First, social media doesn’t fit the idea of what “it” is. Media infers that there’s a reporter and a story and a search for the truth. There’s not. You as the consumer are the one in search for truth, which is why you’re searching the internet.
For the sake of argument, let’s use our term, social marketing. Particularly for our business, “social marketing” is more appropriate in relating “it” to what we do and how it works for our clients.
So – social marketing – how do you measure the outcomes?
You have to take a look at what you hope to accomplish first. Why are you engaging in social marketing? If it’s only because “everyone else is doing it,” then you’re not going about it the right way. It is important to take the step into social marketing, but it’s more important to know what you want out of it BEFORE you get into it, otherwise you may have unrealistic expectations.
According to eMarketer.com, the matrix of how social networking is measured will change in 2011 as compared to 2010:
What strategies will bring you the measurables you want? As a consumer, what works for you? Do you respond to the coupons you receive via FB? What about the “come in now for a deal” tweets? It seems more and more like spam email and eventually you unfriend the company.
Try being more “social” with your postings. Give people a creative reason to follow you – and at best, see if you can tie it in with your current marketing message (e.g. your current advertisements have a “character” involved, tweet, FB, etc as the character, not as yourself or your business – make it fun).
Let us know if you need a hand – we’re here to help!
Don’t think that because you’ve started your Facebook page that a million people are going to rush into your brick and mortar. That’s not realistic.
When we talk to clients about social marketing, we liken it to customer service. Before the internet (if we can remember that far back), people would come into your store and you would engage them in conversation, get to know a little about them. Whether or not they bought anything that day, you ensured yourself that when they did decide to buy something they would buy it from you because you made a connection with them.
Social marketing works the same way, only now – your store front is open to the world. Your store front is your webpage, your Facebook page, your twitter account, your LinkedIn page, whatever outlets you are using is how people now FIND you…not just by wondering in.
What do you want your first impression to be? Again – think of your storefront, what impression do you want to leave? When you meet people for the first time, do you throw in their face what you have for sale or do you try to give them usable information so that they trust you as an authority?
If all you’re doing is putting up your sales and events on your social networking sites, then you may find yourself with fewer followers and friends.
