Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Suneel Kulkarni. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Suneel, thanks for joining us today. It’s always helpful to hear about times when someone’s had to take a risk – how did they think through the decision, why did they take the risk, and what ended up happening. We’d love to hear about a risk you’ve taken.

For me, personally, the very first-step of even embarking upon a creative endeavor like Turn Sound On involved taking on a sizeable amount risk. “What will people think?” and “Can this really be a career?” were the two questions often found bouncing around in my head.

What Will People Think? As a natural introvert, and someone that was perfectly happy NOT being in any sort of spotlight, creating Turn Sound On swiftly took me out of my comfort zone. Was it an original concept? For sure. Did I think it had promise? Absolutely. Was it uncomfortable talking about it to create even basic levels of awareness? 1000%. I had to not only talk about, but also market an idea that was truly mine – a lot of fun when people ‘got it,’ but if it failed to connect with audiences, it’s all on me. These conversations weren’t necessarily easy for me, and quite frankly, nerve-racking. I loved the idea of Turn Sound On, which marries comedy, animation and technology, but with comedy being at its core, it’s ultimately a subjective thing, and may not be for everyone. I still remember when I first started talking about the idea, I got a lot of blank stares. Truthfully, I still do. That said, I continue to stand by my creations, as well as its innovative delivery via social media, ripe for the world to see (and, judge) – both the ‘real’ world, and the ‘social media’ world, which, as we know, can be pretty ruthless at times.

Can I make this a career? The other key aspect of risk, especially when pursuing something rooted in creativity and at the mercy of social media, is the uncertainty of whether it can actually become a sustainable career. That’s where I am now – the path ahead is still unclear, but rich in optimism. We’re learning with each post, and evolving the Turn Sound On brand in fun ways to help us stand out and take this little experiment to the next level.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Turn Sound On originated from my love of comedy – an artform I’ve been a fan of since I was around 10 years old. What I love about comedy is the storytelling, hooking in an audience and taking them on a bit of an adventure, all for the payoff of laughter at the end. To put it simply, making people laugh, and earning that reaction, is fun, and such a unique physiological thing.

All that said, I didn’t really have a strong interest in pursuing traditional stand-up – honestly, my skin is far too thin for that. Instead, I wanted to find a new and unique avenue to write and perform jokes, for global audiences. This is where technology and social media enter the equation. Social media platforms allow you to reach relevant global audiences. And the real-life laughs heard in comedy clubs, which typically help comedians understand if people liked the joke, are instead, understood through social media metrics, as in likes, comments, saves and shares.

Using metrics and data to gauge what people like or dislike links directly with my ‘day job’ in marketing research, where we tell our clients what’s working and not working with their marketing efforts by leveraging consumer research data. So, the two are linked in this way. And, the evolution of Turn Sound, to an extent, has also been guided by research, through engagement data as well as talking to people at creator conventions and other related social gatherings.

Turn Sound On started as a platform for writing and telling jokes through the perspective of an animated stand-up comedian on Instagram. That angle of the brand is still very much alive and going strong. The evolution of the brand, which has been shaped by audience feedback to a degree, is taking us to a place where Turn Sound On will be more of an online series, with episodes running about 1 minute in length – some episodes explain the ridiculous backstory to some of the jokes shared on the virtual stage, and some episodes will dig deeper into who the main character is. To date, we know him as a comic, and a bad one. Still, we root for him, because underneath his questionable comedy, is an innocence and charm.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

First and foremost, it’s important to recognize that it’s not easy to build a social media presence. There is so much content out there, and increasingly, platforms are making it more challenging to be seen. Algorithms really run the show, and being new to the game will seem daunting. That said, it’s not impossible to build a presence, but it does require work. I’m still working on it myself, doing the best I can.

From my experience, the secret is in finding your audience, making sure your content has some value (i.e., a reason for your audience to watch, read or listen), staying true to your brand, and finally, persistence.

Finding your audience. Just like marketing any product, you need to have a good sense of who your audience is. In my experience, the more detailed you can get, the better. But at bare minimum, at least basic demographics is a reasonable start. This doesn’t mean that people outside your core audience can’t join your team, but to get some traction and be visible to a broader audience in the social space, you should start with planting roots with your target. Once you know who you’re focusing on, you can use hashtags and other targeting strategies to reach your audience.

Having value. Your content should serve some purpose and give your followers or subscribers a reason to engage with your content. Ask yourself, ‘what’s the hook?’ or ‘why should they care?’ when you’re creating social media content. In my case, I’m looking to entertain and make people laugh. I’ve accepted that not every post will be a winner that goes viral. But if it gets a smile, smirk or chuckle, it’s funny – that’s the hook that will make someone stop by next time.

Engaging with your audience. This one is pretty simple. When people comment on your content, make sure to comment back. Letting your fans know how much you appreciate them and their feedback helps to build a connection with your base, but also lets the platform algorithms know that you’re spending time with others on the platform – hence feeding it the habits it wants. And hey, make sure to respond to the hecklers too – don’t take it personally, and have fun with them too!

Staying true to your brand. Your social media presence across all touchpoints should be true to your brand – staying focused on the craft or artistry you’re promoting. I’ve seen that if your content becomes too diffuse, it’s more difficult for people to understand and develop a relationship with your brand.

Persistence. Keep creating. It’s so important to consistently put out content. Frankly, this can be the hardest one, given that we’re all so busy with our lives. But, in order to have the best chance at building a social presence, it’s really important to continuously post. This increases your chances of being seen, and tells the social media platform algorithms that it can expect reoccurring content from you.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

There are a lot of rewarding aspects to being a creator. I’m able to express my creativity. I can engage with people who appreciate what I’m trying to do. I’m learning how to become a better comedy writer and storyteller.

But what I’m most excited about is building a brand (and hopefully legacy) as the first to do what I’m doing. I’ve yet to see anything quite like Turn Sound On, which makes it all the more compelling to work on and talk about. I’m excited by our lead character, the face of Turn Sound On, and being the creator behind his journey. I’m excited by how ridiculous he is and how much he makes me laugh. I’m excited to tell his story. I’m excited for the world to come along for the ride.      

Contact Info:

• Instagram: instagram.com/turnsoundon
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@turnsoundon