Increasing the ROI of Social Media Marketing

By following a seven-step process to identify and recruit potential brand ambassadors in online social networks, an ice cream retailer substantially improved the effectiveness of its social media marketing.

BY V. KUMAR AND ROHAN MIRCHANDANI

NOW THAT SO MANY people worldwide participate in online social networks — 955 million on Facebook alone¹ — influencing consumer preferences and purchase decisions through these networks and word of mouth (WOM) is an increasingly important part of every marketer’s job. Many enterprises are investing in social channels to rapidly create or propagate their brand through viral content, social media contests and other consumer engagement efforts. Their traditional campaigns ...