Overestimating The Power of Social Media

Perhaps because it's still a relatively new field, interactive marketers seriously lack confidence in their ability to measure the relative effectiveness of social media campaigns, according to a new study by Forrester Research. Of 119 interactive marketers asked between May and June to rank such measurement capabilities on a scale of 1 to 10 -- 1 being novice and 10 being expert -- the average response was 4.5. "We find this average ambitious considering that social media is still less than four years old," said Emily Riley, Forrester Research analyst and author of the report.

I find that Social Media is too early to claim social media as a stable in digital marketing. However I do think it is a current trend to capitalize on. Myspace, Twitter and facebook will all run its course as new mediums appear. Mobile connection may be the new frontier but it is always effective to ride the wave and speculate. The difficulty in social media, contrary to frequent discussion, isn’t in how to use the tools or the tactics. It’s not about measurement or determining ROI. Those things are tangible, and solvable, with time, dedication, and elbow grease.