Budgeting tip
Make sure your social media budget is not just part of your marketing budget. It affects multiple, if not all, departments within your organization. Think of product development (see examples such as Lego's Design by Me and Lay's Patatje Joppie), customer service (T-Mobile vs. Youp van 't Hek; T-Mobile came out better by the way!) but also finances (rise of cloud software and sharing relevant experiences of fellow users).
What it can yield
Everyone is looking for concrete examples within the Dutch SME sector where social media has been used strategically, thoughtfully and with results. Here and there you hear, see and achieve small successes. Step by step we are getting closer to the discussion of whether and how social media contribute to the bottom line result. Jeremiah Owyang developed the 'Social Media ROI Pyramid' shown below:
In this pyramid, Owyang distinguishes three vertical levels and three horizontal elements: roles (roles functions) belize phone number list , metrics (measurement units) and specific data (elaboration of the units). Each role looks at the situation from a different perspective and wants different information about the results (ROI). Results such as a strengthening of brand loyalty, better customer service and an increase in customer loyalty are frequently mentioned aspects. A concrete increase in turnover or return is (still) difficult to demonstrate. But isn't that the case for every resource?
Indeed, nothing new under the sun
In a few years, we will simply see social media as one of the means to communicate with our target group. Because let's be honest; if someone told you ten years ago that you would answer an average of thirty e-mails per day today, what would you have said to that person? Exactly. Social media will also become normal and, like any other means, are not the holy grail. Am I a social media expert myself? No, that is not how I profile myself. And no, I do not have twenty concrete examples of achieved results. I share the knowledge and experience that I gather in daily practice with my network. But within the right perspective , because with your common sense you can still get very far. Don't see social media as something complex, but just get started, learn from your mistakes by doing it and look around you carefully to seize opportunities.
If you have any feedback in the form of tips, comments or examples, please let us know in a comment! With thanks to: @RobertDreher , @HellenMegens , @huibertbijland , @RobBruyn , @BenSalden , @jbuitendijk and my colleagues for feedback, discussion and inspiration!