Social Media ROI

by Olivier A. Blanchard

I social media non sono un investimento semplice; si tratta di una spesa diversa da tutte le altre che mettete a budget. Lo sforzo professionale richiesto per affrontarli correttamente è importante e il non sapere esattamente come questo mondo possa aiutare il vostro business rappresenta uno spreco di risorse. In Social media ROI, Blanchard offre tutti gli spunti necessari per una comunicazione social sensibile, sostenibile e profittevole, e spiega in concreto come misurarne il risultato operativo a livello di redditività del capitale investito nell'impresa. L'autore ci accompagna in un viaggio che parte dal creare una strategia per raggiungere i propri obiettivi, fino ai modi per calcolare il ritorno sull'investimento, svelando tutti i passi necessari per creare un modello di business vincente. Incredibilmente pratico, oltre che piacevole alla lettura, questo libro offre una chiara roadmap per far crescere le revenue, spalancando alle aziende il mondo dei tweet e dei retweet, dei "Mi piace" e dei "Condividi", dei collegamenti e dei commenti. Che stiate gestendo una piccola startup, o lavoriate per una multinazionale, questo libro vi aiuterà a ottenere più valore da ogni centesimo investito nei social media.

Genres: Business, Social Media, Nonfiction, Social

300 pages, Hardcover

First published February 8, 2011

Reviews

[Owen Greaves · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have never met Olivier, but I have had an online relationship with him for over 3 years, and I can tell you he knows what he is talking about. He is firm in his stand and he has always taken the time to try and explain why he takes the stand he does, a man on a mission, a man with Integrity, which you will read in his book.

Now, for some reason the world has missed a simple observation, Social Media (conversations)is not new, its just gone digital. What has been overlooked, is how to accurately translate these conversations into revenue, how these conversations become conversions, how they actually bring about a result worth measuring. No Olivier is not the only one to see that conversations can have a Return On Investment (ROI), he is however, the only one to date that can articulate it with clarity and passion. And now with this book, he is working with you side-by-side.

What caught my eye upon cracking the cover, is how Olivier walks you from beginning to end, from what a Social Media Program IS, what you need to think about, to what it should look like,and what you should get from such a program. It's the first Social Media University TextBook in my humble opinion.

Right from the beginning you'll read how to create a social company, all the way to Analysis and reporting of your social media program.

This book is easy to read and yet it is serious heavy lifting at times, but if you take the time and follow Olivier's thinking, the confusion simply goes away. If you do the work, you will have a solid foundation of how to not only leverage Social Media networks, you'll know how to participate in them, how to plug Social Media into your business, how to listen, how to monitor. and as he says, " Listening Before Talking". You learn more from this book than sitting at your computer trying to figure it out. Olivier is your Social Media ROI Mentor, all for the price of a book.

One of my favorite chapters is, The Eleven Key Best Practices for Social Media Program Management.

I highly recommend reading this book many times not just once,it is packed with so much, one reading would merely set you up to fail. You have in your hands a text book if you study it, you will increase your odds of success in all social networks. A MUST have on your book shelf. This book will protect you from those who consider themselves Social Media GURU's, the so called Social Media Expert.

This book will play a huge role in my work, how I see the future of business, how this fits an open and free business model, and how an ROI can be achieved. I look forward to implementing many of the steps in this book, and you will too, it's the best investment you'll make for the future of your business.

[Adam Schweigert · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you're going to read one book about social media measurement, this is the one you read. It's not long on details regarding particular tools or measurement techniques (because, as the author quite rightly notes, they change all the time), but what it is solidly founded in traditional business strategy. And that's really refreshing given much of the other writing on social media out there. Just make sure to buy a copy and not get it from the library, because you'll want to read it twice and then refer back to it. And buy a copy for your favorite "social media expert" too. Maybe it will help them to actually become one.

[Meghan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was actually fairly interesting. It would be useful for someone looking to implement social media plans in a workplace. It does offer suggestions both for corporate environments as well as non-profits. It is a few years old but manages not to seem too dated which is impressive for such a rapidly changing field.

[Jumali Ariadinata · Rating 4 out of 5]

Return On Influence (ROI) pada dasarnya merupakan akar dari pengukuran bisnis yang mengandung arti: kita menginvestasikan uang pada sesuatu dengan harapan akan mendapatkan uang kembali dari investasi kita (lebih baik jika pengembaliannya lebih). Bahkan, ada persamaan yang dengan jelas mendefinisikan Return On Influence, yakni ROI = (pendapatan dari investasi – biaya investasi) ÷ biaya investasi.

Menurut gue, buku ini jadi semacam bacaan wajib bagi perusahaan yang akan (atau sudah) menerapkan (divisi) social media atau digital marketing dalam persahaan/organisasinya. Karena Blanchard, dalam buku ini menjabarkan bagaimana cara melakukan pengembangan program media sosial dalam suatu organisasi atau perusahaan, hingga cara melakukan pengukuran program media sosial tersebut.

Bahkan, menariknya, kalau gue pernah dengar dari beberapa "pakar" digital marketing di Indonesia yang bilang bahwa bukan hal yang tepat untuk menaruh harapan peningkatan penjualan melalui media sosial (karena media sosial digunakan untuk terhubung dengan pelanggan), tetapi Blanchard dalam buku ini menjabarkan bahwa media sosial bisa menjadi sarana untuk peningkatan penjualan.

Pertama-tama, menurutnya, media sosial dapat membantu setiap pemasar atau perusahaan untuk mendapatkan peanggan baru (tertama melalui jangkauannya, lalu melalui pengaruh). Begitu banyak hal penting tentang dunia digital (terutama media sosial) yang dikupas oleh Blanchard dalam buku ini. Bahkan, buku ini juga direkomendasikan oleh dosen gue di UI. Gue pribadi, sangat menyukai buku ini dan... ini menjadi buku yang berasa buat memberi sumbangsih bagi (calon) tesis gue. :)

[Damien Franco · Rating 5 out of 5]

How do you write a book about one of the fastest growing and always-changing-at-the-speed-of-light industries today?

You leave out the fluff. You skip the technology. You focus on the core. You spend your time establishing the foundations. Because when it's all said and done, if you focus on Twitter or Hootsuite or Bufferapp or (insert name of favorite social media tool) then your book, and its lessons, could be obsolete before it hits the press.

This book does that and more.

Blanchard says what most social media professionals are afraid to admit, that it doesn't really matter how many Twitter followers or Facebook fans have if they don't convert. It doesn't matter if they convert unless you can measure it. It doesn't matter if you can measure it if it doesn't make sense or fit into the overall business strategy and goals.

This book should probably be read by every social media strategist/manager/specialist and their bosses.

There are no secrets here. It's about hard work. Setting realistic expectations. Measuring. Digging deep. Getting rid of excuses and fluff.

You're a marketing professional? Great, now go get this book!

[Tami · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think a lot of businesses are getting on the social media bandwagon. They’ve heard that it’s great for business but really have no clue what social media is or what it can do for them. In an effort to keep up they create a social media program and hire experts in the field.

In an effort to explain social media to these businesses, Social Media ROI begins by explaining that social media is a tool, like email, like the phone, like networking. Really, the concept isn’t all that new, it’s just a new method of communicating and connecting with your current and potential customers.

Recognizing social media as a tool is only the first step though. Next is recognizing that it’s less important to have x number of followers on Twitter or friends on Facebook and much more important that these interactions reinforce your goals and help you get to your specific targets. No two plans are going to be the same and it’s something that everyone in your organization (big or small) has to understand and be on board with. Little mistakes tend to blow up pretty fast in social media streams.

[Toon · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you're going to invest in any sort of social media activity, I recommend you read this book. I even think the title doesn't entirely do it justice, since it's about online activity in general, as it should be.
Blanchard is quite outspoken, as those who read his blog undoubtedly know. This book reflects that, but in more of a 'how to' format, so it's less about opinion.
There is a lot of very tangible advice in this book, with a clear rationale to underpin it. It's never vague or buzzword-y, but instead very down to earth and focused on clearly defined objectives.
It's not all perfect, though. I work for a government agency, and I felt the book to be too business (sales)-oriented. You might say I should've read the title better, but Blanchard explicitly expands his scope to encompass non-profits and governments. However, these contexts are only discussed superficially, if at all, throughout the book. Linking social media activity to an effect on sales seems to be the focus.

[Jim · Rating 3 out of 5]

In the book, the author shares the overview on how you can start implementing and measuring your social media efforts, in general the framework is handy to get started. Another more direct roi measureable and practical book I recently came across is the book DotComSecrets that reveals the simple hacks to double your traffic and sales and the author is currently sending a review copy for free at http://bit.ly/free-book-dotcom

[John Stepper · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's not an inspiring read (like, for example, "Dragonfly Effect") but it merits 5 stars for it's usefulness. There is a lot of comprehensive, practical, detailed guidance in here for anyone actually planning to use social media for work.

I wrote a blog post related to the book: http://johnstepper.com/2011/12/17/com...

[Marjorie Clayman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I still think this is the best social media management/marketing book I have read. It is a good read in isolation, but if your job requires the use of social media, or if you want it to, you'll reference this book a lot. If you know someone going into business or marketing, get them this book as a present.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this because it focuses on the strategies to use in social media and emphasizes the importance of tying social media efforts back to business objectives.

Marked pages: 16, 74, 104, 120, 122, 149, 151, 182, 195, 198, 241, 249

[Hugh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Any person having to communicate or research anything as part of their business should read at least the first four chapters of this book.

[Dave Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book if you're in marketing or leading a social communications team. It is geared toward larger companies but Blanchard does a great job explaining the basic concepts of social media ROI.

[JP Douma · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just got started. It looks like a book that talks business sense instead of hype with regard to social-media.

[Wessel van Rensburg · Rating 2 out of 5]

I could not finish it. Not much I disagree with, but not much new I learned either.

[Josh Berthume · Rating 4 out of 5]

Blanchard is sassy In his personal brand, but this is a practical approach to understanding something simple that everyone makes very difficult.

[Katie DeCapria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great tips from the perspective of a C-level exec. Really comprehensive. Great read for any one from new social media professionals to CEO or BOD.

[Bobby Verlaan · Rating 4 out of 5]

great book that starts with business thinking before you start using social media

[Stacy-Ann Hayles · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book! Very comprehensive. Pretty much the SM Bible for anyone opting to go into social media management for business. Olivier Blanchard REALLY went all out for this book.

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read this for my social media management class. It had some really great tips and instructions.

[Acha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Helpful

[Elizabeth Clor · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book 4 years ago, and it's outdated now. At the time it provided a pretty good framework to measure ROI, but that was before all of today's new tools and technologies came out.

[Michael Elliott · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing book on social media, and how to actually measure it.

[Zoffix Znet · Rating 1 out of 5]

If we compare the book's content to the promise on the cover, this one veers left, right, and elsewhere.

It gives change management advice, how to prepare to talk to CEOs, what general questions to ask when hiring new employees, what their "bill of rights" should be, how to manage your corporate brand, what the PR team should do, and how important customer service is to a company. The advice is extremely shallow and not very useful. It feels like the author is rambling and has lost his track of thought. The last two chapters devote multiple pages to repeating the exact same content from earlier chapters.

The cringy "bill of rights" section goes into extreme detail of telling you exactly how many management and non-management employees should be involved in drafting the "bill". The "anti-defamation" section goes into the minutiae of the definitions of words "libel", "slander", and "defamation", as well as the difference between "opinion" and "false statement". The author spends several pages arguing with himself about a box with two bosses on the org chart. What exactly does this waffle have to do with "Social Media ROI"?

Other information is missing key points. The author re-iterates multiple times the importance of setting concrete targets. Great. So how do I do it? What's a good target? Is targeting to reach 1,000,000 people in a month an unrealistic target or too easy? Similarly, the section on making a case to other departments in the organization seems to simply assume you already have a massive social media presence and can offer all of the things the author suggests you promise. The chapter on organizational design even shows 13 people with social media roles managed by a "VP of Social Communications", and all the content afterwards assumes you have such a design, with multiple social media "teams", departments, and managers involved.

This book feels like it may be advice to management of a massive corporation who's thinking of starting to use a new technology. Just any new technology, really: social media is just a medium, as the author repeatedly states. So you have shallow social media information, and at the same time shallow everything-else information as well, because the author is trying to cover all of these distant topics, like office politics, HR, PR, legal, brand management, advertisement, and customer service.

Really, this book has no idea who its target audience is. It feels like the author dreamed up himself walking through the office floors of Nike or Coca-Cola and dishing out "stellar" advice to everyone he came across. Here's the PR guy, do this and that! Ooh, look, digital team, do this! Hey, guys, where's the CMO's desk at? I got some "advice" to give! In one chapter, the author is going into the intricacies of drawing an org chart, in the next he's chastising PR teams for not acting on crises fast enough, in yet the next he goes into a lecture about the importance of customer service. On one page, he gives advice on how to manage the CS managers of company's locations, ten pages later he's giving out a list of rules for a CS rep to handle an irate customer. The audience is not a single person, which makes the book go from interesting to dull-as-a-brick in a matter of a dozen pages.

The vast majority of companies don't need to worry about becoming the nation-wide trending topic on Twitter. Hell, they don't even *have* a PR department, let alone a Community Manager. The author keeps leveraging the might of Fortune 100 companies to make his points and gives advice that you can't really act on. This makes the book heavy on "what" and sparse on "how". I was fully expecting the last chapter to be a sell for the author's consulting agency.

Lastly, the author has the tendency of throwing out questionable numbers and "savings" without backing them up. A single negative social media message can make you lose 1000+ customers? What's that based on? If you spend $25K to launch a Facebook page, after Q1 you'll have 30,000 followers? Yeah, maybe if you're Ford or Starbucks—the author's go-tos for all of his examples. If you shift even 5% of your CS from calls to social media, you'll see "significant savings"? Sorry, how exactly? They're the same customers, except you now have to switch channels every time you ask for their account details. Despite mentioning this at least 3 times throughout the book, the author never explains and just keeps ramping up: "now imagine 10%! Or 25%!". Ooohh, the savings!

I don't know if I got out of this book anything more than a single page of useful content and a persistent headache.

Burn it.

[Grant Fawcett · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very helpful book! Blanchard casts a big net over a huge topic. Showing the interconnectedness of all aspects of your business (big or small). He writes from a big business perspective integrating social media into the heart of your objectives. You will get a crash course in marketing, stats, ROI, business management and working in a team. Any forward thinking reader should be able to take principles and practices from this primer and apply them to their business. In our case we will co-opt many of these ideas for our charity work.

[Reagan Reeve · Rating 4 out of 5]

The offerings of this book are probably most relevant to startup and small companies who want to learn how to capture the benefits of social media, but there are also very in depth analyses offered on how to measure the effectiveness of your social media campaigns that could be helpful to the marketing teams of established businesses. A good read if you have the mind and the interest to get through it.

[Lilmissvalecha · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was wayyyy out of my preferred genre but finally finished reading it.

Tad bit outdated for today’s world but very well versed. Definitely a good read for beginners or someone who knows nothing about the social media world

If I was given this book a few years back, it would have been life changing

[Marcell Nimführ · Rating 2 out of 5]

The first 80% of the book is pointless from the perspective of the 2020ies. Only the last 100 pages are about social ROI and what is there is not satisfying.

[Silvia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Libro un po' vago rispetto a quanto mi aspettavo, ma verso la fine scende maggiormente nel tecnico e questo è molto buono!

[Lydia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a required reading for my Social Media Communications class. I enjoyed reading the book, but it does seem like a more advanced read designed for people that are familiar with business terms like B2B, ROI, and the like. I did learn some interesting things like how social media use in business has to be strategically planned out and have SMART goals.