7 Steps to Measuring Your Brand’s Social Media Health

Written By: Maria Ogneva
Mashable

Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should measure everything. Social media is very easily measured with various indicators like share of voice, reach, retweets, and comments. However, measuring without a clear objective in mind won’t bring you closer to success.

Nowadays, its not enough to have and execute a social media policy. You need to be able to gauge its success, measure it, and see that it remains healthy and vibrant.

Having already written about the differences between “monitoring” and “measuring” and how to properly conduct the former. Now, we turn to some best practices to help you measure your brand’s overall social media health, as well as the effectiveness of your various online initiatives.


Read on for the seven steps to getting the most out of your social media measurements.

1. Have a Goal

In order to properly measure your social media efforts, you need to know why you are engaging in social media in the first place. This objective will dictate not only what you do, but also how you measure what you do. Let’s take a look at some objectives and the corresponding metrics you’ll measure for each.

• If your goal is driving awareness, you will be looking at metrics like share of voice, reach, readership and engagement with content (measured in action vs. views).

• If you need to increase satisfaction through better support, you need to look at sentiment, satisfaction rates in surveys, speed of resolution and percent of queries resolved.

• If creating better products and doing market research is a goal, you need to focus on top market trends and satisfaction with various competitive products.

• If developing customer advocacy is a goal, you should be looking at who your advocates are, measuring their influence and reach and their engagement with your product and content.

All or none of the above could apply to your particular objective. It’s important to be specific about your purpose and to measure towards that end.

2. Get Your Departments on the Same Page

Social media is not a silo. You need to set up your organization for success by better aligning necessary departments to work as units towards a common goal. Understand what goals are important for each department, and set them up for success with strategies and metrics that make sense.

You will need to establish a process by which your departments can communicate and share the right metrics with the right people on demand. Will you create a dashboard that’s easily visible by every department or simply send email recaps? Will they be customized to match the interests of each department?
Can you export raw data and easily share charts and graphs?

3. Always Consider Context

Metrics without context are meaningless. If you know your share of social media conversation is 35%, what does that mean compared to your competitors’ shares or their change over time? Always look at metrics over time and inside of a competitive landscape.

4. Select Your Platform Wisely

Just like with monitoring, selecting the right tool for the job is the next step after figuring out your strategy. Here are some aspects you should consider when selecting a platform:

• Data – Which data do you need? Which channels are you going to measure?

• Reports – Identify how you want to share and present information. If you are going for a premium tool you should definitely be receiving embeddable and emailable charts and downloadable raw data. You can even automate delivery of reports and dashboards via email.

• Actionable insights – There’s a big difference between data and insights. Don’t forget the importance of an analyst within your organization, even if it’s a part-time effort of your social media specialist.

• Budget – Do you have a budget or can you only afford a free tool? Keep in mind that cheaper tools can sometimes be harder to use or come with less features. “Free” may cost you more time in the long run.

• Ease of use – If you have limited resources, your platform must be easy to use and allow you to get your job done quickly. Consider productivity-boosting alerts and workflow modules, automation and advanced analytics.

5. Conduct a Full Social Media Audit

Now that you have selected your platform, start by conducting a full social media “audit” with the specific metrics you are measuring. Note where you and your competitors are today and use this as a baseline against which you will measure at least once a month.

Conducting a social media audit can also help you monitor the current share of conversation of various players and channels. Through this process you can find where to listen for service issues and where you should be building relationships with thought leaders and influencers.

6. Dig Deeper in Your Channels

Start by measuring volume of conversation in aggregate, across all channels. You should also evaluate performance by channel, for yourself and for your competitors, to find which sections are performing well and to help give your numbers specific context.

A surface look at metric like share of voice, buzz and sentiment allows you to understand what’s happening during an identified period of time. However, to get the most out of your social media analysis, you need to dig deeper. If you discover a spike in negative sentiment or a spike in buzz for one of your competitors, you need to dig in and find out what’s driving it.

7. Do A/B testing

Do you have a couple of campaigns out there? Are you curious about the adoption of certain product features or what content is getting the best response? Social media measurement can help you conduct the right analysis to figure out what’s working and what isn’t. Similar to how you can test web traffic patterns against website copy changes, you can measure the public’s opinion of things you try.

Remember to measure your general social media health comprehensively at least once a month and track responses to particular programs more frequently. Commit the right resources and choose your platforms wisely. Don’t be afraid to experiment and always measure!

Maria Ogneva is the Director of Social Media at Attensity, a social media engagement and voice-of-customer platform that helps the social enterprise serve and collaborate with the social customer. You can follow her on Twitter at @themaria or @attensity360, or find her musings on her personal blog and her company’s blog.

How to Create a Facebook Fan Page for Your Small Business

So you’ve got a business. If you’re playing your cards right, your company is going to have at least a few people who are big fans. But what can you do with this goodwill, and how can you channel something as abstract into a positive opinion of your company?

That’s easy. Create a Facebook fan page!

It’s a great way to gather all your biggest fans in one place, not to mention promote your business. It’s not the time to ignore Facebook—doing that means missing out on catching the attention of potential clients for your business.

The Very Basics

First of all, Facebook only lets a user have one fan page at a time, so make you’re not admin of one already!

You’ll need to log in, and scroll down to the bottom of the page. There, you’ll see these icons:

You’ll want to click on the one that says “Ads and Pages.” From here, you’ll be taken to a screen like this:

You’ll see two options: one to create a targeted ad and one to create a page. This second one is the one you want. You’ll be taken to the screen below and asked to fill out your page’s information. You’ll need to provide your full name so that Facebook can authenticate you; fake pages and unofficial fan pages are not permitted under Facebook’s Pages Guidelines. But you’re creating a fan page for your business, so you have nothing to worry about!

From there, you’ll be able to customize your page, adding your company logo, some employees, maybe a mission statement or two. Here’s ours:

Beyond the Basics

Congratulations! You've just created a fan page of which others can “Become a Fan.” A basic fan page includes a wall, newsfeed, photos, videos and list of fans—it’s basically a profile page for your business. But if you really want to make the most of your page, you’ll want to investigate different Facebooks applications, widgets and Flash boxes to liven up your page and make it a place your fans will check up on regularly.

Some suggestions to get you started:

• If you have a company blog, why not add an RSS Feed to your page to tell all your fans when there’s a new post?
• Try holding a contest to get your fans involved with the page; the aim here is not to wow your customers with something flashy, but to reward their loyalty.
• Browse through Facebook Application Database to get a better idea of what’s out there…there are hundreds of apps!

Just remember: don’t go overboard. Keep your page’s usability in mind at all times, and loading it with too many gadgets will take away from that. You want your page to be a place that fans like to visit, not something that confuses them with flashing lights or intrusive sounds!

Make membership of your fan page like a special club anyone would want to be a part of by updating often, with lots of great links or company news. Got a launch happening soon? That should definitely be on your page. But if you ate a big lunch and are now stuffed full? Better save it for your personal Facebook account.

To wrap up, treat this page as an extension of your brand. This fan page is your company’s ambassador on Facebook, and you should keep it fresh, updated and always interactive.

A Word of Advice...

Of course, this is all on a very small scale. The bigger your company is, the more work your social media ventures require. Why not consult the people in the know?

Want to Get Caught Up?

New to the Applecore blog? Catch up up with our must read posts:

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Which Mayoral Candidate Get Top Marks for Social Media?

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See What's Fresh in Logo and Branding 2009

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Strategy

That's It: The Twitter Conversation

Turn the Bad into Good: Using Online Feedback to Help Your Business

10 Harsh Truths About Corporate Websites


How To's and Tutorials
Understanding Bounce Rates

Using Gmail for Internal Email

Tourism: A Social Media Butterfly



Happy reading!

The Top 25 Global Brands

Interbrand has released its annual top Global Brands for 2009. We've listed the top 25, as well as what Interbrand had to say about the five leaders.

1. Coca-Cola

Coca-Cola is 123 years old and shows no sign of relenting. It is the

number one producer of sparkling beverages by volume and dollars.

It has launched more than 700 products in 2008 around the world,

and its edgy campaigns continue to push boundaries, showing the

rest of the marketing community what it really means to manage a

brand.

2. IBM

In this tough market, Big Blue’s revenue is at an all-time high. IBM

received the most U.S. patents (more than 4,000) for the 16th year

in a row, investing heavily in innovation as it continues its progression

from a hardware provider to a software and services solutions

brand.

3. Microsoft

2009 marks the first year-on-year decline in Microsoft’s public history,

despite a game console division that continues to be profitable. As

the market matures, the giant faces stiff competition from faster,

quicker rivals.

4. GE

Despite GE slipping in its position of technology leadership, it is still

better equipped to support future innovations and brand evolution

than other traditional competitors, due to its ability to touch

consumers on an emotional level.

5. Nokia

Nokia seems to be trailing behind more dynamic smartphone

innovations like Apple’s iPhone and RIM’s BlackBerry. The N97, a

flagship Nseries mobile computer that was first unveiled in December

2008, is designed to address competitive technologies but debuted in

2009 at a much higher price point than Apple’s or RIM’s new offerings.

And the rest...
6. McDonald's
7. Google
8. Toyota
9. Intel
10. Disney
11. HP
12. Mercedes-Benz
13. Gillette
14. Cisco
15. BMW
16. Louis Vuitton
17. Marlboro
18. Honda
19. Samsung
20. Apple
21. H&M
22. American Express
23. Pepsi
24. Oracle
25. Nescafe

This just goes to show how crucial a strong brand can be in times of crisis, with nearly every one of the top 25 reporting growth in the midst of a worldwide recession. Read the full report.

See What’s Fresh in Logo and Branding for 2009

by J. Butler, Content Development Specialist

Branding has always been one of our passions, so we keep on top of industry-wide trends. Our art department gives us the scoop on what they’ve noticed has become the new hot trends for logo and branding in 2009.

The Circle of Life

Circular patterns have become the new staple in logo design. There’s a reason why these are so popular: they’re simple, effective, and transfer well to other mediums, like business cards, billboards or even television.

Don't Delay the Overlay

Mixing 60s flair with modern technology, these logos pop in a sea of minimalist monochrome.

A One Line Drawing

Intricate and bold, these logos create a dynamic image for a brand that implies constant motion and never-ending connection.

The Linking Letters

Modern and sleek, interlocking the letters create a bold pattern from a key part of a company: the name.

Fun With Shapes and Space

These logos use negative space as part of the letter, forming a deeper meaning with the imagery. These are clever in execution, but also offer a multi-layered brand experience.

Off-Set Color

Retro and chic, these logos hint at a sophisticated, intentional sloppiness that can add charm and urban style.

Illustrate Your Point

Traditional and fun, using an illustration places your brand as part of an established, timeless aesthetic.

All logos courtesy the artists at Logo Pond.

The first links of the New Year!

Just tossing out a few links for thought on this mid-winter's day: 

What Will You Miss When Newspapers Disappear? (Seth Godin via PSFK) 

Would a Greener Apple Make for Sour Grapes? (via Undercurrents blog) 

January 29th, 1895: Modern Electricity is born! (via Wired.com) 

>Free iPod/iPhone Wallpapers featuring rock stars through the decades (these guys always have great downloads like this -- check out the free handwriting fonts post from a few weeks ago). 

Britian Reports: Broadband for all by 2012. (via Brand Republic) 

How Typos and Factual Errors Could Be Killing Your Blog Readership (via The Blog Herald)

Tips to Stay Green Around the Office, at Virtually No Cost. (via Graphic Define)

Check out this barrage of Obama-inspired advertising: 

Tropicana Squeeze Hires Obama Lookalike and Kids. (via The New Advertising)

Pepsi Borrows a Slogan...and a Design...and an Entire Advertising Campaign. (via Debbie Schussel)

Coke Trades 'The Coke Side of Life' for the Chance to 'Open Happiness.' (via Business Week)

For the Sake of Facebook Friendship

by J. Butler, Applecore Content Development Specialist


A recent Burger King viral marketing ploy lost steam before it ever left the ground—but not for lack of publicity.

The campaign, called “Whopper Sacrifice,” took the form of a Facebook application. In exchange for dropping ten Facebook friends, the ruthless user would get a coupon for a free Whopper. It was a cute, funny way to plump up Burger King’s brand, and more importantly, get their product in the hands of would-be customers.

But of course, that’s not the whole story. The campaign was taking off—a total of 233,906 users found themselves on the Whopper chopping block—when a little hitch appeared.

A key point of the campaign rested on informing the dropped friend that they had been “sacrificed” for the sake of a Whopper. Well, that was a clear breach of Facebook’s “de-friending” policy, which allows users to cull their friends list without fear that their former pals would be notified.

While Facebook only asked that the notification feature of the app be disabled, the agency (the controversial but attention-grabbing Crispin Porter + Bogusky) decided that the spirit of the campaign would be lost, and chose instead to shut down the whole works.

The Whopper Sacrifice website now reads that the "Whopper Sacrifice has been sacrificed." But clever Burger King has the last word: they’ve kept a feature that allows de-friending victims to strike back—with an official Burger King Angry-Gram.

Few Shops Practice Paid Search Skills

Using paid search to market brands is so fundamental that it's self-evident. However, that's not necessarily the case when it comes to building agency brands.

Adweek found that few of the 56 agencies assessed in this year's Report Card evaluation have bought sponsored links tied to their names on Google. In fact, just five-- AKQA, Campbell-Ewald, DraftFCB, iCrossing and JWT -- have sponsored links on Google. The rest have no such links, though their Web addresses generally appeared at or near the top of each search.

Adweek also found evidence of smaller specialty shops "punching up" by piggybacking on the names of larger rivals to gain attention. For example, sponsored links for business-to-business specialists such as Stein Rogan + Partners and PJA Advertising + Marketing popped up after typing the names of better-known players such as Arnold, DDB, Young & Rubicam and OgilvyInteractive.

"Why not put ourselves out there as a viable alternative?" said Tom Stein, president and CEO of Stein Rogan + Partners, a 40-person shop in New York with a dozen clients. "It's a little bit of counter-marketing."

Of course, little guys have to do more to generate buzz, and typically on a shoestring budget. So, not unlike Alltel tweaking Verizon and AT&T in a TV spot, some smaller shops use the glare of bigger agency brands to raise their profiles. Within the sample, however, such a scrappy move was rare compared to a swath of inactivity. It's yet another example of agencies not always practicing what they preach to clients, despite the relatively low cost of buying search terms.

[ Read Entire Article ]