Is there really an ROI with Social Media? I just don’t think my target market is using Social Media…
That was part of a conversation I had during a Web Assessment I was doing for a company. I was speaking with the owner of the company and his assistant. His assistant was all for using Social Media to expand their brand and engage people. But the owner did not feel the same way. He literally said “I have never tried it, but I really think our target market is not interested in Facebook and things like that… I just don’t think their is going to be any ROI with Social Media.”
At this point you might understand why I started to get a little frustrated. It wasn’t because I was trying to stand up for Social Media (Although, I will do that), it was because of the lack of business smarts I was hearing… You CANNOT base your marketing strategies based on what you “think” might be true. You have to know! Marketing shouldn’t be a guessing game and neither should your brand.
So if you are one of those owners that don’t see the value in Social Media and don’t think there is an ROI with Social Media, I have a few questions for you…
1. What is the ROI with the conversation you had with that prospect last week?
2. What is the ROI on the 500 mugs with your logo on them you ordered? Or how about those USB thumb drives you order in bulk to hand out, but sit in boxes on a shelf..
3. What is the ROI on those beyond boring staff meetings where all the employees would rather be doing something else?
4. What is the ROI on CC’ing everyone on the team those emails that don’t even pertain to them?
5. What is the ROI on those Networking meetings you have gone to every month for the past year?
6. What is the ROI on those pens that say your business name and phone number on them?
7. What is the ROI on not allowing your employees to use Social Media?
Would you like me to keep going? 🙂
You might think I am joking, but I am serious.. Really, what was the Return on Investment with the conversation you had with a prospect over dinner? Because basically that is Social Media… It’s a conversation you are having with prospects and current customers and clients. It’s about building a relationship with your target audience.
Now don’t get me wrong, I do believe you should see a return on your effort. I do believe you need to be strategic. I do believe you should reap results with Social Media… But it’s a different mindset. You cannot use Social Media with an old school marketing & selling mindset, you will turn people off. People are not using Facebook, Twitter or any other social platform just waiting to be sold to! They are wanting to communicate with friends, connect with classmates they don’t care about and maybe, just maybe connect with their favorite brands. But, we need to understand they are not connecting with brands to be sold to, they are connecting with a “what’s in it for me” mentality. Maybe they are wanting coupons & discounts to your product or service. Maybe they are wanting to be recognized by their favorite music artist or entertainer.
I say all of this to say…
I do believe there is an ROI with Social Media, but it is not always easy to measure. But let’s cover some of the benefits from using Social Media..
1. Engage your target audience in ways you never could before.
2. Monitor and manage your brand online.
3. Build loyalty with your clients and customers.
4. Drive traffic to your web site or desired site (but must be done strategically and not spammy!)
5. Be able to offer customer service to those who need it.
6. Get valuable market research on different products, niches, Industries and so on.
7. A free way to express your message in front of your target audience anytime you want without spending a dime!
8. Potential customers having a positive experience with your brand via Social Media.
I could keep going, but you get the idea. The point is, not only is there major benefits for Brands using Social Media… It’s pretty much a must! I recently had a lady tell me she was hesitant to get her agency on Social Media, because she didn’t know what to do if someone said something bad about their brand on there. I politely informed her, if someone is going to complain about her brand via Social Media, her not being on there wasn’t going to stop it. So it would be wise for her to be on there to strategically address any complaints.
So here is my question for you. Do you think there is a Return On Investment when it comes to Social Media? Let me know below! 🙂
Keep moving forward!
