=LIFT(Social, 2015): Nate Elliott

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Social media is biggerthan ever before.




But marketers stillhave significant challenges.


Social marketers have two main challenges: Measurement and technology

How to Defeat the Challenges of Social MarketingNate Elliott, Vice President and Principal Analyst

October 22, 2015


Today’s Agenda

› Defeating challenge 1: Technology› Defeating challenge 2: Measurement


Today’s Agenda



Most social challenges can be solved by the right technology partner


Too many social marketerschoose the wrong partner.


Social marketers don’t love their vendors

Base: 56 MarketersSource: Q1 2014 Social Marketing Online Survey


That’s one reason they’re enthralled by the promise of social suites


Even the best social suites force marketers to use substandard tools


But social suites offer more problems than solutions› Even the best social suites force marketers to use substandard tools

› Integrated social suites remain an empty promise

• Vendors’ integration plans rarely succeed

• Social tools don’t benefit from deep integration anyway


That’s why clients of social suites are much less satisfied


Today’s Agenda



Social Marketers Say Measurement Is By Far Their Biggest Challenge


Marketers Accept Almost Any Metric


But Social Engagement Metrics Can’t Prove Success›No one has ever proven a correlation between social engagement and business value.

›Even Facebook now admits that engagement is “not a reliable indicator.”


Bad measurement leads to bad outcomes1. Your programs won’t get the financial, technical, and human resources they need.

2. Without reliable measurement, you can’t effectively optimize your programs.


Senior Marketers Don’t Believe The Flimsy Metrics Social Marketers Give Them


As Cox learned, optimizing based on engagement data doesn’t work› The telecom giant optimized its Facebook ads based on engagement data.› This led them to reduce the number of image ads they ran.› Later analysis found that image-based ads actually drove more conversions than other ad types.› The lesson: Optimizing to the wrong metrics creates failure, not success.


We must measure social programs on the outcomes they create.


Measure Social Based On Where Programs Fit In The Customer Life Cycle


Measure Social Based On Where Programs Fit In The Customer Life Cycle1. Measure social reach marketing by its ability to drive exploration.


Italian fashion brand Kocca tracked how word of mouth drove users to its site›Key success metrics showed people exploring products in more detail.

› 985% increase in unique visitors to its German site in just one month.



2. Measure social depth marketing by its ability to generate sales.


PGA Tour Superstore tracked how its social gift guide increased conversions

›Measured the on-site social tool drove sales.

›Gift guide visitors converted 40% more often than shoppers who didn't visit the gift guide.



2. Measure social depth marketing by its ability to generate sales.

3. Measure social relationship marketing by its ability to foster loyalty.


B2B technology vendor Analog Devices tracked whether community drove loyalty

›Most important metric was customer loyalty.

› 76% of community members say they’re more likely to buy from Aanlog Devices again because of this resource.


Recommendations›Find, and use, the right technology partners.

• If you don’t use your vendors, they can’t help you.• Buy social point solutions, not social suites.

›Find metrics that drive your business (and make your boss happy).• Bad measurement leads to bad outcomes.• Measure using the customer life cycle.

forrester.com

Thank you

Nate [email protected]