Erin Middleton

What’s the benefit of adding social media to your marketing mix? Well…

I could tell you that the benefit of having people talk about your brand is what we’ve been trying to get people to do for almost a century with “traditional media.” And now, they’re finally doing it. Read Cluetrain Manifesto.

I could tell you that a person spreading a your brand “word-of-mouth” is considered to be not one of the most trustworthy forms of marketing but the most trustworthy form of advertising. Some good WOM tips at Professional Advertising.

I could tell you that social media gets people to change their behavior. Think you could go a night without checking your Facebook, Twitter, iPhone, or Xbox for some reason or another? Social media is something we love “checking in on” – we opt-in every time we think we might get an update, some news, a new follower, a new friend, a new message, and the list goes on – what can your brand do/give/provide on a regular basis to change a behavior? Check out this DailyFix from MarketingProfs.

I could tell you that numbers are dropping on money used for traditional advertising, where are they going? Online engagement tactics, mobile, social media… And I would suggest you get ahead of the trend, and do it ahead of the pack to differentiate yourself with media placement. Check out eMarketer Seven Predictions for 2010.

But you don’t want to hear all of this. You want to know how social media affects the bottom line. What will my ROI be if I invest in this “new” media?  If it’s not a direct sales channel, wtf should I give you more money to make it happen? I’m going to put my money into TV, print, (radio?) because…