Added to the small level of influence that social networks have on consumer purchasing decisions there is also the ever latent danger posed by situations where communication can seriously damage the company's image.
According to a recent survey by Gallup Inc. published by The Wall Street Journal "... a clear majority of Americans say that social media has no effect on their purchasing decisions.
Measuring results is essential in order to check whether your online communication strategy is successful and profitable.
Accurately defining goals for internet investments and then measuring and analyzing the results of the traffic that company’s web sites record is vital in ensuring the success of that investment.
Gustavo Arias Retana's article in Elfinancierocr.com explains that "within the planning that a company must do to get the most out of its web space, it is essential to define the methods used to measure results. Today, that situation is easier because there are many low cost, or no cost, tools which allow you to have control over traffic on web sites and create profiles of social networking followers."
Attracted by its effectiveness and how easy it is to measure the impact of advertising targeting markets, as well as its relative low cost, advertisers increasingly use digital media.
While traditional media continue to lead in advertising investment, in Guatemala the portion of the budget devoted to online media - websites, social media and mobile devices is growing, reaching about 10% of the total, noting that the country is following the trend of developed countries, where even the reign of television as the premier advertising medium is being challenged by the Internet.
A Microsoft Advertising White Paper looks at changes in audience behavior regarding print and online media.
Advertisers must ensure the balance between print and online advertising reflects the changing role of public consumption habits, particularly the growing importance of online advertising in various stages of the purchase funnel.
It is estimated that by 2012, the number of Europeans who regularly use the Internet will overtake newspaper readers (in fact, it already has among those under 34 years). Equally rapid is the change in the roles which both channels play in the lives of readers. Europeans who read print and online use the Internet more frequently, allowing them access to more content and information and allows them to enjoy many of the main qualities of traditional newspapers and magazines.
A great concern for marketing chiefs is how to measure the return on investment of online advertising, especially brand impact.
When reviewing result data of online advertising, one must separate its two basic components:
• Was the target market successfully and effectively reached?
• Did the campaign influence consumer attitudes, perceptions and behaviors in relation to the brand?
The first to go will be traditional marketing specialists, who speak only of the brand, buy non- measurable advertising and organize events that do not generate prospects.
These jobs only survived in good times, because the money was plentiful and it seemed not to matter that it was spent unnecessarily.
But these challenging times have created a demand for accountability.