Comments on: Social Media Measurement: Where Are We Going? http://www.communicationammo.com/uncategorized/social-media-measurement-where-are-we-going/ We help people and organizations make their communications more effective and measure the results. Sat, 07 Jan 2012 16:09:48 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Sean http://www.communicationammo.com/uncategorized/social-media-measurement-where-are-we-going/comment-page-1/#comment-859 Sean Thu, 05 Aug 2010 18:21:19 +0000 http://www.communicationammo.com/?p=599#comment-859 Kelly -- thanks for stopping by. Agreed, we need to think about all the various inputs to the communication mix, but I'm wary of trying to claim credit absent the statistical modeling that parses various inputs out. The old saw is that when sales are down, PR gets the blame. When sales are up, it's brilliant sales management, expert marketing and salesforce execution, not great PR. The mix modeling can help address that -- though the sales leadership doesn't want to think that PR had anything to do with success. Many times we're better off with the outtake measurement (communication objectives that speak to extrapolating our outputs toward outcomes without necessarily taking credit for those outcomes), especially if the measurement strategy is well-informed from business objectives and a participative exercise among the stakeholders. ;-) thanks again, Kelly! Sean Kelly — thanks for stopping by. Agreed, we need to think about all the various inputs to the communication mix, but I’m wary of trying to claim credit absent the statistical modeling that parses various inputs out. The old saw is that when sales are down, PR gets the blame. When sales are up, it’s brilliant sales management, expert marketing and salesforce execution, not great PR. The mix modeling can help address that — though the sales leadership doesn’t want to think that PR had anything to do with success.

Many times we’re better off with the outtake measurement (communication objectives that speak to extrapolating our outputs toward outcomes without necessarily taking credit for those outcomes), especially if the measurement strategy is well-informed from business objectives and a participative exercise among the stakeholders.

;-)

thanks again, Kelly!
Sean

]]> By: Kelly Rusk http://www.communicationammo.com/uncategorized/social-media-measurement-where-are-we-going/comment-page-1/#comment-858 Kelly Rusk Thu, 05 Aug 2010 18:15:46 +0000 http://www.communicationammo.com/?p=599#comment-858 Having knowledge from both a PR measurement and marketing measurement perspective can be the perfect mix for effective social media measurement. I like to think that tying social media activity into some sort of sales funnel (i.e. increased web visits-> leads/conversions) can show good ROI and at least satisfy the C-suite skeptic who doesn't understand the impact of reputation and the importance of metrics like prominence and tonality, So while that will get buy-in, you can then focus on long-term goals like awareness and reputation management (which, I believe at least, do at some point lead to an ultimate outcome of sales). In the end, everyone wins. Unless of course your strategy is not resulting in improving either.. In which case at least you know from measuring it, right? Having knowledge from both a PR measurement and marketing measurement perspective can be the perfect mix for effective social media measurement. I like to think that tying social media activity into some sort of sales funnel (i.e. increased web visits-> leads/conversions) can show good ROI and at least satisfy the C-suite skeptic who doesn’t understand the impact of reputation and the importance of metrics like prominence and tonality,

So while that will get buy-in, you can then focus on long-term goals like awareness and reputation management (which, I believe at least, do at some point lead to an ultimate outcome of sales). In the end, everyone wins. Unless of course your strategy is not resulting in improving either.. In which case at least you know from measuring it, right?

]]> By: Sean http://www.communicationammo.com/uncategorized/social-media-measurement-where-are-we-going/comment-page-1/#comment-857 Sean Thu, 05 Aug 2010 17:56:10 +0000 http://www.communicationammo.com/?p=599#comment-857 Lauren! Thanks for your comment. We should be helping to connect the dots -- and I'll agree that the brand impact is critical, especially if we widen the definition of brand. Brand is still too often restrictive to marketing -- but the reputation aspects of communication work depend on the various brand characteristics and inputs. Thanks again for your kind participation! Cheers. Sean @commammo Lauren! Thanks for your comment. We should be helping to connect the dots — and I’ll agree that the brand impact is critical, especially if we widen the definition of brand. Brand is still too often restrictive to marketing — but the reputation aspects of communication work depend on the various brand characteristics and inputs.

Thanks again for your kind participation!
Cheers.
Sean
@commammo

]]> By: Lauren Fernandez http://www.communicationammo.com/uncategorized/social-media-measurement-where-are-we-going/comment-page-1/#comment-856 Lauren Fernandez Thu, 05 Aug 2010 15:39:40 +0000 http://www.communicationammo.com/?p=599#comment-856 I think you're right that outcomes are where brands need to focus. It really will come down to education before execution, though. I think we are seeing many focus on how many positive mentions they receive, rather than also focusing on what it means to their overarching strategy. Impressions are two-fold - where it's being shared and the type of audience its being shared to. Brand recognition will also weigh heavily on what brand ambassadors are saying about you. It's all how you position your brand, where you are building and HOW you are doing it. Interesting post that sparked a lot of thought. Lauren Fernandez Community Manager, Radian6 @cubanalaf I think you’re right that outcomes are where brands need to focus. It really will come down to education before execution, though. I think we are seeing many focus on how many positive mentions they receive, rather than also focusing on what it means to their overarching strategy.

Impressions are two-fold – where it’s being shared and the type of audience its being shared to. Brand recognition will also weigh heavily on what brand ambassadors are saying about you. It’s all how you position your brand, where you are building and HOW you are doing it.

Interesting post that sparked a lot of thought.

Lauren Fernandez
Community Manager, Radian6
@cubanalaf

]]> By: Sean Williams http://www.communicationammo.com/uncategorized/social-media-measurement-where-are-we-going/comment-page-1/#comment-851 Sean Williams Tue, 03 Aug 2010 19:05:15 +0000 http://www.communicationammo.com/?p=599#comment-851 Hey Sheldon - thanks for inaugurating the comments on this post. Two things stand out: "The more people see positive things around your brand the more inclined they might be to thinking positively about you. " The "inclined they might be to thinking" is the problematic part as regards measurement. This is where frequency and consistency are so important. No exec thinks that one ad in a magazine is going to drive sales right away. they know that building awareness takes time. They do not, however, have the same thought about PR in general, nor social media. For some reason if it's online, they think the effect should be immediate. Or, they see no connection between the online piece and any outcome (the WSJ still carries a lot of weight that online doesnt) If we're building corporate reputation, we need to know how effective each input is, which is a justification speaking point, btw. Research can do that; back of the envelope cannot. Thanks again for commenting! Sean Hey Sheldon – thanks for inaugurating the comments on this post.

Two things stand out: “The more people see positive things around your brand the more inclined they might be to thinking positively about you. ”

The “inclined they might be to thinking” is the problematic part as regards measurement. This is where frequency and consistency are so important. No exec thinks that one ad in a magazine is going to drive sales right away. they know that building awareness takes time. They do not, however, have the same thought about PR in general, nor social media. For some reason if it’s online, they think the effect should be immediate.

Or, they see no connection between the online piece and any outcome (the WSJ still carries a lot of weight that online doesnt)

If we’re building corporate reputation, we need to know how effective each input is, which is a justification speaking point, btw. Research can do that; back of the envelope cannot.

Thanks again for commenting!
Sean

]]> By: 40deuce http://www.communicationammo.com/uncategorized/social-media-measurement-where-are-we-going/comment-page-1/#comment-850 40deuce Tue, 03 Aug 2010 17:16:30 +0000 http://www.communicationammo.com/?p=599#comment-850 Good post. I think that the more positive mentions around your brand can never be a bad thing. The more people see positive things around your brand the more inclined they might be to thinking positively about you. Whether that translates into an actual sale is a different story, but having a positive attitude towards a company can definitely help in the consumer decision process. Cheers, Sheldon, community manager for Sysomos Good post.
I think that the more positive mentions around your brand can never be a bad thing. The more people see positive things around your brand the more inclined they might be to thinking positively about you. Whether that translates into an actual sale is a different story, but having a positive attitude towards a company can definitely help in the consumer decision process.

Cheers,

Sheldon, community manager for Sysomos

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