Should Social Media Be Judged Differently?

Social Media Marketing (SMM) continues to dominate business discussions in companies of all sizes. Below are just of the few of the very valid questions being asked:

How does it fit our company?
How do we measure and manage?
Is there too much risk?
Where should we start?

Here’s what’s surprising … these same questions are not often asked in relation to existing marketing efforts. For example, what’s the return on your collateral expenses (those dusty brochures in the corner) and how do you track that? What about newspaper, radio and television campaigns? What about that display booth and expenses in graphics, setup and manpower? Can you track that billboard? Or the investment in salary and benefits to have a human voice answer the phone?

One thing my extensive background in sales, management, marketing and media has taught me is that most companies simply do not have a good handle on the measurable performance of their current marketing mix. Yet companies are holding a flame to good solutions like SMM. So here’s what I propose as the fix to this scenario:

First scrutinize every dollar you’re currently putting into marketing.

Does it really do what you want it to?
What’s missing?
Do customers respond?
Can you track it to measurable sales, customer service, loyalty?
Does your current mix really fit today’s marketing environment?
Are your tactics relevant to your customer?
Are you up with technology or stuck in a rut?
Are you investing enough in marketing, or bare minimum?

Once you have answers to questions like these you’ll be in a better position to objectively consider the fit of social media marketing. I suspect you’ll find that social media offers a low-cost way to update your marketing approach and actually fuel the performance of the marketing solutions you’ve relied on to date.

It’s true that SMM is not a perfect fit to every company. It’s also true that companies who do SMM well do so after asking themselves a battery of relevant questions and then work from an established plan, not from the hip. And, believe it or not, SMM is much more measurable than most of what you are doing right now.

The key is to work with a trusted resource who can guide your company through the maze of options to design a custom solution that is sustainable for your company. And someone who can teach you how to scrutinize your existing marketing mix and enhance it with things like social media…all under an umbrella of driving measurable business.

At SocialOutsource we’re committed to social media marketing as a logical part of a marketing mix, not a stand alone or must have. Please reach out if we can advise you on your current marketing strategies and how adding social media may increase your ROI.