All things are not created equal, but in the measurement world, it’s hard to believe that statement. If you’re in marketing, you’ve probably been faced with the challenge of “measuring success” and “proving return on investment.” The natural reaction is to leverage what we know and utilize industry standards. What do we do when those standards don’t apply?
Unfortunately, we’ve all been a little lazy lately and have failed to keep up with the pace of innovation. While legacy metrics still play a role, the industry as a whole has struggled to effectively define success in a social media world. There is comfort in the “old metrics” and this familiarity stiffles creativity. We’re in need of an evolution, but one that provides the same sense of security of those that are trusted. (Regardless of how ineffective the old metrics may be at defining success across integrated marketing activities.)
In talking with a few industry peers, it became clear that all marketing activities are being held to the same standard when the situation is inherently different. Here’s a few scenerios you may have heard recently:
Hub Mentality
BUSINESS OWNER: “Our corporate site averages 500,000 unique visitors a month. Why isn’t our blog/community seeing the same traffic?”
MARKETER: ”Well, the corporate site is geared toward sales and attracts consumers currently considering a purchase. The blog is focused on thought leadership and awarness to attract interest from those higher in the funnel.”
BUSINESS OWNER: “We need more eyeballs on the blog in order to continue to supporting this initiative.”
MARKETER: “What did you have in mind?”
BUSINESS OWNER: “We should sell stuff there.”
MARKETER: “OK. But it could upset the 50,000 subscribers we have actively reading and commenting.”
Quantity over Engagement
BUSINESS OWNER: “We’re really successful on Facebook. We have 250,000 fans!”
MARKETER: “That’s great! How many are engaging with the page?”
BUSINESS OWNER: “Each post get’s a few comments and likes! It’s great!”
MARKETER: (after looking at the data) “You’re averaging about 75 comments and 600 likes a month. That’s about .27% of your network.”
BUSINESS OWNER: (Still excited) ”I know! That’s almost as good as the average click through rate of our banner ads!”
MARKETER: “The goal of the banner ads is to drive traffic. What’s the goal of the Facebook page?”
BUSINESS OWNER: “Engage with consumers.”
Campaign vs. Community
BUSINESS OWNER: “We posted a few videos on YouTube and we’re up to 80,000 views!:”
MARKETER: “That’s amazing! When did you post them?”
BUSINESS OWNER: “Late August.”
MARKETER: “That’s Impressive.”
BUSINESS OWNER: “2009.”
MARKETER: “Oh. How many videos have you posted since?”
BUSINESS OWNER: “None. The campaign was only for 3 videos.”
Unfortunately, these scenerios are all too common and without change and support, they may not change within your organization. One of the most important things you can do is define the metrics early in the process. Gain support for your activity early on and be clear that measuring social media is not the same as measuring the corporate website. It’s ongoing process where the situation changes from post to post. The goals of your community are very different than the prospective consumer visiting your website.
They aren’t there to buy. They go to your corporate website for that. Knowing why they are there and paying close attention to behaviors will enable you to dial up or down your activities to be effective. The benefit of social media is the ease of adjustment. With a few minor tweaks, you can change the interaction
