By Ted Rubin

Many people are finally realizing that social media is serious business. Not “serious” as in stuffy, fun-resistant, and devoid of personality, but “serious” as in something that is of great value to our companies and needs to be treated as such.

What is one of the first things that come up when a new tool or process is introduced to a company? Metrics… what are the numbers we’re aiming for? What will tell us if it (the implementation and use of the tool / process) was a success? How will we get that information and make sense of it in a way that can inform our business strategy? These same questions – plus a few new ones — need to be asked as we begin taking social media integration seriously in our businesses and marketing strategies.

Defining metrics around social media advertising and marketing campaigns has been challenging enough that for a while many people said it simply could not be done. Now, however, we are learning that social media measurement (re: use and impact) IS possible – just not always using traditional metrics and methodologies.

One of the most important new ways to establish social media metrics is to set “conditions of satisfaction” (a concept promoted by Jeffrey Hayzlett, former CMO of Kodak and the author of best seller… The Mirror Test). In other words, what are the specific outcomes that will bring satisfaction to you, your brand, your business, and your customers? Notice how the word “satisfaction” here requires you to think not just about actions, but about the whole experience resulting from the outcomes. This is absolutely critical for successful social branding!

While Jeffrey applies this concept primarily to employees, vendor services, etc., it is equally important to set conditions of satisfaction in this emerging world of social media where standard metrics may or may not apply. Social media marketing campaigns need to be built on relationships, and metrics include words like “trust” and “engage” and “authentic conversation” and “online reputation” – all things that are at the heart of what a brand/company wants and needs … and all things that can be defined by setting up conditions of satisfaction.

Conditions of satisfaction around social media need to be different for every organization. They need to be based on the each company’s specific and unique GOALS and VISION and VALUES to ensure that the information gathered can strategically inform the marketers and the C-level Suite. Aligning your conditions of satisfaction with the heart of the company gives you the blueprint for plans that will go far in creating a genuine brand, and brand experience that connects with your customers.

Bottom line: Metrics matter and social media for business gets no exception. Don’t take another step until your conditions of satisfaction are set.

By Ted Rubin

Traditional customer service certainly gets its share of bad-mouthing:  endless pre-categorized “service” menu selections followed by long wait times to speak with a customer representative, plus the constant risk of getting disconnected, or the call dropping in the middle of the wait.

Social media is now giving customers an interesting alternative to telephone customer service and the lines at the in-store returns desks.  Many who are getting shunned by traditional customer service are now getting satisfaction through … Twitter.

(more…)

1. Be authentic.

It’s kind of obvious… I know. But, are you being authentic with your audience? Your topic should be something that you’re well versed in. For instance, parenting advice is best given out by other parents. Not a parent? It wouldn’t be authentic for you to lead your readers to think that you have been there and done that. Stick to what you know and you’ll always be authentic in discussing it.

(more…)

Is your organization ready to scale social media efforts? Are the budgets allocated, C-Level Suite is ready to embrace the ‘client centric’ strategy and you are ready to plunge into the world of Social Media?

Well, if this sounds to good to be true, many organizations are doing just that in 2011 – they are getting ready to scale their social media efforts. And when they do, they will need the help of ‘the few, the proud, and the very capable’ Social Media Directors.

Explore how you can find one, hire one and get your organization ready for the Social Media plunge of 2011!

1. SM Bookmark 1: Don’t forget that Successful Social Media campaign is still about LINKS – and that means that people will link to you based on relevant content and topics that you will post
2. SM Bookmark 2: Also don’t forget that CONTENT is the next part of the successful Social Media effort – the more you and others write about a topic or a promotion, the better the results will be overall
3. SEO Bookmark 1: Successful SEO campaigns and efforts were ALWAYS about CONTENT RELEVANCY – the more relevant your content is the better are chances that people will find you in their search efforts
4. SEO Bookmark 2: In SEO terms, if people are LINKING to you, they are thinking about you and they are talking about you – give them enough reasons to do so more often
   

Typically, when people start talking about you or your products (B2B or B2C), they begin to ‘buzz’ and that buzz gets amplified through Social Media channels. If your infrastructure is robust and scalable enough, that buzz will be amplified through MANY SM channels (social profiles, LIKE buttons on blog posts, apps, social media integration points, etc.). And if the topic happens to be ‘viral’, the effect will be much more scalable through social media than traditional link building, which would typically require a pitch to each website publisher (unless you are JCPenney ).

Why Agencies Must Lead and Create Their Future

By Alex Romanovich, former Managing Director at Global Advertising Strategies and Founder, Social2B

The Challenge

Just as the fascination with all things Mad Men is at its height, advertising agencies themselves are undergoing a period of great change. The show, which follows a New York ad agency as it struggles to adapt to the television age and survive in rapidly-changing 1960s society, has many parallels with what ad agencies are going through now in our fast-moving digital age. This is a challenging and disconcerting time for ad agencies and their survival depends on their ability to embrace new media and adapt to a consumer-driven market. In this fragile economy, many companies no longer have the budgets to throw at big-name ‘multinationals’. A business model based on creating a witty concept and buying media space to disseminate it no longer ensures that the message is heard. Consumers are so overwhelmed by an abundance of information on myriad platforms that agencies must purposefully engage with their target market, whether it be through their cell phones, iPads, or traditional print media. The traditional ad agency thrived on its ability to produce ideas; but ideas are no longer enough. Edward Boches, of marketing blog Creativity Unbound, sums up the challenge perfectly: “we can no longer buy attention”.

(more…)

Take a Social2B survey – win a free Social Media Marketing Assessment and a Free blog design!

Social2B is conducting a survey for small businesses marketing to multicultural markets. Take a survey, re-tweet it and mention Social2B via #social2b hashtag (Twitter), or by name – Social2B,  to be entered into a drawing to win a free Social Media Marketing Assessment and a free Blog design.

Click Here to take survey