Measuring Social Media ROI in Real Life

The other day, someone impressed the heck out of me by doing something that few businesses do well: he asked how I heard about his company. This is an essential piece of the social media strategy puzzle, especially for brick-and-mortar businesses, and often a missing piece. When a retail client asks me how their social media strategy is doing, my response is usually, "Well, you tell me?" I can track and report from my end what kind of reach and engagement their posts are getting, but success for them is most often measured by an increase of foot traffic and physical sales. If businesses aren't asking customers where they are coming from, they will never know if their social media efforts are paying off.

"But won't that seem weird?" No one is going to be put off by being asked how they found you. (Well, there are always exceptions, but they are few and far between!) If someone is browsing your small retail store, a simple "Hey, welcome in! How did you hear about us?" can work wonders. Another thing to keep in mind is that you don't have to wait to ask them until you close a transaction. But if chatting them up is out of place, your point-of-sale system may give you a short survey option for them to fill out as they're checking out.

To make this process worthwhile, make it more than just anecdotal evidence. Create a way to track it systematically, whether it's a spreadsheet, a physical piece of paper, or a relationship management software.

If it's overwhelming for you or your staff to work this type of tracking into your everyday business routine, simplify it. Try it once a week or once a month. Something is better than nothing, so even an occasional snapshot will give you an idea of how effective your social media efforts are.

This post is an extension of a quote I gave to fellow Social Media Today contributor Steve Rayson for his post about social analytics. Kudos to Steve for getting my creative juices flowing on this topic.

As always, if you have questions on social media best practices, I'd love to hear them. Please get in touch via my website.

Social Media is About Interactions

My approach to social media is focused on social networking, not social marketing. Marketing and sales happen, but as a result of successful interaction and engagement with customers.

I watched the Pope's TED Talk yesterday and was struck by one key point he made: "each and everyone's existence is deeply tied to that of others: life is not time merely passing by, life is about interactions." The same can be said for how people use social media. The endless streams of posts are not merely flowing through our news feeds; they represent moments of connection, both actual and potential.

When someone posts on their social media accounts, they are, whether actively or passively, seeking a connection, whether with individuals or with brands. They are sharing a bit of themselves with the world, with the understanding that by doing so, they open themselves up to connections with others.

Capitalizing on this element of connection is what the most successful brands (and people) on social media are doing right. The brands with the least effective (and most cringeworthy) social media presence are either ignoring the power of these connections, or getting them completely wrong.

When customers and fans tag a brand in a post, they do so with the understanding, if not expectation, that the brand is listening and could potentially respond to them. Often, customers will turn to social media for customer service before interacting with a representative in person. Brand evangelists, as well as would-be influencers, engage with brand accounts in the hopes of elevating their own credibility and influence.

Whether social media user interactions are positive or negative, truly enthusiastic or self-serving, the best brands are listening and responding. Are you?

If your business needs help listening and connecting to your fans, customers and prospects on social media, please get in touch.

Happy Networking!

Lauren

Are You Missing Social Media Opportunities?

No one likes to be talked about behind their back. So, when it comes to social media, why are so many business owners okay with letting that happen? Here are four ways businesses miss opportunities to connect with their customers and prospects on social media, and what they should be doing instead:

1. Ignoring Yelp Reviews: "My Yelp reviews are almost all four or five stars. I don't need to respond to them, right?" I've heard this countless times from business owners who are only checking their Yelp listings once a month, or less. If someone was raving about you in person, you wouldn't ignore them, would you? Thanking someone for a rave review is a great way to keep them coming back to your business! Claiming your Yelp listing (another step many businesses miss) and monitoring reviews on a regular basis ensures that less positive reviews don't slip through the cracks. Responding to each review you receive, positive or negative, shows that you are responsive and on top of your customer service. This applies to other review sites as well, like Google and even Facebook.
2. Ignoring Facebook Interactions: From check-ins and messages to wall posts and even simple comments, some businesses just ignore interactions from people on Facebook. They do so at the risk of damaging their relationship with people leaving positive interactions, and further angering those with negative interactions. Negative feedback can also have a snowball effect, with others chiming in when you don't see or respond to the first interaction. Following up on each interaction instead ensures that you will maintain positive relationships with happy customers and that you will control the conversation around negative interactions.
3. Missing Twitter Mentions: Savvy Twitter users know that often the best way to reach out to an organization for customer service is by mentioning them in a tweet. A company that isn't monitoring their mentions closely risks the ire of people who can't get in touch with them. Instead, follow up on mentions with a response, like or retweet, and follow the user if appropriate. Following a user shows them that you care about what they have to say, and allows you to engage with them in the future, whether they're talking about your business or not. Creating a private list of users who have mentioned you in the past is another good way to keep track of customers for future outreach opportunities.
4. Missing Instagram Tags: Especially if a business has a physical address and a Facebook Page, there's a good chance people have tagged their location in Instagram photos. Businesses, or their representatives, should monitor photos tagged at their location and follow up on these posts by following the user, if appropriate, and liking and commenting on the post. This also applies to mentions and hashtags using the business's handle and name. Regramming and sharing these photos on other social social media channels is also a great source of content for you!

These missed opportunities on social media happen for a few reasons. Sometimes it's because businesses are afraid of negative interactions, or don't know how to respond in general. Sometimes it's because they see social media only as a sales tool, and not as an opportunity to connect with current and prospective fans and customers. Most often it's because the business owners and staff don't have time to keep up with their social media interactions. If any of these apply to you and your business, I can help. Please don't hesitate to get in touch.

Happy Networking!

Lauren

Your Business Needs a Social Media Checkup - Here are 5 Reasons Why

January is a great time to review your social media strategy and the content you’ve posted to make sure you’re on track. Review these items to stay on top of your social media presence in 2017.

1. Goals – Your business may have different goals now than it did last year, several years ago, or whenever you got started on social media. Whether you’re trying to generate walk-in business or to send people to your website, having clear goals in mind will help you establish an effective social media strategy.
2. Target Demographic – Is your target demographic the same now as it was when you started? Your target may have shifted, or your demographic’s favorite social network may have changed. You may need to add a new network like Instagram or Snapchat to make sure you are still reaching them.
3. Content Mix – You may have fallen into a pattern without realizing it, posting the same type of content (photos, links, plain text) or even the same wording all the time without realizing it. You may also be focusing too heavily on selling your business rather than developing a relationship with your customers and prospects. Reviewing your content mix will help you freshen up your content and generate new engagement from your audience.
4. Industry Trends – Monitoring trends like live video as they gain popularity and assessing whether they’re right for your business can help you make the most of your social media presence. But be careful not to jump on trends right away. I’ve found the best practice is to watch and learn from early adopters to see if the trend is a good fit and how you can best utilize it to your advantage.
5. Consistency – Review your post frequency to see if your social media activity is consistent. It’s a lot to keep up with! There may be long gaps between posts without you realizing it, if you’re not keeping track. If you’re having trouble keeping up, it may be time to bring in outside help. Consistency can also be an issue when it comes to voice and tone. If multiple people are contributing to your company’s social media presence, your audience may be confused by inconsistency in your brand’s voice.

My best wishes for the year ahead and if you have any questions or need any help with your social media presence, please contact me.