Page 26 - LINKPIN 2023-24

subject matter experts in the Marcom domain the difference between advertising and
on how to use technology to connect with engagement when it comes to social media
consumers. outreach. Most of the time you get ‘page boost’
spends and ‘buy like’ strategies to grow the
social media presence for brands from the
‘Know-how vs. Know-why’
digital campaign experts who are more tech-
Why this is not going to work? Well, for starters,
savvy than marketing savvy. This is a path
the technology-led strategy gives you the how’
to committing ‘Social Media Suicide’ when
of digital media strategy. How to use FB or
it comes to brand conversations and brand
how to use Twitter or how to use LinkedIn; this
conversions in the digital media space.
is what I call the ‘Know-How’ digital strategy.
That is why you need a CMTO (Chief Marketing
But what is not answered is the ‘WHY’ bit of the
Technology Officer) who understands
digital puzzle. The ‘Know-Why’ is missing big
the importance of new-age media and
time. The CMO and their breed are not asking
communication technology and more than
this question, why you need FB, why you need
that sees the need to use it in the right
Twitter, why you need LinkedIn, or many more
proportions and also integrate that into all his
such questions because the CMO and the
communication touchpoints like activation, or
brand professionals are ‘Digitally Blind’. When
events or launches or consumer promotions
you ask such questions then the CMTO can
or other campaigns. The CMTO needs to
select the social media channels that best
understand the value of digitizing his physical
suit the marketing needs and customize it for
and on-ground campaigns and come up with
maximum impact.
ways and means of capturing store footfalls
into digital footprints.
Copy-Paste Culture
More than that, the CMTO needs to separate
In the absence of such clarity on the selective
the paid forms of social media communication
use of social media, what we are seeing is
from the organic way of building the
the ‘Copy-Paste’ culture. What you post on
community. The person can then use spending
FB is copied and pasted on LinkedIn, Twitter,
where needed with clear-cut deliverables and
Instagram, and WhatsApp as well. While they
leverage community engagement to boost
seem to know the new age media technology
brand visibility (rather than boost pages on FB).
platforms and are also using them in their
The bottom line is, that the CMTO needs to
personal lives, somehow that knowledge is
understand that social media advertisement
not getting translated into business or brand
is different from social media engagement;
communication when it comes to Social Media
building communities, conversations, and
communications.
connecting in an engaging and empowering
way on social media is a different ball game
Advertisement vs. Engagement than the normal ad campaign. Only when the

There is no distinction between paid social CMTO comes with such a differential outlook
media advertisement and organic social will there be clarity in tackling the digital media
media engagement. We fail to understand maze of the times.

26 | Linkpin 2023-24