Experts: Traditional Media Loses Its Grip as Social Media Takes the Reigns in Content and Marketing

In a panel discussion titled “The Future of Sales and Marketing in the Digital Era”, a fireside discussion featuring prominent panelists took place about the pivotal trends shaping the landscape of sales and marketing and their influence on entrepreneurial endeavors. The event was hosted by Edge Innovation Center, which is affiliated with Raya Smart Buildings—a subsidiary of Raya Holding for Financial Investments. The enriching discussion also delved into the cutting-edge strategies and technologies that stand at the forefront of the marketing realm in an age dominated by digitalization and artificial intelligence.

The panel featured an impressive lineup of speakers: Dr. Hamed Shamma, professor of marketing and head of BP-funded academic research at the School of Business at The American University in Cairo; Khaled El-Baramawy, a journalist with expertise in digital media; Mahmoud Mustafa, an expert in corporate communications and an entrepreneur; and Randa Moataz, founder of The Copywriter. The panel discussion was moderated by Tamer Imam, a journalist and founder of the Follow ICT website.

Ahmed Ibrahim, the CEO of Raya Smart Buildings, inaugurated the panel discussion, emphasizing that the event is part of Edge Innovation Center’s strategy to spotlight both the challenges and opportunities within the digital sales and marketing fields. He underscored the ever-growing nexus between marketing and the digital realm, emphasizing that the keys to success now involve embracing new directions and maximizing the benefits offered by the latest digital technologies.

While moderating the discussion, Tamer Imam outlined the panel discussion’s main themes, including key trends in digital marketing like data-driven marketing and practical strategies for thriving in this evolving field. The discussion further delved into the essence of digital transformation and its revolutionary impact on entire industries, the nuanced competition in the digital landscape, the crafting of a unique brand identity, and the ethical considerations inherent in digital marketing.

Khaled El-Baramawy, began his discourse with a compelling assertion: in today’s world, leveraging social media and cutting-edge tech applications for marketing and content management isn’t just an option—it’s essential. He pointed out that the era of traditional media dominance has faded, overshadowed by the tremendous technological advancements in recent years.

El-Baramawy brought to light the strategic pivot of major corporations towards social media platforms for their marketing efforts. This shift, he explained, is driven by the unparalleled efficiency and cost-effectiveness of digital channels in reaching the targeted audiences—a stark contrast to the slower, more expensive methods of traditional media, which, in his view, the Egyptian media has yet to fully embrace.

Furthermore, he underscored Egypt’s dynamic presence on the digital stage, particularly on Facebook, noting the Egyptian populace’s hefty daily internet usage of 7 hours, a significant portion of which—three hours—is devoted to social networking.

El-Baramawy emphasized the diverse and ever-expanding internet audience, bringing fresh cultures and demographics into the digital fold, each with unique content needs and preferences. He urged media professionals to meticulously map out their audience to enhance their target strategies. For instance, he recommended aligning content timing with the routines of housewives, thus ensuring optimal reach to every piece of content to its intended audience.

Commenting on the transformational impact of social media on the business world, Dr. Hamed Shamma confirmed that digital media has significantly altered how companies operate and communicate, leading to a profound impact on their ability to reach their target audience quickly and efficiently. Shamma emphasized that digital transformation has revolutionized major corporations, creating new business models and job opportunities, and enhancing consumer access to products and services via digital platforms. This revolution allows companies to reach a broader audience beyond their local markets.

Shamma also noted that both established and emerging companies have moved away from traditional marketing and advertising methods such as print, radio, and television, turning instead to digital advertising. Digital media offers companies the capability to target specific audiences and tailor their marketing messages, making marketing strategies more efficient and effective despite the lower financial cost. Consequently, companies are allocating their resources more effectively, leading to increased return on investment and overall economic growth.

Along the same lines, Randa Moataz explained that any new company at its inception requires an experienced marketing and sales team in order to compete in this ever-evolving field, especially with the numerous developments witnessed in the past few years.

“The future holds even more changes. For instance, we’ve observed a shift in recent marketing strategies towards a heavier reliance on ‘Reels’ videos across social media platforms, moving away from traditional captioned posts. This evolution has led to the emergence of ‘reel content creators,’ a novel role that merges the skills of scriptwriting with video editing. This individual plays a key role in elevating a brand’s presence, be it a product or a personal brand, and in driving awareness among its intended audience. This shift has not only streamlined marketing efforts but is also poised to generate a plethora of new job opportunities within the industry,” she elaborated.

Bringing in a different perspective, Mahmoud Mustafa stated, “In my opinion, the content that achieves widespread dissemination and acceptance among social media users is the content that leans towards realism rather than fabrication. Regarding the future of artificial intelligence within the marketing and sales sector, it’s clear that swift transformations are taking place not only in Egypt but globally. Consequently, for an organization to thrive, it’s essential to be both resilient and flexible in order to adapt and constantly evolve its tools to stay in sync with the latest technological advancements.”