You can get results from Social Network Campaigns

There is a great firm out of Boston by the name of Molecular. I’ve been following their work since I started my first agency in 2001, and probably even before that. They’ve changed their focus a lot over the years, taking advantage of the tools of the web and becoming so much more than a ‘builder of websites’. One of their User Experience analysts, Evan Gerber wrote a great article for iMediaConnection about the steps that need to be taken if we are going to run successful campaigns on Social Media Networks, and if they are going to measure up to the ROI demands of our clients.

He said that there are 3 primary steps , which really follow the same pattern of any media campaign:

1. Determine what to measure
2. Take advantage of existing tools
3. Track how social networking impacts other channels

He summarized my feelings really well in a way I’d felt like I was having trouble getting thru to business owners or marketing executives who wanted a ‘MySpace’ page that was going to fix all their sales problems. Evan said:

“Social networking is more than just a profile page on Facebook. The power of the consumer's voice can be harnessed in multiple ways, to serve many goals. The information can be incredibly valuable to judge the value of content, track user opinion, and propagate a brand message.

But in order to demonstrate success, the savvy brand marketer will create a thorough metrics campaign to measure the effort. The first key step is to identify what success means, and then understand how it can be tracked successfully.

Take advantage of the tools provided by the networks that are out there, see how the brand is fairing, and what can be done to get involved with the conversation. Try to track how the social networking campaign impacts other channels. Even if the numbers are not rock solid, there can be definite trends.”

Take the time to read the full article. iMedia is always a great resource, and I depend on it a lot to help keep me up to date on new thoughts and strategies.

What else can we do as digital professionals to make sure that the newest tactics are palatable to our clients, or more importantly, to their bosses?