How can one measure the 'Return on Investment' for Social Media?

The following short article will show how Social Media is one arm of the entire marketing channel of any business.

Many marketing companies have debated on the best ways to measure the ROI for Social Media. With the tremendous expansion in the world of more and more businesses implementing and using Social Media new 'jargon has emerged on the various social media platforms'. Terms such as 're-tweets, mentions, likes and shares' are unique to Social Media.

The question is how does one determine an ROI on things like 'social media community influence, engagement and conversation'? Its one thing generating many fans and followers, however its concrete proof of the ROI that people are looking for. If we cant find a way of measuring the ROI then businesses cant justify what to spend on Social Media marketing.

We feel the main problem is that RIO is a financial term. The good news is  that whether this is the best way to try and measure the success of social media really doesnt matter! At the end of the day ROI is the measure for success of the business. Social Media is one marketing sector that plays its roll amongst many other aspects to boost the overall ROI of any business.

An interesting and very valid point is that your Social Media expenses can be compared to what an average business would spend on Google Adwords or PPC advertising. A simple measurement can be taken here, such as the cost per click, cost per impression, cost per conversion and all the internet traffic generated to your website. When doing this you will have something concrete that justifies a marketing budget.

When reviewing your social media insights you will see an exact measurement of engagement and clicks on 'like per post' on Facebook or 're-tweets and mentions' on Twitter. Monitoring the success of these is directly comparable to what you would have to spend on Google Adwords / PPC.

At Sapphire Dawn, we print monthly Insights Reports from Facebook Business Page Insights. This tell us how often people are engaging and what type of content is performing. We also have our clients registered on Google Analytics. Once you have a clear understanding of the above dynamics, it is much easier to measure costs and ROI when conversions are directly resulting from social media.

A common question is 'will Social Media result in more sales for my business?' There is a clear misunderstanding here as Social Media is a platform to develop connections in the company's target market and to generate leads! It is the duty of the company's sales team to convert leads to sales and therefore expectations have to be aligned accordingly.

To put it clearly Social Media generates soft leads, the conversion of sale will depend on proactive actions from the Sales team to call, email or visit/meet with, once the lead is successfully generated and passed on. To summarise, Social Media is 'one line item' on the budget of many marketing channels. Its up to the company to understand its role and integrate this into the overall marketing plan of the company. To exclude Social Media simply means a 'missing link' in the marketing division of any business that wishes to grow and utilise all effective channels when pursuing company objectives and growth.

Our advice? Happy Tweeting and Posting :-)

Harness the Power of your Employees, and may the force be with you!

A long time away in a galaxy far far away...united members of a team set out on a mission for online marketing success. Along the way they met a wise being called Yoda, he empowered them with skills and words of wisdom and left them with the following notes!

Mission of success according to Yoda

Have you LEVERAGED your biggest Brand Advocates? These are your employees! With their combined professional networks of clients, colleagues and friends it is ESSENTIAL to get them on board, supporting and being involved in your Social Media. This is the 1st step in developing a solid follower base!

On way too many occasions I have sat in consultation with clients and taken the time at length to explain this. It seems to be 'they understand the concept' but time and time again fail to implement my advice. Quite despairing to say the least!

As with all marketing techniques from SEO to Advertising Campaigns there are guidelines and essentials that need to be implemented for success. When it comes to Social Media marketing, your first foot hold up the ladder to success is 'getting your employees' on board. Here are some basic tips :

Linkedin

• Are your Employees following your Linkedin Company Page? (am hoping the answer is yes!)

• Has each employee updated their personal profile to reflect the company's current website, location and contact details? The galaxy is a big place and we want people to be able to find us.

• Where the company is mentioned on their Linkedin Personal Account, does it have a clickable link through to the Linkedin Company Page? It should! Please ask us to help you with this if its needed by simply clicking here Email Scottie at Mother Ship

Facebook
The same principles apply here as to Linkedin. Encourage your employees to like your Facebook Business Page. It goes without saying that the continued success of the very company they work for, is and should be in their interest. It takes team work to jointly care and support 'the mother ship' ;-)

• Be sure to ask each employee to select 'The Facebook Business Page' where they fill in their employment on Facebook so that it becomes a click through link to the page

• An occasional 'like' on the company's content posts will assist your content going viral. I sometimes feel that people dont realise how valuable their active participation can be. If they knew and understand the value they would be more prepared to engage.

• Check in's! One of the least known and most highly effective marketing tools! If your business has a geographical location, ask your employees to use their smart phones to 'check in' This is super quick-takes a couple of seconds to do and results in sharing the Business Page link to possibly 100's or 1000's of people out there in the galaxy.

Twitter

• Ask employees to follow their Company back (support the 'Mother Ship'!)

• Encourage them to re-tweet the company's tweets-assisting the post and content going viral online

Building success when it comes to all round marketing requires team effort. Wishing you success in promoting the Mother Ship and...may the force (of Social Media) be with each of you always ;-)

GUIDELINES FOR A PROFESSIONAL LINKEDIN COMPANY PAGE

Drive business results thought leadership and amplify your brand!

With a membership of over 200 million users globally, Linkedin has become one of the top social networks to be part of. Research tells us that out of all Social Media networks, Linkedin's members consist mostly of influential professionals. Are you show-casing your company professionally on this powerful network?Here are some great guidelines to help leverage the marketing potential of Linkedin's powerful network.


Establish your Brand by setting up a professional Linkedin Company Page
This will be the 1^stimpression of your business when visitors and potential clients find your company on Linkedin so it is vital to ensure it is as visually appealing and as comprehensive as possible.

• Upload professional branded graphics and logo's
  
• Include a compelling biography /company description
  
• Feature your products and services
  
• Add relevant url links
  
• Upload YouTube video if these are available

Develop your Company Page Following
How do you leverage your existing networks to connect back to your company page?

• Add the Linkedin Company Page icon to your Website
  
• Include your Linkedin Company Page link on your email signature and that of all your employees

• Leverage the networks of your employees on Linkedin by getting them to add the company page link to their own Linkedin Personal accounts and also to follow your newly set up Linkedin Company Page

Activate your Marketing
Once set up and a following has been generated, your Linkedin Company page is far from complete. The next step is marketing implementation whereby you will post a flow of interesting content to the page to begin to broaden your network and attract a higher following. Here are some great tips :

• Post content that is relevant to your industry
  
• Include visual images when posting to make it more attention grabbing
  
• Add links 'to your Website or Blog' in order to drive traffic to your own sites. Be aware that sharing links to other sites will drive traffic to those.
  
• Include questions now and then to start conversations
  
• Use CTA's (call to action) by asking readers to like or share your posts
  
• Optimal posts are mainly during office hours
  
• Post a maximum of once a day
  
• Ask your employees to like or share your weekly posts to assist in them going viral

Linkedin Company Endorsements
Endorsements work very much like that of a good testimonial. Each one received will speak to new potential customers boosting their confidence in the services that you offer. Not only that, but each time an endorsement is received it will be visible to the connections of the person giving the endorsement-very good free advertising! Endorsements of your company's products and services therefore amplifies your company page across Linkedin.

Any questions? Please do not hesitate to contact me-am only an email away Click Here to Email

Should you use your Facebook Personal Account for Business?

Although business networking and posts should mainly be conducted via your Professional Company Page on Facebook, there are opportunities for networking and referrals via your personal Facebook Account.

Facebook, as well as other online social networking sites, allow people to share valuable information with their network which may be composed of personal relationships or professional relationships. Due to Facebook having a high level of traffic and your network most certainly visiting this site on a frequent basis, you would be missing out if you didn’t include it in your online marketing strategy.

Here are some great tips to enhance your personal Facebook account for Business Networking :

• Uploading your Graphic Image

It is important to upload a good-quality photograph so that people can see what you look like. The result is they will be able to relate to you more easily which could encourage them to be more inclined to do business with you. Also include a good cover photo as this will add colour and character to your profile.

• Write a Good Biography

You need a biography that describes who you are and what you are doing in a compelling manner. Remember that you have very little time to capture the attention of your readers. Your friends will read this and hopefully know to refer 'market related business to you' so it is important that your business details are included.

• Add Interesting Content

It is acceptable to mix some personal and professional details on your Facebook profile. You need to make sure that you seem human so that your readers feel that they can relate to you on a personal level. Facebook provides you with a golden opportunity to share information about your business and about you as you relate to your business. By taking advantage of this, you will be positioning yourself as an industry leader and a subject matter expert. Be sure to include your company website and business location and to make this publicly visible not hidden by security settings.

• Add a Clickable Link on your Personal Account to your Facebook Business Page

After setting up a separate professionally branded Company Page, be sure to select this page from the drop down list when typing in and adding your work information. Visitors to your Personal Facebook Profile will therefore have immediate access to your Company Page. This will assist in building your fan base likes.

• Networking

Facebook is an excellent social media channel for networking. You should network as much as possible with people who share your professional interests and goals. When sharing professional relationships through Facebook remember to always consider the needs of your connections. As with all online connections its important to acknowledge and engage with them according to their interests. Avoid direct selling and discuss topics that are of interest to them.

To conclude, if you ask yourself whether your personal account on Facebook is good for business, the answer is definitely yes! Facebook in general, business pages and personal accounts combined will prove to be a good marketing tool that will make a large contribution to the ultimate success of your business.

For any questions please email me by clicking HERE and I will be happy to advise or assist :-)

HOW TO RESPOND TO A NEGATIVE COMMENT ON SOCIAL MEDIA SITES

Due to the competitive nature of business, companies place an important emphasis on delivering good customer service. Putting one’s best foot forward will ensure good feedback from customers,however there may well be an occasion where a complaint is made on one of your social media sites. Please note this is rare, but the point is it can happen.

The question is can we avoid this and if not, how do we deal with this if and when it happens? One needs to be aware that people come in all shapes and sizes, with different levels of maturity, professionalism and tact.There is also truth is saying, since their complaint would be public, people could use this fact as leverage to grab the attention of the company.

In my experience,people don’t tend to complain on social media sites first. The norm is they resort to that if they have not had their problems addressed when previously calling or emailing the company. Hence it is vital that each business has a water-tight system in place to deal with any possible complaints in the most effective and timeous way.

So what do you do when you meet up with such a person on a social networking site? First of all, the golden rule is never to ignore someone who is complaining. Their complaint has to be attended to and acknowledged quickly and promptly.

Secondly, if you respond with equal negativity to negative comments, you risk being viewed as unprofessional. It is vital to maintain a high level of professionalism when you respond, so the best advice is not to react instantly. This will avoid your response being emotionally based and not thought-out. If you are a small business owner, remember that anything you "say" on the social web is a reflection of your brand and your reputation.

Good advice is to acknowledge their complaint, apologise, and simply ask for their contact details, promising them that they will be contacted right away. It is then vital that there is immediate follow-through done by phone or email to prevent further negative remarks.

Less serious negative comments, are best replied to politely with a positive angle. Be sure that to fuel a heated debate in public or show visible irritation by their comments. Hold yourself back! Run round the block or beat the pillow on the couch first-then reply as politely as possible with a positive angle!

In the rare situation, where the person is abusive they can be removed and blocked from having further access to your social media sites. This should be done only in extreme cases. It is up to your social media management team to use their discretion and if necessary this measure should be applied.

In closing Social Media is a valuable tool to use in building your reputation in a positive manner. Please remember dealing with a negative comment is a rare occurrence. I am hoping the tips above will be of help in building good customer relationships online and offline.

Blogging with Success!

We most certainly have reached a new age in our world due to the tremendous growth of internet users and modern technology. Research tells us that the number of people reading blogs is growing and not only that-it is influencing purchasing decisions amongst consumers. This creates a great opportunity for businesses as they can write about their products and services and successfully reach large numbers of readers. Today's question is no longer 'should you have a blog?' it is more 'how often should you be posting to your blog?'

Here are some ways that Blogging can assist your business :

• Blogging can assist you to build your list of contacts in your target market through people subscribing to your blog
• Your list of readers could become clients
• Can establish you as a thought leader in your industry
• Expands your online presence
• Makes your website more interesting as there is a flow of new information
• Increases internet traffic to your website as blogging is a constant flow of new keywords onto your website. 
   

Besides being creative with articles and providing news, Search Engine Optimisation is the biggest advantage by far of having a Business Blog. Here are some tips to maximise SEO on your blog articles :

• Page Titles : these are very important and can help you rank higher if worded with the correct keywords. Try to keep the Title short, relevant and keyword rich
• Don't forget to add in your location if your products and services are dependant on a certain geographical area
• Use relevant keywords throughout the body of your blog article.
• Don't forget to add in the post tags onto the article in the backend of your blog
• Use hyperlinks when adding in your contact email address to that you are easily contactable
• Use links within your blog article to specific pages on your website!

On a final note, remember to add a good visual to your article-this just enhances the general appearance and makes it more appealing. Add in our social media sharing buttons to each article as this assists readers to share your content with their contacts. In closing, allow for public comments as this will boost engagement with consumers.

Enjoy the journey....and get blogging for search engine success!

What tasks should I allocate per day on Social Media?

Social Media sites seem to be mushrooming up everywhere and their popularity seems to be ever growing. The key is content! Social media only works if there is a consistent flow of information to the sites-this we all know! Marketers seem to be more and more confused as to how much time and what to do on the various Social Media platforms.

It's our suggestion that you focus on between 3 and 5 key social media sites. Once you have these set up for you professionally and they are beautifully branded-then its time for lift-off! Spending a huge amount of time on these sites daily, however can be unproductive. It's so important to have a clear strategy set in place and to stick to it!

Here are some basic guidelines to what a good day on social media, covering the minimum essential and required work, should look like :

Twitter

• Pop in and visit twice a day!
• Tweet valuable content. It is of great benefit to be informative and seen as a valuable resource to your followers.
• ReTweet your Target Market to capture their attention
• Check your messages-dont risk being seen as impolite-answer and respond to those who took the time to talk to you.

Facebook

• Post your content (1-2 times daily)
• Photos, Video's and Informative Links always perform the best!
• Content can be playful and humour is welcomed. Dont hide who you are-it will be to your advantage to add a little personality. Stick to the rules though-good manners and good language.
• Respond and answer any comments on your posts.
• Engage with your Target Market by liking their posts and commenting.

Linkedin

• Ah..a little more serious! Share your professional content here!
• Good tip : Share the content to your Company Page-and then share it across from there to your personal profile-hence always linking back to your business ;-)
• Got PDF's? Linkedin accepts these on all Company Pages so post those there!
• Golden Rule : check your messages and respond!
• Found any spam?? Delete those!

Pinterest

• Post photos and images with the link to your Website to your Pin Board.
• Comment and thank those who have re-pinned your pics!
• Build relationships by re-pinning pics from your Target Market's boards.

Google+

• Dont neglect this site. Although it needs less management. Post Links, Video's and Informative content to the Company Page. Check your settings and make sure the right circles have access to your post visibility.

The general idea is to work smarter and not harder. Dont feel overwhelmed, stick to a clear strategy and time allocation for Social Media each day.

Twitter : The Value of Tweeting

Twitter is a way for people to connect with their interests. Besides the important networking function, many Twitter  users worldwide simply use Twitter as a curated news feed of updates that reflect their passions.

Here are some great examples of how people value this great Social Media site :

•  Gary Lineker (@GaryLineker): I use Twitter for the knowledge, the news, the humour, the sport, the ability to eavesdrop on the great and the good, and above all, for the nonsense.
• Fearne Cotton (@FearneCotton): Twitter is my brain spilled out in text, mates I don’t know, a great way of spying on people I love & a wonderful form of procrastination. 
• Vincent Kompany (@VincentKompany): Tweet and you shall be heard.. Tweet loud enough and you will move mountains... 
• Jameela Jamil (@JameelaJamil): Twitter gave me the voice that helped me break out of my pigeon hole. It also opened my eyes to how funny/troubled/scary people truly are 
• Richard Branson (@Richardbranson): To me, Twitter means a way to communicate with people in real-time, highlight good causes and - above all – have fun! 
• Sarah Millican (@Sarahmillican75): It's always there. A link to the world. To tell me which celebs have died or show me a video of a monkey on a pig. Friends & fans alike. 
• Tinie Tempah (@TinieTempah): Twitter is a way I express myself to everyone who supports me & my music. It's every kind of News. It's pointless & precious information 
• Gabby Logan (@Gabby_Logan): A conversation shop that never shuts. Virtual friends I will never meet & real friends I don’t see enough. Makes you think. 
• Richard Hammond (@richardhammond): On TV I can talk to millions at once but on Twitter I can talk to them one at a time. It's fascinating, infuriating, joyful and ridiculous

Generally speaking, social media networks us into a worldwide community, making the world a smaller place. It's a tool linking us together to hear each other's voices, experience news, products and services. On the whole a powerful marketing tool waiting to be discovered!

THE MAGIC AND THE POWER OF THE FACEBOOK 'LIKE' BUTTON

The effectiveness of the Facebook 'Like' button is not clearly understood by many. Facebook has a unique mechanism built into its operating system. Simply clicking on the 'Like' button generates tremendous exposure for the post that is clicked on.

In simple terms, if you click 'Like' on one of our 'Sapphire Dawn' posts the result will be the following:

Our Post then appears automatically on the Newsfeed (Home Page of Facebook) of ALL the people on your friend list who are online during the next few hours.

This is how any post can go viral :-)

Say for example, one of your Facebook fans clicks 'Like' on your Business Post. This person may have 100 friends. The result is that all 100 friends of this fan who are online over the next few hours will see your Business post on their Facebook Home Page.

If in turn a second person clicks 'Like' on the same post then all the friends on their friend list get exposure to the post on the Facebook Home Page. Basically, a simple click with the mouse is powerful stuff! Clicking 'Like' is an advertising tool and it is very effective.

If you are a Business owner, bear in mind that your click is effective support for your Business. The same goes for clicking on 'the posts of your colleagues' or 'the posts of businesses owned by your friends'. Mutual support goes along way in social media and will be appreciated by the Business owners who are your friends and therefore is a good tool to use when nurturing and building relationships on social media.

Want to get the word out there and spread the news of your Business? Use that powerful click from now on!