A Limerick

Write, write, write.

2020 please go out of sight.

Read, read, read,

2020 was really insipid,

I know your 2021 will be bright.

4 Months of Blogging

As 2020 is coming to end, I like to tell you that the biggest achievement for me this year is creating this blog and running it. I always wanted to start a blog but for many reasons, I was unable to do so. I had a blog previously where I used to review films but I failed to run it. Hence, running ‘Odd Ones’ for 4 months is a success for me.

 It gives me great pleasure to write on different topics every day. Initially, I thought here I will only share my ideas but now I almost talk on every topic. This probably shows my inability to generate new ideas every day. At some point in time, I thought of choosing a niche and write on it but then I dropped the idea. I’m still writing on different topics but I don’t know about the future.

To date, I have posted over 70 blogs and gained 3000+ views. And My goal would be to write 365 blogs next year.

Sex Attracts!

I heard the phrase ‘sex sells’ in Netflix’s web series Mad Men. Like Don Draper, one of the characters of the show, I also believed that sex doesn’t sell. It doesn't attract people to buy things. But I’ve been proven wrong with this post (https://bit.ly/34VBM2m). 

I wrote this post to share a funny anecdote involving blue films. I used the picture because the picture itself is blurred but still gives a sexy tone. I wrote the blog in Bangla intentionally as the story was narrated to me in Bangla. I didn’t expect many views from the post.

But I have been proven wrong, as it has gathered the most views to date. I have posted 70 blogs and it has the most number of views.

I analyzed the content and found that there are different types of content available in my blog. But not all of them gather such attraction. The difference between this particular post and the second popular post is huge. Then what is the reason for such an attraction?

I’m certain that the post gathered attention because of the image. It somehow demeans my ability as a writer but I think the image triumphs what is in the blog.

Hence, I can easily say that sex attracts!

Living With The Stories

I’ve decided to write one short story each week for 52 straight weeks. I know this is not easy, but I think it is achievable. I’ve been writing short stories for one year now but not regularly. However, this piece is not what I want to achieve. I like to tell you about an interesting anecdote that happened yesterday.

I was in the mode of cracking what would be the right end of the story. Suddenly my mother called me to have dinner. I gave her a reply and then tried to get back into the story mode again. But I realized that I lost track. I was unable to remember what I was thinking. Then I started to think of a new ending. I went downstairs to have dinner while thinking of what would be the right ending. My mother realized that I was thinking of something else and not concentrating on my food. She told ‘it seems like you’re not here’.

And when I started writing it, I realized how different the two worlds are- the world of thinking and the world of writing. The moment I started typing the words on a word processor, many new ideas popped up.  I realized that to write and finish a story, you have to live with the stories. You start with something on your mind, and you end up somewhere else. You have to build the character, develop the story, and write the dialogues. So many little things but yet so fascinating!

Help Me!

I think the time has come to accept me that I’ve to choose a niche for my blog. What do you say, guys? But I’m still not sure. I’m getting running out of ideas. Either I’m having plenty of rubbish ideas or no ideas at all. However, I don’t only want to focus on topics like digital marketing or travel. That will be a complete recreation of content. Those types of blogs are very easy to write. You create content from a blog or article that already exists on the internet. You won’t be able to say anything original.

It is also not easy to create something original every day. I don’t want to create content out of old content.

So tell me guys how to run this space successfully. I mean creating original content every day. Consider this blog as an appeal to you guys to help me out of this muddle.

                                                           (Image Source: Pixabay)

Why We All Need Break From Our Work

I took a break from blogging for around 15 days. The hiatus was not intentional. I was just preoccupied with some other works. However, when I returned to blogging six days ago, I realized that I was hungry to pen my ideas. The break allowed me to think.

Before I restarted to write, my thoughts were with relating to the future of my blog. I began to think about whether I should choose a niche for my blog. I was intrigued by the idea of whether I should write only on the topic.

The break also helped me to understand that I should approach this blog more seriously. I should have a bank of blogs ready. I need to have a buffer stock of blogs for at least 30 days ready.

Another thought that popped up in my mind is that I also need to have a daily routine concerning writing.

As we are entering the Christmas and New Years' break, an unofficial break globally, I thought sharing this piece with you may help a few.

The Ideology of Winning

The way political leaders of West Bengal are changing their camps is not only funny but also disturbing. It shows that there is no such thing called political ideology left in today’s Bengal. The fall of the Soviet Union ended socialism and positioned free-market capitalism as the automatic winner. After 30 years of the Soviet Union’s dissolution, we are at a crossroads.

There is a leader in Bengal who recently joined BJP. Her previous party was TMC. Before that, she was a CPI (M) member. She started her political career as a communist when she was with CPI (M). Later, she changed her camp and joined TMC- claims to be a liberal party and believes in a welfare economy. So she turned a liberal from a communist. And now she has joined BJP, a right-wing party that believes in free-market capitalism. So she has made a complete 180⁰ shift- from communism to capitalism.

Is this a global phenomenon? I mean the changing of political camps. Did she carefully study world politics and changed her politics? It may seem that she has changed her political camps keeping in mind what is happening globally. Like her, few others have joined Bengal BJP after their stint with the communists or liberal parties. But I doubt if they studied global politics and have joined BJP. The reason is something else.

I think it’s not because they realized the advantages of free-market capitalism or found the flaws in Marxist ideology. They joined BJP for power. They are aware that in a country like India where politics seeps through every aspect of society, it is better to stay close to the incumbent party.

So like her, many were communists when CPI (M) was in power in Bengal. Then they became liberal with TMC in power. And now it seems they are preparing to become free-market capitalists in the future.

Now, this piece is not a sarcastic jibe at their political understanding or ideology. If this is the global trend, then the people of Bengal should follow it without a doubt. We can’t ignore that globally there is an emergence of right-wing politics. Be it Britain or Turkey or Brazil. People are leaning towards right-wing or conservative politics.

But my concern is that will these people be able to deliver what free-market capitalism offers. These are the people who believe in ‘hobe na’ culture. These don’t have an ideology which is quite alright but they are also bad executors.  They can execute 'hobe na' dharna but can't execute a project smoothly. They also have to take the responsibility of turning West Bengal financially weak and socially backward. It is quite clear to us that these politicians will not bring any good to us because they intend to stay close to power. If tomorrow a new party, stronger and bolder than BJP, emerges then they will join that new party.

So are they good for us?

No More Jhoot With Jute!

Before the partition of Bengal, the jute industry in Bengal was at its peaks. Jute used to cultivate in the eastern part of Bengal and processed in the western part of Bengal. However, the partition of Bengal changed things drastically. West Bengal, where most jute mills are, has failed to import jute from East Pakistan due to bilateral tensions. Things didn’t change even after the creation of Bangladesh. I don’t know the reasons why it got stopped but the moot point is that jute stopped coming from Bangladesh to West Bengal. Adding more insult to the injury, militant unionism in West Bengal severely damaged the jute industry. The government also didn’t try to revive the industry. The invention of plastic and plastic products is another reason behind the downfall of the jute industry.

I think it is the right time to revive the industry. The threat of climate change is looming large. If we care about our planet then we should shift to jute from plastic. Jute is bio-degradable, recyclable, and 100% nature friendly. A hectare of jute plants consumes about 15 tonnes of carbon dioxide and releases 11 tonnes of oxygen.

From West Bengal's perspective, it has all the ready-facilities to manufacture jute products. Howrah has numerous jute mills, mostly inoperative, which can easily be reopened and manufacture jute products. Trade unionism has taken a back seat since the opening of India’s economy. It means jute mill owners don’t have to face problems as much they used to face previously. The cost of labor in West Bengal is less than the rest of India. It means jute owners can invest in automation also. Regardless of your political ideology, you can’t ignore that automation in the manufacturing sector. And if West Bengal fails to acknowledge it then it will miss the bus.

The foundation of the Bengal economy is agriculture. Now the government needs to pay focus on the revival of jute cultivation. They should turn the one-crop-land into the land where jute can be cultivated. This will not hamper the cultivation of seasonal agricultural products. In short, West Bengal doesn't have to depend on Bangladesh.

                                          (Source: Creative Commons License)

Agartala Is So Far Away From Kolkata

Agartala is India’s third international internet gateway after Mumbai & Chennai. You must be wondering what on earth I have been writing a piece on Agartala. According to the 2011 census, 2,414,774 Bengali-speaking people live in Tripura which is 65.73% of the entire population. The commonality of language and ethnicity is the connecting factor between two states West Bengal & Tripura.

But Agartala is so far away from Kolkata. The distance between Kolkata to Agartala is 1559 km. So if you want to reach Agartala from Kolkata via road or train, you have to travel almost the entire north-east. If you avail NH 27 to reach Agartala from Kolkata, it would take 41 hours.

Usually, people of both West Bengal and Tripura take air service to commute. However, I think there should be a train route from Kolkata to Agartala other than the existing ones. I mean that there should be a direct train route from Kolkata to Agartala via Dhaka.

The distance from Kolkata to Dhaka is 393 Kms and Dhaka to Agartala distance is 90 km. The total distance, Kolkata to Agartala, is around 500 km, 1/3rd of the current one (the black line on the map).

If there is a rail line between Agartala and Kolkata via Dhaka, it will not only impact the trade and commerce of India and Bangladesh, also it would bring the northeast much closer to India.

The two governments, India and Bangladesh, need to lay a 90 km rail line from Dhaka to Agartala. It will not only generate revenue for the railways but people of the northeast will not feel disengaged. At times, I feel northeast is so far away from Kolkata. People of West Bengal primarily favor north or west India.

        (Image Source: Google Map)

An Idea - Simple but Effective

The reason I’m writing this mail is to inform all the café owners that I have an idea that might help your business. I believe this will help you to increase your sales and also help in cutting-down the advertising & marketing costs.

The Idea  

You’ll give discounts to those who will write a positive review about your café/restaurant on Google. The discount rate can be 10% or 15% or 20%. You have the authority to decide the rate.  You will also have to decide the quality of a review.

After you read the review and then give the discounts. For instance, if someone just writes ‘it’s a good café’ then I suggest not giving any discount.

How to Do It

Put a board outside your café/restaurant and tell about the offer. You can also use Facebook to promote your offer. This will cost you a negligible amount of money.

 Why Online Reviews Are Important

We use social proof to help determine correct actions by assuming that other people in the same situation know more than we do. When it comes to online reviews, we assume that others who have bought and tried a product or service are providing honest feedback on how it worked for them, and we then tend to follow their lead to buy or not to buy. Social proof helps you make a purchase decision.

Online reviews are increasingly important to purchasing decisions:

·         Over 88 percent of online shoppers incorporate reviews into their purchase decision;

·         68 percent of consumers say positive reviews make them trust a local business more;

·         40 percent of consumers form an opinion by reading just one to three reviews, while 73 percent of consumers form an opinion by reading up to six reviews;

·         60 percent of consumers have searched a business at least six times per year;

·         88 percent of consumers trust reviews as much as personal recommendations;

·         68 percent of consumers trust reviews more when they see both good and bad scores ;

·         95 percent of unhappy customers will return to a business if the business resolves the issue quickly and efficiently;

·         Reviews produce an average of 18 percent uplift in sales.                                                                                                                                                                                 (Source: Vendasta)

Advantages of Google Reviews

 

For purchasing decisions across industries and markets, Google reviews are formidable in leveling the playing field for your business by providing three powerful advantages: (1) trust and transparency, (2) online awareness and local SEO, and (3) insights and feedback.  

                                                                                (Source: Infusion Media)

Google Review as Your Marketing Strategy

 

It is better to include Google reviews in your marketing strategy. Hence, I would request you to give a try to what I wrote in as The Idea above.

 

 

                                               (Source: Wikimedia Commons)