Social Media ROI for Me-Too-ers versus Innovators

You get out what you put in. Ever hear this before? Well the same is true with social media. There is much conversation, debate, and bickering about social media and ROI and you know what – one size does not fit all.

I have written a number of articles on social media measurement and ROI including:

* Social Media ROI – Don’t Be So Short Sighted – Think Longer Term,
* Measuring the Stages of the Cyclic Social Media Marketing Funnel, and
* Reality Check: Social Media Integration and Measurement

but social media ROI will be different for every company. There is a direct correlation to social media ROI and the degree to which an organization is a “me-too-er” versus an “innovator.” How many times have you heard someone say “what other companies are doing it” when you propose a new initiative? This is the kiss of death. And on the reverse side, organizations that are willing to take well thought out calculated risks will see the greatest social media ROI in the long run.

The chart below shows some activities that separate “me-too-ers” from “innovators” in a climbing scale with regards to social activities.

(click to enlarge)

Now I am not proposing that I have captured all social activities, but the scale above certainly gives you a feel for the breath of possible endeavors. As organizations climb the scale two things are happening: 1) greater focus on the target market and their behaviors, and 2) integration of social media to the entire business strategy and operations as well as completely incorporating social into the product/service offering. I will tell you that if you commit, truly commit to these two mentalities, you will see much greater social media measurable results.

Innovative companies have strong customer focus and deep coordination across business units. These things are typically lacking in me-too environments. Which are you? What results do you want to see?

Make It Happen!
Social Steve