Here’s a piece I wrote for iMediaConnection about measuring and communicating social media. My key point is that a) it IS measurable, and b) it needs to be tied to things that matter for various stakeholders: marketing, PR, advertising, executives.
how to dispel corporate fear and get executives to embrace social media
No related posts.
This was a really good, well-written article (you musta had editing help, I’m thinking). I liked the phrase ‘corporate kumbaya.’ Also the concept of the social media ‘evangelist.’ Although I’m not in your line of work, I know that I ‘get it’ and many executives do not. That’s changing, though. Most of my superiors are now younger than me … which is a GOOD thing, actually, as they are more flexible and open to suggestions. If I talk about electronic marketing with a gleam in my eye and convince them I can perform it (we’re just talking simple prequalified email campaigns) they’re almost sure to say yes. Often the only barrier is qualms from THEIR superiors.
^ agree, very nice
Kuuumbayaaa ma Lord. Kuuuumbaya. Group hug.
Good article. There’s a reason I keep coming back to your blog to learn more.
How long do I have to wait before I start making fun of you again?
Not available in a store near you.
So just tell me, what IS the value of a tweet by someone with 100,000 followers? In dollars, please.
And does my brand’s 45,000 Facebook friends translate into anything meaningful? Anything? Bueller? Bueller?
And how many of the people watching a promotional YouTube video will actually purchase the product? Real numbers please. No guestimating. I want hard percentages.
You want hard numbers? Wrong question.
You want response and success? Engage ANY sized audience. Positive response and word of mouth is far more important than numbers and can *not* be measured.
I think that is the key fear us crazy Internet people are still fighting with. They want it 100% tangible/measurable and we just flat out aren’t dealing in something that can be measured. The numbers on the page are always going to be not much more than a barometer when they want a full-on radar system.
The weather, which can be entirely unpredictable, is more predictable than what a person will say and do.
Great article, BTW, Naltso.
You’re welcome for this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NN75im_us4k
ok here it is!
I thought it was a good article. Especially, your opening paragraphs and this line which I think is the biggest question advertisers have or should have.
“What’s the value of a tweet by someone with 100,000 followers?”
I think the new media is missing a number of things when it comes to social networking.
One Particular Area
I think entertaining ads are spiffy, and as you said later in the article they bring the product to mind. With the short attention spans we now own this is what makes or at least keeps a product relevant.
Take the Evian commercial – If I tell someone or link an e-mail saying, ‘hey watch this, it’s cute, awesome, funny etc…’ – that ad was successful in its reach.
Will it make me buy the product? There are a number of factors surrounding that question. Advertisers can’t forget, as they too often do, current and/or pervading trends.
Currently, it’s health and economics.
Again take the Evian commercial, it is a higher priced water product, however, after watching this ad it makes me think that if I have a baby I’m more likely to want this better and safer product. If I don’t have kids I’m thinking it must be good stuff if you can feed it to babies.
Therefore, the commercial was successful for a number of reasons – it was cute, entertaining and uplifting, it brought the product to the forefront of the mind and it crossed a number of age and gender demographics. Great! But did it take into account the current trends which would result in actual direct sales?
They portrayed some of the Health Benefits, but what about the Economics?
Have they worked with the other departments to lower the price at the local level?
Have they added a display at the store that would remind moms of the commercial and make them want to spend a little more for the health of their kids?
Did they combine all that and target their audience in magazines or web sites spanning several demographics?
How could they spread this even further to lock in the deal?
The reach of advertising in social media is to get the viewer’s attention in as many ways as possible though different media outlets (print, TV, online). The idea behind this is to make the viewers want to share and spread the product to as many people as possible – the new word of mouth is the word of type.
To lock in the deal and increase sales they have to address current trends. Again, Health (well being, long life) and Economic (safety and trust) are the flavor of the decade.
For health they need members of the community that advocate their product; doctors, dietitians, health professionals, etc… Those people are credentialed and in social networking have their own particular following.
Economics is a little different, broader, it’s the skeptical penny pinching survival part of everyone’s brain, advertisers need to incorporate trust and specifically a trusted advocate.
This particular person plays a very significant roll especially, in social media. These are the leaders in the social networking community and You Tube is full of them. Full of bad ones too, but if you connect with someone in a positive way you probably trust them more when it comes to a recommended product.
Advertisers have yet to engage that connection properly and a big part of that connection is knowing the community.
Money talks and these folks are the new word of mouth.
koniec
@8″ What IS the value … facebook friends… meaningful?”
it’s worth absolutely nothing unless people visit you often or your reach is so wide or so close people lose sleep over the words you may utter next.
Advertising works on a couple or three levels –
base; what I need to survive -pretty dependable, based on economics
(generic or brand)
subconscious: triggered by a sense impression or experience (jingles stuck in the head – taste – smell – art)
impulse; usually means drunk in some way – heighten chemical or suppressed chemical (liquor or dopamine enhancement)
However, the opportunity for a hard sell and real numbers only come when I tell you, “My door squeaks and it’s driving me nuts!” And you say, “Buy some WD40.”
I’ll sum up everything necessary in one word:
“interaction”
Done. That’s the key, if they want anything to work for them, that’s the word. And remember, Engagement = ad term. Interaction = people term.
Someone needs to take the crystal meth away from Jan and get him into rehab.
@15 Jischinger is a MAN?? Oh, god.
Here I’ve been for the last 2 years thinking it was a woman! What is going on here!
Uh, Nalts, I read the article, and I enjoyed the parts my mind let me comprehend. You are a smart guy who is more intelligent than I’ll ever be.