By Venessa Anthony
The task of being a social media manager is thought of as an “easy job”. Not many put much thought into how much meticulous planning goes into a successful social media account. The Morning Brunch had a chat with Thilanka Rathnayake on managing the social media accounts of celebrities as well as his recent achievement of getting the Sri Lankan cricket team verified.
What is the procedure for getting your clients verified? How did you learn about this?
Getting verified is not easy for everyone. It’s kind of an authentication process for public figures. When we started helping them, there were only a few public figures who were verified on social media here in Sri Lanka, so when I saw this open market, I decided to follow a few digital media courses and successfully completed the Meta Blueprint – and now I’m able to get most celebrities verified with ease.
What services do you offer as a social media manager?
I run a full-service digital agency with deep expertise and experience, offering my customers a seamless, efficient, and well-managed process from start to finish. My customers’ needs are always front and centre, from big creative ideas and beautifully designed websites, logos, social media platforms, and social media handling to other digital marketing strategies. We deliver everything in-house and through my team’s devotion.
My team and I are driven to grow our client’s businesses and deliver against their goals. We are an innovative and passionate team who makes intelligent digital promotion simple. We are devoted to creating meaningful connections between our customers and their audience. This means we work collaboratively as a strategic digital partner. We take the time to genuinely listen and then distil complex goals and ambitions into clear, transparent actions that generate results.
Who are the players from the cricket team whose social media you handle?
We are handling the social media platforms of many Sri Lankan cricketers such as Wanindu Hasaranga, Lahiru Kumara, Kusal Mendis, Ajantha Mendis, Lahiru Thirimanne, Milinda Siriwardana, Lasith Embuldeniya, Chamika Karunartne, Minod Bhanuka, and Bhanuka Rajapaksa. Many of them are already verified; I’m currently working on getting the rest done.
Aside from them, I have verified Sri Dalada Maligawa, Mayantha Dissanayake, Harin Fernando, Dhammika Prasad, Yureni Noshika, Tehan Perera, Teena Shenell, Thisara Perera, Pawan Suyal, Cric Edward, and Beauden Barret.
We also handle and manage social media platforms for politicians, hotels, celebrities, and businesses.
How did you come to work with them?
Starting work with the cricketers was very easy. Most of them are my friends from school. I have played cricket with Kusal Mendis, Sadeera Samarawickrama, and Dasun Shanaka, back when I was schooling, so I’ve known them since then. They recently approached me, asking me to work on their social media presence, and I find working with them to be very easy and convenient.
So far, I have worked with a wide range of customers in all industries and markets. This diversity brings new perspectives and insights and provides our customers with new and unexpected ways to compete.
What did you find challenging when managing their social media?
Managing politicians is very hard, we always have to consider their thoughts in detail, and try not to say anything too controversial. So we are constantly in touch with their secretaries to understand exactly what they want to put out, so we don’t put out fake news.
What about your company is unique in your field?
Experience matters. While we’re unfailingly future-focused, we’re also proud of our heritage. With close to one decade of digital experience, we’ve evolved alongside the technology we use, and with our clients’ needs. I have deep technical knowledge and creative ability, and I make sound recommendations based on real experience and love nothing more than a new challenge.
