Social Media Video

Not long ago - the year was 2000 - we heard many people and companies make "non-belief" comments about the internet like many do today with social media.  Kind of funny when you think about it.

Social media has captured the attention and awe of the marketing world with the promise of increased customer engagement and lower marketing costs. Yet behind the buzz lies the question of how to measure its success. With no standard means of measurement, it is difficult to decipher the value of different platforms and determine the true ROI of social media marketing. To make sense of the situation, SMC wants to share an eye-opening video based on recent findings and figures. Watch this short video on the facts, factors, methods and metrics that businesses need to know in understanding the real return of social media.

Advice from the Social Media Experts

Social Media marketers share their secrets to social success:

• Start with the Right Strategy - "Align with the goals of your department. That's a good starting place. In most cases your department strategy should also align to a larger corporate strategy. We don't want a communication strategy that is at odds with our service strategy." (Shannon Paul, Blue Cross Blue Shield)
• Know Your Objectives - "Tie your social media activities to existing objectives, such as increasing online sales, driving web traffic or boosting attendance at your next webinar or offline event. Set a reasonable target, see what happens and use it as a benchmark for future campaigns." (David B. Thomas, Radian6)
• Deliver Relevant Content - "Deliver the right content, at the right time, in the right channel to the right customer (or partner). Relevant content happens as a result of listening, thought leadership, Google insights, and community sentiment." (Michael Brito, Edelman Digital)
• Develop Meaningful Relationships - "Use social media as a platform for developing relationships. Show your thought leadership by answering questions on LinkedIn — it could lead to new contacts and leads." (Shashi Bellamkonda, Network Solutions)
• Integrate into Your Marketing Mix - "Don't leave opportunities on the table; explore how you can extend your marketing effort by integrating social elements into your PR, events and customer support activities." (Jane Price, Marketing Consultant)

• Measure What Matters - "Distill social media measurement down to core metrics that your company is already measuring that have history behind them. When you show what social media is or isn't delivering there is a conversation that can take place." (Nichole Kelly, Full Frontal ROI)

• "And let's not forget to a bullet point that sits in a category of its own: Call-To-Action.  People, in general, want to be sold.  So, a simple call-to-action button or link must be provided for those who wish to buy.  K.I.S.S. - Keep It Simple and Smart!"  (Mike Harley, SMC)

 

Google+ Business Profiles Are Coming Third Quarter

Companies clamoring to build a presence on Google's new social network have a few more months to wait. Business profiles are coming to Google Plus around the third quarter of this year, according to a story on VentureBeat.

While Google hasn't revealed many details about what the brand profiles will include, a Google representative told VentureBeat that users should expect "a level of analytics and measurement that you'd typically find in Google products," hinting at the inclusion of analytics in business accounts.

Google is urging brands to wait for these official business profiles rather than set up their own, which the company said would not be able to be automatically migrated once the brand profiles launch.

"The platform at the moment is not built for the business use case, and we want to help you build long-term relationships with your customers," Google's Christian Oestlien said in a post on Google Plus. "Doing it right is worth the wait."

Google has said that they will continue to disable unauthorized business profiles ahead of their official launch later this year.

More Social Networking News

Social Networking is growing so fast in this industry, we wanted to share the following chart to further help you see how essential it is to make social networking a part of your plan.

Look for words such as intimate, develop, connect, engage, channels, influence, loyalty, viral, mass, and authority.

About RSR Research:

Retail Systems Research (“RSR”) is the only research company run by retailers for the retail industry. RSR provides insight into business and technology challenges facing the extended retail industry, and thought leadership and advice on navigating these challenges for specific companies and the industry at large. RSR’s services include benchmark reports covering the state of retailer technology adoption for topics ranging from merchandising and supply chain, store operations and workforce management, to customer-facing and multi-channel technologies. Custom research reports provide more in-depth views into topics of industry interest, and advisory services help retailers and technology vendors make the most of the insights RSR provides. To learn more about RSR, visit www.rsrresearch.com.