In an increasingly digital professional world, social media visibility is often treated as a measure of credibility. Follower counts, engagement rates and personal branding can influence how people present themselves, particularly in journalism, entertainment, technology and other creative industries. Yet many professional opportunities still depend on something less visible: expertise, careful research, thoughtful communication and the ability to solve a specific problem.
Kolkata-born journalist and content strategist Aashna Malpani’s career offers a perspective on this alternative approach. Over nearly a decade, she has worked across journalism, education, technology and entertainment-related projects, with organisations and platforms including The New York Times, Al Jazeera and MasterClass, according to the supplied profile.
Her approach challenges the assumption that professionals need a substantial social media following before they can access meaningful opportunities. Instead, she emphasises the importance of understanding an organisation’s needs and demonstrating how one’s skills can help meet them.
Research before outreach
Malpani’s approach began taking shape during her time as a graduate fellow at the University of California, Berkeley. According to the account, she secured an interview with a national figure-skating champion for a course-production project through research and targeted outreach.
She subsequently worked on journalism projects, including coverage of the pandemic’s impact on essential workers for The New York Times and international news for Al Jazeera. Her work later extended into technology and creative production, including scriptwriting for mobile games that reportedly reached audiences numbering in the tens of millions.
Across these different formats, the underlying method remained consistent: understand the subject, identify a need and make a clear case for why a particular contribution would be valuable.
“Before I pitch anyone, I can tell you what they have published, what they want to publish and don’t have the resources for, and how I would bridge that gap,” Malpani says in the supplied account.
The principle is straightforward. Effective outreach is not simply about introducing yourself or asking for an opportunity. It involves demonstrating that you understand the person or organisation you are contacting and can offer something relevant.
Why professional value can matter more than follower counts
Social media has made it easier for professionals to display their work, connect with potential collaborators and reach audiences across borders. But visibility and expertise are not interchangeable. A large following does not necessarily demonstrate specialist knowledge, strong editorial judgement or the ability to deliver a project successfully.
Malpani describes her own strategy as deliberately operating outside the spotlight.
“My gameplay has intentionally been focused on invisibility.” “When I write, I write for the people with visibility,” she says in the supplied material.
Her work has reportedly involved projects associated with prominent names, including Kevin O’Leary, Mariah Carey, Indra Nooyi and Kris Jenner. The broader lesson is not that visibility has no value, but that creative professionals can contribute behind the scenes, helping develop stories, scripts and other work that reaches audiences through established platforms and public figures.
For writers, journalists and strategists, this can mean building a portfolio that demonstrates what they can do rather than relying entirely on their personal audience.
Taking skills across industries
Malpani’s reported transition across journalism, education, technology and gaming also illustrates how transferable skills can create new professional possibilities. Reporting requires research, source evaluation and an understanding of audience needs. Those same capabilities can be useful in content strategy, scripted storytelling and creative development.
Moving between industries, however, requires more than presenting an existing résumé. Professionals need to understand the conventions of a new field and show how their experience can be applied to its particular challenges.
Research-led outreach provides one way to make that connection. Rather than sending a generic pitch, a candidate can identify a project, explain a relevant gap and propose a practical contribution.
Career-building in the age of AI
As artificial intelligence changes the way organisations approach research, writing and production, early-career professionals face growing pressure to demonstrate what distinguishes their work. AI tools can accelerate certain tasks, but strong judgement, originality, clear communication and the ability to recognise a compelling story remain important parts of creative work.
Malpani’s approach points towards a professional strategy built on preparation rather than metrics alone. It encourages aspiring journalists and creative workers to study the organisations they want to join, develop demonstrable skills and make their outreach specific to the opportunity.
In competitive industries, a meaningful professional connection may begin with a carefully researched message rather than a large online audience. For those starting out, the central takeaway is to build expertise, understand the people they hope to work with and make the value of their contribution clear.
