The concept of actually “mastering” social media for marketing is virtually impossible, given how new this channel is to advertisers. Now, there are certainly advertisers and marketing companies who have implemented some savvy campaigns using social media, but I think it would be premature to call any of them “masters” or “experts”. The role of Social Media Marketing within a company’s online advertising strategy is new to all of us marketers. Therefore, it is difficult to claim “expert” status, even for agencies.
A more important measurement of evaluating a marketer’s knowledge of Social Media would be to determine the strategy of how they would tackle the project for your company or brand, along with their measurement for success. Since this marketing channel does not allow for a “one size fits all” model, crafting a unique and compelling strategy for each campaign launched in the channel is critical. Additionally, once you have determined where you will be going, it’s equally important to evaluate the success you have getting there. Social Media presents many challenges in ROI metrics and performance tracking, so uniqueness and creativity for ad campaigns is essential in tracking results.
In many regards, the thrust of Social Media onto every marketer’s radar screen this year is similar to that of Search Engine Optimization (SEO) in years past. Many people had heard it was crucial to optimize their website and perform SEO techniques when building a site, but there was very little education or understanding for how to do it. Just as MoreVisibility served as a resource for consulting and guidance ten years ago in that “new area” for business – this is the same role we take today for our clients on Social Media.
Do we proclaim to be “experts” on it? No. However, our understanding of crafting a solid and successful marketing campaign, that can be measured and tracked, has propelled us to the forefront of being a valuable resource for businesses looking to enter into Social Media.
For anyone searching for a Social Media Maven, they do exist within advertising agencies and outside of them. If you are realistic with what you are searching for when it comes to Social Media expertise, there is a pool (albeit limited) of talent to choose from. They may not be able to show off a complex portfolio of campaigns or case studies though … because for most, these are just being compiled given the recent main-stream corporate adoption of this marketing opportunity. A better approach in selecting professional guidance for your Social Media efforts would be to focus on the agency or consultants skills, such as:
- Approach to crafting a unique strategy
- Creative and custom design / development experience
- Ability to integrate promotions cross-platform (incorporating Social Media with your existing marketing efforts)
- Ideas for maintaining and managing channels, consistent with your company’s budget or abilities
- Suggestions on measurement and performance tracking
MoreVisibility offers several options for assisting companies to engage and participate within Social Media. Contact me to discuss what is best for your business!
