Does social media marketing matter?

Let's step outside of the echo chamber for a minute.

Does social media marketing matter?

What I want to know is, how does this stuff impact the bottom line?  As a consumer (and apologies, biased towards the US - with our weak currency, these examples carry less efficacy when everything looks like it's discounted 30 - 50%),  I'm curious to know if you have ever done any of the following. (Partial credit on examples to Mashable and Jeremiah.)

Add up points as you go:

+3 points:

• Switched cable, internet, or phone providers after Comcast Must Die or Sleeping Technician
• Bought a brand other than Nikon after the blogger campaign
• Bought shoes from Zappos after interacting on Twitter
• Bought a Blendtec blender

+2 points:

• Stopped shopping at Target after the Times Square billboard
• Stopped shopping at Wal-Mart after the fake blog
• Switched laptops after reading about Dell Hell
• Purchased a Kodak product after reading posts from their chief blogger

+1 point:

• Subscribed to a magazine after joining its Facebook group
• Eaten at McDonald's after reading their corporate social responsibility blog
• Booked a flight on Southwest or Delta after reading their blogs
• Booked a hotel stay at Starwood or Marriott after reading their blogs

-2 points for any of the following:

• Became a regular viewer of Aqua Teen Hunger Force after the "bomb scare"
• Bought Doritos after the consumer-generated Super Bowl ad
• Joined Facebook after hearing about it on your local evening news
• Bought a Sony PSP as a Christmas 2006 gift anyway
• Have ever been Rickroll'd

So how'd you score?

• Over 20:  Congratulations.  You are a bonafide social media activist.  You not only hear about marketing memes, your actions are proof that social media marketing matters.
• +20 to +11:  Well done.  You are personally in tune with the wisdom of the crowds.  Did I see you on the cover of Here Comes Everybody?
• +10 to +1:  Hmm...I bet you've heard of all these examples, yet have not been influenced.  The force is strong in you.  You must be a social media consultant.
• Less than zero:  Who are you and how did you end up reading my blog?  Are you reading this post as a printout on a piece of paper?

I think most people will score zero...which is why I asked the initial question.  How did you score?

Comments

[Marina Martin]

This is a really important question, and as usual, the answer is: "It depends."

Technically, I scored a -2 (Chris Pirillo Rickroll'd me). However, I do feel differently about Zappos and Marriott as a result of their social media presences, I just haven't had the need for shoes or a hotel room yet.

The perceived openness/friendliness that social media presence contributes to can be what sways a consumer to choose one brand out of a sea of similarity. I fly Southwest whenever I can because they had a guy at PDX who always remembered my name and because once a steward was SO funny throughout the flight that it was like two hours at a prime comedy club. A social media interaction could easily have a similar effect.

The more concrete the goal, the more relevant and worthwhile social media is. For example, I use social media to recruit filmmakers for Elastic Lab. If you just bought a video camera and have seen me around Identi.ca, you'd know you can signup with us and earn money shooting b-roll (and then more projects as you gain experience). I have a number of examples of someone who was shooting video of their new baby one day and then shooting footage for us for a major commercial the next day.

I could reach independent filmmakers through festivals and trade publications, but finding beginners without social media would be a logistical headache. With YouTube, Vimeo, etc. I can reach my audience without having to post notices on grocery store boards across the country and cross my fingers.

[Kerry Gaffney]

I work as part of the digital team at Porter Novelli, and so take a keen interest in what actual impact social media market has. I also scored -2, actually I probably score -100 for I have been rickrolled that much, hell I've even been duckrolled.

That aside, I think you're right to question the value of social media marketing right now and it's something I've just done myself on my shiny new blog, with this post http://niffnaffntriv.com/2008/08/19/so-social-media-what-gives/.

Social media is valuable to brands but not in the way that most people seem to think it is, that is in getting the consumers to be creators and brand champions. The value lies in the ability to listen to a huge range of unbiased and uncoloured opinion. It also lies in being able to provide your customers with as many touch points as possible, so that when they want to find you they can, be it via your blog, the call centre or even by snail mail.

[Virginia Miracle]

Great question! The scoring you propose here only deems "mattering" as taking an immediate action based on the ethics or elegance of their social media campaigns or the good or bad experience of a few customers. While I respect "Comcast Must Die", I have lived long enough to know that all cable companies have their faults and weigh that appropriately.

To Marina's point, these social media campaigns DO change my feelings about the brand which is what a brand is in the first place. I seek out brands that I believe reflect my identity and values. Social media marketing executions all factor into whether I think these brands are a "brand for me" or not. But it is indeed just one factor alongside my personal experiences, recommendations from my offline friends, product offering, etc.

In short, while social media marketing is just one element of the WOM behavior impact puzzle, I do think it "matters".

[Adam Daniel Mezei]

Pete,

This was a great post -- and I've sent it onward to some of my fellow Utterz Ambassadors for feedback. Let's see what it stirs up...

[Peter Kim]

Hi Marina. Sometimes I Rickroll myself, just to have a musical interlude during my day. Let me summarize and reframe your comment to answer the question, "how can you make social media matter?" Use to replicate interactions at physical points of contact. Ensure that a program goal exists. Make processes like recruiting more efficient. Good stuff.

Hi Kerry. To your point, I'm already working on a post about the scalability of social media. In theory, I agree with you on the ability to listen and extend touchpoints. In practice - I'm not sure the listening technologies are there yet or companies are ready to really connect with the masses...

Hi Virginia. Well said. Do we really care about "It's Comcastic!" vs. "Comcast Must Die?" I think consumers are numb to both, because the proof is in personal experience. To your mention of "a few customers" - if the medium matters, then what about scalability? And saturation? Is a social media signal clearer than traditional media, or just adding to the cacophony of today's media landscape?

[hackneed]

Goose egg.
My sense is that social media in its different forms is a cross between street-cred and brand shine marketing. For some industries, such as traditional publishing, it's a way of saying (for better or worse) we can be part of the new world as well. Is the goal really to drive direct conversions or to provide ancillary support for the larger mission? As of right now, I think the latter.

[Simon]

-2 for the rick roll for me.

As Marina points out, one may feel better about Zappos without buying their product. Social media is rarely about direct reponse, it relates to the fuzzier brand perceptions.

With the majority of the brands listed above, I'm mainly influenced by either habit or price. But if I were to delve into my subconcious, I bet I'd be more likely to choose a brand if it had succesfully engaged me at a social media level

Best
Simon

[robin seidner]

Peter, I think your initial question is flawed. Who really expects, except in direct marketing or coupons, to be able to see a direct one-to-one connection between marketing and purchase behavior? And, how accurate is it to ask people directly, when consumer research has shown that people don't have a conscious recollection of why they purchase?

Sure, I could rationalize that when offered a Dell or a Mac for a work computer at my last job, I went with the Mac because of the Jarvis Dell Hell episode. But, it could also be a Microsoft blue-screen-of-death issue, or the Apple cool geek factor. How is that all weighted in my mind, and would I --or could I -- be truthful about it? Why don't I shop at Walmart? Certainly, they have done or been associated with many negative things in my mind, so nailing down when I turned the corner would be impossible.

To me, social media's difference with traditional is that it can be conversational, and anyone - from the CEO to the lone yahoo looking for his 15 minutes of fame - can be part of it. The hardest thing for marketers and social media consultants to remember these days is that social media is just a new piece in the integrated mix, albeit one that behaves very differently than the rest of the mix in that it is more unpredictable and unknown and requires constant testing.

As a consumer, the interplay of social media in my life infuses my perspective on a greater group of people, and vice versa - I gain from others positive and (typically) negative experiences about companies, brands and products. Its just a global version of the coffee klatch or neighborhood block party.

[Jeff Turner]

Adam Daniel Mezei sent me.

I scored -2, and it's only because I've been rickroll'd.

And I could point you to hundreds of people I know personally, all of them real estate professionals, who drive their entire businesses based on "social media marketing" and blogging. My company, for example, spent exactly $0 on advertising last year, the vast majority of our clients coming by way of "word of mouth" and our social media efforts.

[Jim Deitzel]

I scored a BIG FAT 0, although I did watch more Aqua Teen Hunger, but not a regular viewer (I'm sorry I like the show).

Good question, especially if you're not interacting with tens or hundreds of thousands of people (for a consumer goods company). Does talking to 100 people make a difference?? I don't know.

But... I don't think most websites in the mid-90s returned much ROI either. For many. the ROI from social media may not be seen for a while still.

I'm going to keep doing it. "It just feels right" :)

[Jill Howard Allen]

Peter,
I love the general direction you're going with this! I have bought shoes from Zappos because of their fun 'Twitters'. However, I don't need a camera, blender, cable company (I have direct TV and need my College Football Ticket), love my Target, have always hated the customer experience at Walmart (among other issues), etc. I do believe social media matters and would like to say I'm an activist. I also believe it's part of a 'team effort'. No one channel is responsible for everything, but I do think you're spot on that social media is becoming more influential.

[Peter Kim]

Hi Jim - I think you're right on (and I think it's OK that you watch cartoons - that's why they call it adult swim, right?). The analogy to early web sites and hackneed's point about ancillary support make sense to me.

Jeff - interesting that you mention the real estate industry; I know the National Association of Realtors is wrestling with the industry now. The RE industry has always relied on WOM, print, and outdoor...my takeaway is that you're using a new channel to support an existing activity.

Simon - I hear you, it seems that an emerging theme here is that social media marketing is best for awareness and consideration.

Robin - if I read what you wrote correctly, then you're saying that, based on your experiences, social media marketing doesn't matter, it's difficult to measure, and it's part of the marketing mix but no one knows if it's worth including or not. I wonder if big brands (or social media consultants) are ready to face the fact that social media, aka the next big thing, is a coffee klatch or neighborhood block party...no wonder why they're putting money into CRM and shopper marketing instead!

[Peter Kim]

Hi Jill - thanks for sharing! And for any market research-types who may be reading this and cringing about statistical significance or self-reporting...boo hoo.

[Mack Collier]

The problem is, there's a couple of very important variables that aren't being considered:

1 - How many companies are using social media to augment or with their existing marketing efforts?

2 - How many companies have SOUND social media strategies in place?

It's not exactly fair to ask 'well does this stuff really work?' when it's so early in the game and so many companies are just now become aware of the potential.

Am I more likely today to recommend a Dell laptop to a friend or buy one myself, based on my interactions with Richard Binhammer, Lionel Menchaca and John Pope? Absolutely.

Am I more likely today to recommend a Masi bike to a friend or buy one myself, based on my interactions with Tim Jackson? Better believe it.

Again, I don't think it's fair to make what amounts to long-term judgements of these tools, based on how companies are using them this early in the game.

[Spike Jones]

I don't necessarily think it's a matter of acting on something after you find out new info. In a lot of those cases, it reinforces my decision to continue not buying from them or continue buying from them. It also gives me information I can pass on to others to reinforce their habits as well.

Great, thought provoking post.

And used in the right (read: completely transparent and with high customer interaction as the center of the idea), YES, social media marketing CAN matter.

[Ivana Taylor]

Hi Peter -

I've been watching your blog and really enjoy it. I especially love posts that ask real questions that we need to consider - and this was one.

I always a big fan of questioning EVERYTHING we do and re-questioning ROI.

I'm honestly not expecting "social media" to contribute any concrete measurable return -- at least the way we currently measure it. I think that social media has provided me, at least, with immeasurable value and return - just not in the traditonal sense -- yet.

So - it might be too soon to tell AND I think we need different metrics.

I have to tell you that I hear many small business people -- especially traditional and industrial business owners pooh pooh the whole process because it's so early in the game and so nebulous.

I feel that interactive connections and relationships are here to stay and as soon as we figure out he code for making real ROI - this will be a moot point.

[Michael D]

I scored a 0 (as in zero). I like my cable provider (Time Warner), have been buying shoes from Zappos before there was Twitter, already choose Southwest and Marriott as first choices when traveling, and I've purchased more Dell laptops than I can remember. My current one runs Ubuntu fantastically and I've had no problems as of yet.

I did however come across this blog from Twitter so that must count for something. :)

[Richardatdell]

Hi Peter,

Couple questions about the methodology here...and I have not stopped to add up the points, but seems to me the questions skew toward negatives action versus positive action. Is there a reason for that?

You seem to get more points if you quit, changed, bought different because of negative commentary about a company. What about the positive questions? For example, I bought xyz because of positive social media interaction with friends or company?

Do they balance out in the overall equation here?

[Peter Kim]

Hi Mack and Ivana - I can accept the point that we're still early in the game. Greg Verdino posted recently on Gartner's "Hype Cycle" and it seems to me we're coming down from the "peak of inflated expectations."
http://gregverdino.typepad.com/greg_verdinos_blog/2008/08/youre-ahead-of.html
A similar analogy would be B2C e-commerce and its first few years (1995 - 1998); I think we're in a very similar period now with social technologies.

Spike and Michael D point out that integration and existing behavior are key. Maybe a zero score is something brands should strive for in customer retention, while scoring positive points in customer acquisition.

[Peter Kim]

Richard - your perception is wrong. E.g. "Bought shoes from Zappos" and "Bought a Blendtec" are both positive and both in the +3 category. (Are you sensitive at the portrayal of Dell Hell?)

By my count, I included 8 "positive" examples, 7 "negative" examples, and 2 neutral. The scoring is arbitrary, the larger question of social media marketing's effectiveness is the key.

That being said...what do you think?

[Oliver Young]

Come on, the Rickroll is totally not fair! For the record I read this on my iPod Touch.

[robin seidner]

Hi again Peter,

I am definitely not saying the SMM doesn't matter, I am saying it is hard to measure - like most other marketing - a direct correlation for purchase behavior because there are many other influencers at work (like I mentioned). I am cautioning against the hype of "all your other marketing is dead, can your marketing department and just go social" mentality that Jeremiah mentioned in a post earlier in the week.

SMM does matter and does have an impact - and, its the right thing to do to bring back real human interaction in the relationship between brand and customer.

Like Jim, my experience is that it will take time to measure impact, and approaches will evolve over time - just as they did for web sites, ecommerce sites, landing pages, etc.

[RichardatDell]

Hi Peter

Didnt think I was being sensitive to the dell hell question. was between meetings, eyeballed the questions and scores and quick take I wondered if it was skewed. Appreciate the feedback/positive versus negative and arbitrary scores.

I think the questions are interesting, but my answers to each one are not so simple (ie not pure cause and effect). Social media is one part of my decision making but not all of my decision making, so for each question my decision tends to be more complex than the links/answer offers me.

[Katie McCartney]

I happy to say I scored a zero. I think social media is more about the interpersonal relationships and the development of those. It is the ability to meet great people and find out more about what they do and their business. It is networking in a whole different arena.

[Jen Evans]

It matters. But the reality is that social media itself, in all but the rarest cases, does not lead to buying action.

Marketers must understand the role that SM plays in the marcomm landscape: uncovering interest, creating vehicles to engage an audience and understanding their priorities, and leading audience members to the next step in the relationship, should they want to take that step. The next step is the indication of actual interest.

Right now, 95% of SMM programs are listening-focused. Listening is the easy part, and only the start. It's what happens once you start listening that makes the real difference: understanding needs, creating programs and content that deliver value against those needs, helping people who are ready to buy to buy, helping those who need more information to get that information. If you can't measure revenue (via increased intelligence, leads or actual sales) or cost savings against these initiatives, then I would say No, your social media marketing program doesn't matter.

In other words: the easy part of SMM is underway. The tough stuff is only starting. And that stuff does matter, but it's also way more difficult to do effectively.

[Phyllis]

Zero ... LOVED the comment about reading this on a piece of paper!
I replied to a SoMe blog yesterday that businesses cannot develop a brand with social media. They CAN however, have a great conversation (implies 2 way) with folks who already know/like and trust them.

I don't know if there's a way to poll, but I'd bet that 99% of people following Zappos on Twitter (for example) already knew about the co, liked them or had purchased from them.

They are great at having the conversation and that isn't to be taken lightly.... just don't see social media becoming the new vehicle for branding.

[LJ Rich]

Well, I'm on the -2 (been rickrolled- haven't we all) but may claw back a few points as I am now a fully immersed dysfunctional social media addict a mere 4 months after joining Twitter (as well as Jaiku, Tumblr, Naymz, Myspace, Facebook, Flickr, youtube, Qype, trustedplaces and zyb, to name far too many others).

I have used social networking tools to decide which restaurant to go to, and who's joining me, as well as committing the ultimate sin which is to send out "status updates" whilst in the company of real people. Although I can give up anytime I want, I can handle it.

It may only be a short step for me to click straight onto someone's link to buy stuff, but it really depends on who's posting it, if I want it, and whether I'm in the right place to consume it anyway.

I clicked on this link from my twitter stream - if my social media buddies feel it's important enough to share, and I have the time and inclination, it can lead to interesting places that I don't normally find myself (like here).

My tentative hypothesis is that Social Media at the moment is one of those things that's really cool, but does anyone yet know what on earth to do with it, or how to make it work for them? Tweet me if you get the answer... LJ

[Peter Kim]

Jen - well said. Listening is the first step away from legacy marketing approaches (and a big one). I agree that the tough part is only starting - that's why I left to start a firm to try and help companies do something meaningful about it!

Hi Phyllis - aside from Twitterers playing the ego game, I agree with you that some brand affinity was probably already there. In my case, I had previously related to them as a footwear manufacturer.

@LJ - wow. But when you isolate marketing content in the tools, i.e. content created and promoted by brands not consumers, would you be as positive about them? Phones and mail are great until telemarketing and junk mail decided to join the party.

[Peter Kim]

Hi Katie - there were some real estate comments early on that might interest you, I know this thread is getting kind of long...

Robin, Richard - understood, thanks for the clarification. I hear the theme of INTEGRATION emerging as an important consideration.

And to Oliver, et al. - sorry about the Rickroll. It's definitely a non sequitur, but it just felt right!

[Annie Mole]

I came to this after LJ Rich twittered it. Even though I follow you Richard you're a fairly recent person I follow so I look at and act upon my trusted friends posts more than a corporate blogger (even though you seem very nice ;-) )

Trouble with your list is that it's REALLY US focussed. Like LJ I score -2 cos of being Rickrolled (once only I must add)

Interesting that Rickrolling from your list is the only campaign that really had a global reach which is funny as it's based on a skinny white soul singer from the UK

Luckily I've been to see Clay Shirky speak when he came over the UK and it's good that he used some great European examples of how groups can be mobilised online. It would be nice for more people to realise that Social Media exists outside of the US and that a skinny red haired bloke from the UK can have a global reach!

[Marc Vermut]

Great post and great comments. I disagree with Phyllis "just don't see social media becoming the new vehicle for branding." If you read through the tone of the conversations, the interactions and impressions experienced in social media all seem to be about branding and awareness and loyalty at the moment.

The post has generated a lot of thinking and response on the impact of social media, but I think even more important is identifying the actual measures that determine ROI. And what the value of each measure is. How much is each follower on Twitter worth? Blog subscribers? Comments generated?

[Peter Kim]

hey anniemole, did you read the 4th sentence that says "apologies, biased towards the US?" I like your blog too, even though it's about the local subway. (Actually, I did hear a lot about Emma Clarke last year.)
http://marketplace.publicradio.org/display/web/2007/11/26/mind_the_gap/

[Annie Mole]

D'OH that'll teach me to skim read and just get onto the quiz.

Glad you picked up on my point though that through social media local can really, finally, truly become global. Emma Clarke was a case in point - good example - I blogged about her London Underground outtakes at one point - Evening Standard picked it up, she got sacked, from there it got on TV and then went worldwide :)

Just wonder what it is about something with more of a local base that just tips it to getting global coverage? But if I knew that I'd be a millionaire.

[Peter Kim]

Hi Marc - those ROI components are the ones that really matter, aren't they? Definitely worth further investigation. If I started breaking these down today, I'd start with a classic customer acquisition / retention / channel migration model...

[C.H. Low]

Social Media is about relationship and interactivity to create an emotional sentiment about the company or product. It is a process, not a singular event.

Unlike advertising or marketing, which is about reach to ready buyers, social relationships are ongoing regardless of whether there is an impending transaction.

After reading so many horror stories of air travel in the past year on blogs when the industry is undergoing turmoil, we formed a feeling about hassle of air travel these days. So a few weeks ago as we plan our summer vacation, my family and I decided we'd plan a vacation within driving distance rather than risk the hassle. We hope that the airlines will get their act together with the new environment (if it doesn't change on them again) next year.

Social Media definitely affected our decision. Just NOT LINEARLY!

BTW: I scored a -2.

[Peter Kim]

C.H. - understood, you point out an implicit difference in linearity between high- and low-consideration decision-making processes. You mention a single summer vacation, indicating that it's high-consideration. With apologies to my colleague Brian Haven, I believe the marketing funnel is alive and well, and the discussion here points out that social media matters most for awareness, consideration and preference, while integrated with traditional marketing.

[Mila D'Antonio]

He Peter,

Your blog post today does a great job of stirring up some much-needed discussion around the relevance of tying in social media to a company’s marketing strategy.

However, I don’t agree with the methodology you use. I scored a -10, but that doesn’t mean I’m not in tune with the wisdom of online crowds; it means I haven’t had the need to buy a blender, camera, or new laptop. I also don’t have Comcast available to me in the region where I live, but the negative word or mouth I’ve spread after reading ComcastMustdie and other negative Comcast blogs, could have been damaging to the brand.

There are plenty of other actions I’ve taken or purchases I’ve made as a result of being influenced by other blogs not include in your scoring method.

In my blog post today, http://www.1to1media.com/weblog/2008/08/give_blogging_a_chance.html#more, I discuss how blogs are becoming critical channels in which to build the brand and collective invaluable customer insight.

Thanks Peter for broaching the topic of social marketing for business in a creative way that forced us to have an open discussion today.

[Peter Kim]

Hi Mila - fair enough. The negative score is the only one I gave a value judgment in description. For the most part, I've attempted to leave the initial question open and the interpretation of "good" or "bad" to readers.

[philmang]

Peter - the funny thing to me is that when I heard about the Aqua Teen Hunger Force bit, the first thing I did was go to the website. In fact, everyone I know that is a digital native thought the whole city, agency & media reaction was a lot of crap. The general buzz was that the incident was hilarious esp given how long the campaign had been in market prior to the incident occuring.

The anti-Target blog reaction reads the same way to me as well -- who cares?

These things point to the huge "generational" divide in attitudes and acceptance, which I believe is accentuated in social mediums. Brands need to have many images and voices just the way people do, and if one voice pisses off one set of customers but engages another, which set is more valuable? All things that need to be weighed, and all things that brands (and most agencies) do a miserable job of weighing. This will change as agencies, marketers and 3rd parties develop better tools for managing and measuring goals, marketing, buzz and sales results, but you've definitely pointed out the big gray soup that exists currently.

oh -- ian schafer managed to rick roll me with his "deep focus has been acquired" post earlier this year, so I'm a -2 as well.

[philmang]

additionally, I think that the "generational" gap can be sliced various ways: Age & Digital Adoption Level being the primary two, but Class, Culture/Ethnicity & Employment type also providing other possible divide sort points.

[amythecopywriter]

Love this post!

[Peter Kim]

Hi Phil - as anniemole points out, there's also a geographic slice as well.

For a different perspective on the ATHF event, in hindsight it was silly. In the moment, it was serious. When it was happening, I was in Boston at a company offsite. The first rumor was "bombs found"...very troubling and very similar to the slow leak of information on the morning of 9/11. (Of course when it was time to go home from the offsite and the city was not shut down, it was all likely a hoax.) How old are the oldest digital born natives? I'd say they are probably 25 today, which means they've grown into commercial cognizance during the W era.

I agree with you that there's a gap - but I think it's primarily attitudinal, roughly correlated with generations.

[Nick Huhn]

Scored a zero; not surprised. I know of a prominent restaurant company that definitely experienced a material financial impact as a result of being "punk'd" by social media, as Jeremiah suggested. Anecdotally, each of these examples probably did not directly initiate or modify a behavior, but I think each helped form or modify a perception or influence brand reputation.

Is it fair to say that these qualitative influences did result in a quantitative, material impact based on increased visibility / shifted perceptions / WOM reach in aggregate?

I thought all this new, whiz-bang technology and increased granularity of marketing research and customer insights was supposed to make these extrapolations easier. ;)

[Peter Kim]

Hi Nick - I thought about using that example, but didn't. (I have something else in mind for that.) I'm feeling that you're right, we agree here that social media may start the ball rolling, but more often pushes it along a bit faster or slows it down a bit.

Funny how we're seeing the ease of measurement in a closed system collide head-on with the difficulty of measurement in an open one, aka real life.

And BTW I think you're getting at how to measure the ROI of social media marketing...

[Nick Huhn]

I think companies like MotiveQuest, Nielsen, et al begin to bridge the quant and qual correlations well, but perhaps - to your point - only closed systems like Amazon can more directly attribute 'social' interactions with real-world results. Great point.

I maintain that social media as a whole only serves to capture, extend and preserve the proverbial dialog we've been sharing since humans first gathered around campfires in caves. Yes there are opportunities to connect the dots and show strong correlations between perceptions and action, though - as with any hypothesis - the experimentation techniques and results deserve intense scrutiny before they are accepted as fact or 'law'.

In the mean time, a lot of people will probably make a lot of money and mistakes by trying to draw solid conclusions vis-a-vis social media marketing and ROI. :)

[Amy Jussel]

Hi Peter, Always a sucker for a quiz and a quip, I guess the fact that I still shop at 'Tarzhay' periodically gives me MINUS a gazillion points since the whole brouhaha started on our blog!

That said, it was never my intent to use SMM in an activist/boycott capacity in the first place, so it actually points to how messaging misfires and the power of a medium in its infancy can zing off in unintentional directions with 'immeasurable' results.

Quantifying impact is blurry at best, not only because of the degree of influence among interpersonal networks and credibility/brand perception, but also the confluence of other variables...the recipient's impressionability, predisposition, behavioral norms (e.g. do they EVER 'take action' whether asked to or not) etc.

I tend to agree with Jen's 'listening' notion above. It's squishy, and the 'tough stuff' of discerning effectiveness is just beginning.

In our case, we were building awareness of mass market objectification and it zinged into a 'bloggers don't count' secondary conversation via the NYT: http://www.shapingyouth.org/blog/?p=1063 so one could argue 'actions' were certainly taken by many, but they weren't even tied to the original subject matter.

Even if there HAD been a call to action that was initially trackable, it wouldn't measure sustainability of that action, much less behavioral change.

So does SMM matter? Whether you're a brand marketer, world leader, or ANY persuasive voice; seems it's a force to be integrated with equal parts 'neighborhood watch' and unbridled camraderie, depending on the intimacy and familiarity of exchanges within the community. Either way it's impressionable, and should be handled with circumspect care.

[Peter Kim]

Hi Amy - thanks for the additional color. Interesting point about actions taken not related to the original subject matter...a reminder that we always interpret messages through personal filters, no matter what the source.

[Jenny Cisney]

Cool! Kodak Chief Blogger here... what Kodak product did you buy!?

[Peter Kim]

Me? None...I've purchased two cameras this year, a Canon PowerShot SD1000 and a Nikon D40.

[Jenny Cisney]

Ahh... I actually do get quite a few comments that readers get a Kodak camera after seeing my pics on the 1000Words blog or on Flickr... esp after they see what the panoramic feature can do.

[Larry Irons]

Peter,

If social media marketing doesn't matter why do you blog? Aren't you "selling" yourself here? Or, are just playing around? To me, social media marketing is all about conversations. Some conversations lead somewhere and others don't, with due note of the Cluetrain Manifesto. Listening and talking to users/customers, who are almost always the same, is key--as Li and Bernoff correctly note.