussion group, etc.
When there is a people in a meeting, saying “I think it’s best if we can do X to let our customer understand more about this feature, because it is very difficult for them to click this link”
There will always be another person who quickly says: “I think we can just add more button than trying to fix the feature”
But you should always, ALWAYS, listen to the first person first and try to understand his point of view, give respect to the argument, respond to it, and by only then you can say your argument about something.
I often did this mistakes in my early life as an employee and truly regret it. So learn how to be the first to listen and be the last to speak.
#6 Books / Online resources you follow to remain on top of the most important industry trends and keep improving in your field (blogs, podcasts, newsletters)?
Books are great. But understand the people first. Understand your audience, by becoming one of them. Join groups that matters to the industry in discord or in Facebook groups.
- If you are in beauty industry, try to join Female Daily forum
- If you are in the gadget industry, try to join Audio Kere Hore, or Indonesia Mechanical Keyboard Group, Desk Setup Indonesia
You’ll be the first to know their pain points of the industry, the news of the upcoming trend/product, and acknowledge the hack, tips, recommendations, mistakes they learn and many all, by becoming one with your audience
Favourite books:
How to Win Friends and Influence People - Dale Carnegie (released years ago yet still relevant to today’s problem)
Influencer - Brittany Hennesy (learn how to communicate with creators, management, and the importance of being kind to socialize with your partners/clients, this is taken from the legendary Influencer specialist, Mrs Hennesy)
Atomic Habits - James Clear (I first read this for my self to change my bad habit or learn the good one, but it turns out I can understand more about my social media audience, their habit, and I even change the way I structure my social media strategy because of this book)
Sapiens: A Brief Story of Humankind - Yuval Noah Harari (to become a better social media specialist, you have to know its customer, Human)
#7 Your tips for someone who is interested in starting his career in Social Media Marketing (aside from applying to RevoU :)?
Learn to separate yourself from the toxic habit of “Instant Gratification”
Stop taking too much “How to become the best social media specialist, Fast” CLASSES
There is no hack for every industry, different audience, different product, different brand.
Instead learn more from your customers and audience, what are their pain points, and how your audience can improve themselves by following your account.
Don’t try to think that you can have a job at a unicorn startup just because u have taken hundreds of “how to make the best CV” classes.
But instead, learn how to FILL YOUR PORTFOLIO in your CV.
"But, I don’t have an experience as a social media specialist before, what do I do?"
Make One!
I started photography for free, I learn to shoot for content for brands by myself. I help my friends who have a band to do their live streaming session. I help my friends to get social media banner assets for their products. Make One, until people realize your value!
There’s no such thing as Instant Professional Social Media Specialist.
#8 The fundamental skills an Social Media professional is expected to have?
The social skills.
Learn to be your audience, learn to look things from their perspective.
Learn how to communicate like them.
Content is not for you, not for the benefit of your brand, but for your audience.
#9 What distinguishes a good social media marketer from a great one?
Not the one who is able to convert Business Unit brief into a single post,
But the one who is able to convert all of our audience pain points into a solution and answer
#10 Best examples of Social Media brand activities (besides your current company) in Indonesia?
Dear Me - Genderless Foundation (the link speaks for itself)
Mechanical Keyboards co.id - the daily needs of custom keyboards (the only best platform to custom your keyboard, because they are brave enough to answer this kind of niche market)
Sustaination - sharing to the people about the climate emergency, but also the HOW to start doing that. (they speak not only to declare the climate emergency, but also exactly how to start it from the little things that matter)
Rexus - Prove, that local ELECTRONICS is the answer to our needs for affordable, gaming and productivity devices
Tokocrypto - Prove, that local cryptocurrency got its own value by the Indonesian crypto community who are tired of our so centralized finance.
The list will go on and on, but right now, the community of each industry category will grow regardless of the monopoly of a single brand.
Products will grow because of the demand of the audience and the community
And also I'd like to appreciate all of the CREATORS out there who give classes and/or share their experiences and knowledge to help us all to grow together for FREE.
Learn from Fernanda and other great instructors by applying to RevoU Advanced Social Media program
Looking to kickstart your career in Digital Marketing but don’t know where to start? Apply to RevoU Advanced Social Media program.
How RevoU works:
✓ Live daily interactive online classes for 7 weeks (7–9pm WIB)
✓ Learn from the best instructors in the industry (such as Fernanda)
✓ Working on real projects mentored by the experts