Marketing Insights and Analysis
An interesting conversation has been occurring on Twitter debating the measurability of social media. Social media advocates are arguing that social media offers measurement greater than most traditional marketing channels, while detractors claim everything including that social media is outright unmeasurable. Omniture recently announced the ability to measure Twitter, and I expect a syndicated provider such as IRI or Nielsen to announce a BuzzMetrics type of capability for Twitter anyday.
While people are debating the measurability (and viability) of social media, they’re glossing over the most important aspect of the conversation.
What are we measuring?
It’s been a week since Denny’s ran their Superbowl ad featuring a free meal and all information seems to indicate a successful effort. The message was perfectly aligned with the economy. In a time when people are being laid off by the hundreds of thousand, offer a free breakfast to everyone in the country.
Valentine’s Day is nearly on upon us, and several news journals and Twitters users have mentioned anectdotal observations suggesting online dating increased as the economy has decreased this past year. While I admire this optimism, something didn’t sound right. Dating is expensive, especially in the beginning when you first meet a person and are trying new places.
Twitter is a fascinating tool for an observing marketer. I’ve been using Twitter to share thoughts and ideas on the meaningful, as well as mundane micro-blogs about which beers I’ve been trying and dog parks I’ve visited. In my time on Twitter I have met many people on Twitter that I would have otherwise have never met, that share common interests and who have influenced my thinking or behaviors.
I’ve also been noticing quite a few of the “social media experts” on Twitter. In my experience, the majority are people with the agenda of promoting a product or company. Nearly all of them also promote the wonder of Twitter as a corporate promotion tool. None of these have influenced my behavior.
After an extended hiatus spent acclimating to a new job and relocating to Chicago, I am resuming my writings on my blog. I have a full slate of ideas to blog about, with friends and colleagues generating and additional list of topics.
Information is essential in generating good insights, but it cannot be a crutch in making decisions. The posts here are intended to explore and are not perfect, but that's part of the point.