Grants:IdeaLab/Reach Rural People of India
Audience
[edit]Who are the people you want to introduce Wikipedia to?
[edit]Try to be as specific as possible about this group.
I would like to first start with telugu speaking audience in India.
In what languages do they search for information, online or otherwise?
[edit]Telugu and English are the most common languages they search for info
In what ways does this group communicate with each other?
[edit]This can include services and apps in social media, mailing lists, physical spaces like conferences or lectures, or at specific institutions like at a library.
whatsapp is the most popular choice although phone calls may be a bit more utilized than regular internet services
What are some reasons this group would use Wikipedia? How would they benefit from it, or what would they find useful?
[edit]Think about what they would be interested in reading and learning about; does Wikipedia provide better access to information this group cares about?
They typically don't have access and are not very well versed with Internet services like Google. Having information on fingertips in their local language will go a long way in helping these users browse more information
Project idea
[edit]What language Wikipedia projects will you promote to new readers?
[edit]Telugu
How will you communicate with new readers? Will you be communicating with them online, in-person, or both?
[edit]Using online methods is the primary outreach method. An add on in-person campaigns can also be undertaken after undertaking a few field tests.
Describe your idea to engage new readers. How might it be implemented? What will you tell people about Wikipedia?
[edit]Think about the steps that might involved to make this idea happen, and what you might teach people about your experience or others' experiences using Wikipedia.
There are some popular YouTubers and local TV stars on Facebook who have a great following from Tier 3 towns and rural areas. Their content is in local language and are well connected with the audience. A typical campaign would sound something like this. A popular village based show talks about quirky village things and we would integrate Wikipedia in the show with a message that villagers can now get all the information on the internet with Wikipedia without the need for internet. This would strike a chord as internet charges, although low when compared to west, are still considered to be high.
How will you know if this project is successful? What are some outcomes that you can share after the project is completed?
[edit]If you’re not certain about how to respond to this question when starting your idea, you do not need to answer it right now. Campaign participants and Wikimedia Foundation staff can help you consider some options.
The main success factor would be participation from rural users in the information journey which can be tracked by increased page views, social media discussions. The outcomes that can be shared are the number of clicks from unique links we would be using on our campaigns and the social media interactions our campaigns generate
Do you think you can implement this idea? What support do you need?
[edit]Do you need people with specific skills or resources to complete this idea? Are there any financial needs for this project? Do you need advising from Wikimedia Foundation staff?
We have already implemented such ideas for different brands. Plantix is a Germany based company that has used our services to reach out to rural users. You can contact them from their official website for reference to our work
Get Involved
[edit]About the idea creator
[edit]I'm Abhishek and I run a digital marketing firm, Aquo Digital. We have conducted marketing campaigns for rural audiences with brands that have rural significance like plantix - plant disease detection app. We were able to get them significant online presence with our strategies
Participants
[edit]Endorsements
[edit]Expand your idea
[edit]Would a grant from the Wikimedia Foundation help make your idea happen? You can expand this idea into a grant proposal.
No funding needed?
[edit]Does your idea not require funding, but you're not sure about what to do next? Not sure how to start a proposal on your local project that needs consensus? Contact Chris Schilling on-wiki at I JethroBT (WMF) (talk · contribs) or via e-mail at cschilling
wikimedia.org for help!