Meet Dale Dias, the dynamic 27-year-old physics teacher who has captured the hearts of many through his online presence. Known for his social media page, "The Goan Pao," Dale has amassed a loyal following of over 60,000 across Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. His journey into social media began with sharing jokes and one-liners on Facebook back in 2012, which later evolved into creating a dedicated space for memes and content that resonate with Goan culture and current affairs.
He was awarded the influencer of the year in 2022 and was also Goan Insider's 50 most influential people of 2021. Despite juggling his teaching profession, Dale's dedication to "The Goan Pao" has made a significant impact, combining humour with valuable information for his audience.
From the beginning
Back in 2012, when Facebook was pretty popular, I would post jokes and one-liners that people would like and share. This went on for a few years until Goan meme pages started gaining popularity. These pages would post my jokes and a larger audience would share my content. Therefore in 2018, I created “The Goan Pao” on Instagram and Facebook and I've been making memes ever since.
The Covid-19 effect
Since I mostly make memes around issues in Goa, the page grew quite a bit during the lockdown period. Mostly because I would post about resources for people, such as oxygen cylinders, health services, food distribution and much more. This helped the page in terms of growth as well.
Crafting a brand
through memes
Honestly speaking, I haven't done much to build a brand. Everything that “The Goan Pao” has become, it is because of the memes, reels and other content that has reached thousands of people. That being said, I'm kind of hoping I somehow can build the page a little bit more into a brand.
Staying updated
I just see what other content creators post.
Goan content creators (except me of course) are really talented and they're one of the first to be on the trend so that part is mostly sorted.
Chasing the algorithm
I don't really keep up with trending reels, music, hashtags or the algorithm.
I just make content that I randomly think of or based on current affairs, especially in Goa.
Although, I do use meme templates that may be trending at that moment.
I have also observed that a lot of the new generation of content creators who keep up with the algorithm’s needs, have ‘call to actions’ in their content, research on popular trends and a lot more things but, I just post memes that I make on my phone.
Dealing with challenges
One challenge would be the fact that handling the page isn't my primary profession. And since I am working, I do not get the time to create content, reply to messages or research on how to expand the brand.
Unique strategies
I based the page on three main points.
First and foremost, aesthetics: The content that is to be posted needs to be pleasing to the eye. Secondly, language: Proper language needs to be used with correct grammar and spellings along with correct Konkani terms. I also try avoiding vulgar language. And thirdly, the content needs to be accurate.
Future plans
I hope to have more diverse content that is targeted for the Goan audience. This would include reels on places, eateries, events, humour and also informatics.
A different approach
Looking back at “The Goan Pao” I would definitely hire a team. It would have made my work a lot easier.
