The Minefield of Social Media Metrics

 Measuring Social Media, SMEs, Social Media, Social Media ROI, Social Media Tips  No Responses »
May 272013
 

Measuring social media can be a minefield.  For some businesses it seems to be an obstacle that is challenging to overcome.  Without tangible outcomes, it is difficult to justify increasing the social media budget so SMEs are overwhelmed on how to move forward.

Every day millions of people around the world are interacting and engaging on social media.  And as more people do so, not utilising social media is no longer an option for businesses.

So can social media ROI be measured?  The answer is yes and no and it depends on what you see as your return.  Here are a few things for business to remember:

There is no Silver Bullet

Just like everything in life there is no one key solution for anything.  For business they need to communicate their measures of success and formulate strategies and tactics to attain this success.  This requires strategic planning and comprehensive knowledge of your business agendas and audience.

What is the True Value of Social Media?

When it comes to social media ROI it really comes down to first impressions.  It is the opportunity to let people know about your brand and develop the possibility to create a new relationship where there wasn’t one before.  Engaging and having a conversation with the audience is where the true worth of social media is.

Social Media Metrics don’t Show the Full Picture

The benefit of social media is in the conversation so listen and engage in the exchange of dialogue.  Business tends to forget that social media is first a ‘social’ and ‘communication’ channel which has become a business marketing tool. It is not traditional media so stop using it as such.

What is important to note is that not every referral or relationship can be measured and not everything fits into a nice sales funnel but this doesn’t make social media any less effective!  So experiment and see what works for your business.

 

Thanks for reading!

Feel free to ‘tweet’ or ‘repost’ this article or leave your comments….

 Posted by on 27 May, 2013 at 9:33 am

Does Your Workplace Have A Social Media Policy?

 Online Reputation, SMEs, Social Media Policy, Social Media Risks  No Responses »
May 172013
 

In an ever increasing online, mobile and connected world, social media is becoming an important tool for business. However, there are also risks that need to be managed. For many employers, they refuse to engage with social media. But not understanding this space is no longer a valid reason for ignoring it.

A key social media issue for workplaces is the boundary between personal and professional for employees.  These two aspects of people’s lives are now merging together making it challenging for employees to separate work from home.

Negative information online can affect an employer’s reputation and therefore employees need to be careful what they post.  There are numerous examples of employees behaving badly online while discussing their employer.  But employers can’t control employees using social media platforms outside work hours.

So what is an employer to do?

A solid Social Media Policy can be extremely valuable in managing risks and providing guidelines to both the employee and employer.  A policy that is tailored to the culture of the workplace supports business to navigate the world of social media.  As the popularity of social media continues to grow employers need to communicate to their employees what their expectations are in relation to social media.

Without a Social Media Policy business is leaving themselves open to reputational, legal and operational consequences.

Does your workplace have a social media policy? How does it operate?

 

Thanks for reading!

Feel free to ‘tweet’ or ‘repost’ this article or leave your comments….

 Posted by on 17 May, 2013 at 6:05 pm

Social Media and Having the Right Mindset

 SMEs, Social Media, Social Media Tips, Social Network Sites, Technology shifts  No Responses »
May 062013
 

As technology rapidly evolves history shows people struggle with the transition.  Social media is a case in point.  Completely different to traditional media having the right approach and mindset is crucial to get the best from it.

Social media centres around the user, not the product, so the established method of pushing a message in a one-way direction is not very effective.  Engagement, connection and conversation are the key to social media in the long term.

Here are some central things to remember when engaging with social media:

Social media is About People: build relationships, gain trust and have a conversation.

Experiment and Innovate: social media is a switch from a monologue to a dialogue. Businesses that best understand this will listen to their audience and interact with them

Connect with your Audience: ask questions, share thoughts and encourage conversation.  Provide information but don’t push sell your products or services.

Social Media is Difficult to Measure:  business is preoccupied with measuring social media.  But it is hard to measure conversation. This doesn’t mean the value isn’t beneficial.

Investing in social media is important, requiring new skills and approaches.  Those that don’t think outside the box will have difficultly gaining traction and those who maintain control of the message won’t succeed in getting any message across.

Experiment, share and have fun!

What have you experimented with social media for your business?  What works for you?

 

Thanks for reading!

Feel free to ‘tweet’ or ‘repost’ this article or leave your comments….

 Posted by on 6 May, 2013 at 12:13 pm