Social Media: A Branding or Response Medium?

Social Media. Marketers are scrambling to include social media into their plans like the beloved Lemmings driving blindly to the sea. The motive for such ambition is clear -- social media appears to be "free". In fact, in a recent conversation with a marketing manager of a Wisconsin-based insurance company, the senior management is pushing for an extended use of social media simply for that reason.



In a recent study on social media and marketing, produced by MarketingSherpa.com, 48% of resondents indicated that they will be increasing their "spend" on social media this year. However, many saw two barriers to implementing this initiative. First there is a general lack of knowledge on how best to implement a solid social media strategy. The second is the inability to measure its impact and determine an ROI.



This latter issue raises an interesting question: should social media be considered a branding medium or a response medium? The difference being that traditional, branding media, like print advertising or outdoor, are "generally" considered useful for building brand or awareness. They don't typically lend themselves to clear and decisive measurements (although new techologies are changing that, too). On the other hand, response-oriented media such as web sites, email, internet search, direct mail, email and DRTV are highly measurable.



So it comes down to expectations. Should we expect an inmature medium such as social media to be highly measurable? Maybe not. The medium is so new and undeveloped that marketers may not be in a position to ascertain this yet. However, this will likely change as the medium evolves. For now, perhaps it is best to utilize it for branding and awareness. As better measurement techniques are developed, its utility will change.