The Social Media Bible: Tactics, Tools, and Strategies for Business Success, 3rd Edition

The ROI of Social Media

The next most-asked questions at my keynotes are “Where’s the ROI in social media marketing?” and “How much should I be spending on social media marketing?” My answer is always, remove the term social media from those questions and ask them again: “Where’s the ROI in marketing?” and “How much should I be spending on marketing?”

Social media isn’t a toolbox of silver bullets given to us by aliens, it’s just a new set of technologies and concepts that we need to add and integrate into our existing marketing strategy. And, there is always a ROI to marketing.

In this third edition of The Social Media Bible, I went back to you, my audience, and asked for user-generated content. I asked for your stories of how you have used social media and have realized a positive, measurable ROI.

In each of the chapters in both Part I and Part II, I have included what I call “The ROI of Social Media,” 500-word vignettes, or brain candy. These stories are of actual people just like you and me, who have used social media effectively, sharing stories in small, bite-sized examples of the power of social media marketing. They range from small nonprofit organizations trying to raise money all the way up to the PR team at OfficeMax. Here’s actual proof of social media effectiveness.