The digits in digital, matter

Ashish Manchanda, from RepIndia offers a rather entertaining take on the much debated topic in the social ecosystem digital media mix! And it does make sense.

They say there’s no such thing as free lunch and this implies to every aspect of our lives. As we, social animals, prance towards a trend where we have a large appetite for social media, we cannot avoid how important it has become in our daily lives. Social media was essentially free and easily accessible for all of us half a decade back, but the trend has now changed. You have to be smarter and more tactical in your approach and keep in mind that nothing comes free, nothing.

“If you build it, they will come,” is undoubtedly a great movie quote but it doesn’t hold true for your content marketing strategy. Let’s not shy away from this, Digital is no different from real life and you may have to pay for visibility.

Also Read: Sabyasachi Mukherjee: A marketing masterstroke

The beauty (or not) lies in the paradox of the term ‘POEM’ (Paid, Owned, Earned Media). Though there’s nothing poetic about it but it helps us bring home the point that nothing markets itself. In a world where your reputation precedes you, Earned Media is extremely valuable. However, it may not give you the control you are looking for, be it in terms of content, placement, or analytics. This is where the first letter of ‘POEM’ comes in the picture. Paid Media is much more than promo pitches and clever commercials. It enables you to share your message across, drive exposure, cultivate relationships, and amplify Owned Media channels.

Another important thing is to create authentic content before pushing it to the right audience through right channels. Once again, refer to the basics. In the words of the advertising stalwart, David Ogilvy, “The consumer isn’t a moron; she is your wife.” And your wife wants you to be transparent, authentic, approachable, appreciative, understanding, caring, respectful (Read: 1000 things she wants in you)

Now, the answer that nation wants to know...Should we consider POEM as Neil Nitin Mukesh or Shankar, Ehsaan, Loy?

In the end, it’s all about finding the right mix, adopting a holistic and cohesive approach, and creating an ecosystem comprising all three forms of media - Owned, Earned, and Paid. Think of it like a tripod and understand the importance of each leg for that perfect shot.