I was reading a post on Mashable about the 6 New & Innovative Social Media Campaigns to Learn From by Erica Swallow and realized that the world of marketing and communication is still lost. We have not moved past the world of likes, comments, and fans being used as success metrics.
I’m concerned. We (the industry) are continuing to praise the success of social media as a growth in people… whether fans or likes. We are continuing to judge success with metrics from the 70s and 80s. Does it make much sense to judge a new technology on metrics used for billboards and radio ads?
Are they empty praises and promises… or actually something of value?
I’m not pointing fingers. I’ve said the same thing… over and over again. I’m right there… in the mix.
How do we move past this ridiculous notion that spending thousands of dollars on a video campaign that received 20,000 views or growing the fan base of a Facebook account actually is of true value to a campaign?
The question isn’t how do we build new ways to explain an increase in brand awareness but what do you do with that increase. How do you measure true success (whether sales or donations) after the initial onslaught of fans and likes?
How do you truly add value to social media campaigns?
Juan O
If our neighbors do not know what we are up to… is our campaign working effectively?
I think we get so caught up with our social media toys that we forget the real reason why we develop these campaigns: to get the word out in the real world about something.
Instead of spending hours on end trying to get people to like our posts, or follow us on Twitter; why don't we divide the time in working online AND going out to get our communities involved in whatever we are preaching?
To me, the approval (or disapproval) of those you shop, play poker, or have drinks with us, is what adds (or takes away) value to your social media campaign.
Karen
Agreed.
Social Media is just one aspect of an integrated campaign. Compartmentalizing a YouTube video, FB page, ad or a press release, etc. with the hopes that it alone will lead a campaign is really the issue that organizations have. Strategy should be a multi-departmental effort from which not one "hero" is set apart and measured separately.
The question of returns should be "How did this campaign forward our organization (services, mission, products, etc.)?" and the answer should begin with a baseline and end with current status.
currencywidget
Looking back it has occurred to me that interracial couples were much less common in the 80′s than they are now. But, at the time, it didn’t even occur to me that anything was out of the ordinary. I guess it just didn’t matter – cause it doesn’t.
Russell Allert
I have to agree with your thoughts on this, Kyle.
I work in social media and the whole industry is still mired in old marketing techniques and thought processes (It doesn't help that I am part of the marketing department where I work).
Most of the major brands (and most commentators) are touting these online ads as social media campaigns when they are no more than interactive ads that happen to be online.
What does it really matter if you get 250,000 views on YouTube when a week later no-one cares for your brand any more than they did before the campaign started.
I am not saying that there is no need for these campaigns, but can we please call them what they are: online ads, and NOT social media campaigns.
Social media is there to engage people, make people believe in your brand and your mission, and become true fan(atics) of your business, cause or mission.
Thanks for the post – I am glad there are others out there that have similar thoughts.
@RussellAllert
When will Social Media Move out of the 80’s | Scot Duke
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