A company interested in arming itself for the future has probably already considered the integration of social media. But then the big question is: to what extent can social media, such as Facebook and Twitter, contribute to the realisation of the company's objectives? After all, social media each have their own means of spreading a message online. Utilising these media purposefully can therefore also lead to significant results.

Content does matter

People who take up social media spend 90% of their time consuming or sharing information. So these people are usually not inclined to express themselves via comments, reactions or discussions. Offering relevant content is therefore the big challenge for companies to gain online visibility because “In the end … content drives sales”.

There are social media for every strategy

Social media platforms make dialogue possible with customers, prospects, employees etc. They provide you the opportunity to come into direct contact with your target audience. However, you must always bear in mind what you want to achieve with social media, by means of a sustainable approach.

Acquisition: approaching and selling to prospects does not occur on the social network sites themselves. When a company offers unique, recognizable content, it makes itself relevant to the customer. Social media are the pre-eminent means to point out to prospects interesting content that is located somewhere else. Social media are often purposefully utilized in this manner to generate traffic toward the internal (online) sales channels.

Retention: microblogs, such as Twitter have already proven to be good partners in the development of retention strategies. A social media platform makes extra contact moments with the customer possible. Furthermore, social network sites and communities are one of the richest sources of customer insights.

Public Relations: use social media for the dissemination of news (including Flickr, Youtube, Twitter) or for the maintenance of relationships (including LinkedIn). These new media are extremely well-suited for image support and activation.

HR & Internal Communication: social media provide a company with the opportunity to introduce itself to its target audience in an attractive manner. The challenge however is to be found by potential employees. That can happen, among other ways, through the company's own employees. After all, satisfied employees arouse the interest of other, potential employees.

Clear-cut KPIs ensure direction & focus

There are various ways to quantify social media efforts, depending on the chosen strategy. Here are a few examples:

• At the level of distribution: number of followers or fans, number of mentions, number of blog subscribers etc. To map out which social media channels are being used, how people can reach your company and whether your company is sufficiently visible.
• At the level of interaction: number of Retweets, send-to-friends, shares, page views, likes, ratings, reviews etc. In other words, how probable is it that followers get involved, spread your message and enter into dialogue with one another?
• At the level of influence: online share of voice, NPS (net promoter score), positive/negative/neutral posts, number of brand ambassadors etc. Do attitudes change on the basis of social media activity?
• At the level of conversion: support cost, cost per lead, lead conversion rate, other conversions (e-news subscriptions, downloads, activation of Apps etc.) To what extent does one attain sales and other possible conversions using social media?