Sonia Says: Social Media Coach, Marketing Consultant

Consultant, coach & creator supporting media, nonprofits & startups. Helping you grow, connect & stand out.

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Sonia Dasgupta is a strategist, storyteller, and founder of Sonia Says — a creative consultancy helping brands, leaders, and changemakers grow through purposeful storytelling and smart social strategy. With years of experience leading digital content and social teams across media organizations — including WJLA-TV, WUSA9, WJZ-TV, and CBS — Sonia has built a career at the intersection of journalism, audience engagement, and brand development. Her work has driven millions of impressions, built communities, and helped public figures and organizations show up online with clarity and confidence. Today, through Sonia Says, she offers strategy, coaching, and content services designed to help clients stand out authentically — pairing creativity with data, and purpose with personality. When she’s not crafting strategy or mentoring the next generation of journalists, Sonia can usually be found near the water, exploring new cities, or creating something that tells a story worth sharing.

Authenticity builds audiences on social media

A friend asked me today how to grow a following.
My answer surprised her: stop trying to look perfect.

I was talking with a friend who owns a small business. She’s struggling to grow her social following and keeps comparing herself to creators with hundreds of thousands of followers.

Here’s the part people forget: Those beautifully curated pages didn’t start that way. They were built on authenticity first then the polish came later.

To get someone to hit “follow,” you have to connect with them.
To get them to buy? That connection has to feel real.

Personally, I don’t connect with overly curated content.
Maybe it’s the journalist in me, but I want to see real people doing real things. When I relate, I follow and I stay.

That’s why I keep encouraging journalists and business owners to try reels.
Right now, vertical video is still being pushed — and it’s one of the easiest ways to reach new people.

Yes, showing your face can feel uncomfortable.
Yes, people worry about what strangers might say.
But here’s the truth: most people are rooting for you — and the ones who aren’t shouldn’t get to control your voice.

You don’t need a perfect reel. You need a starting point.

A short clip.
A moment from your day.
Something real.
The polish can come later.

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