1. Dollars behind Facebook.
You can no longer rely solely on earned media with Facebook. If you want to make the most of the platform, you simply have to pay to play.
This truth is hard for me to swallow. I use to be a firm believer in organic growth and reach on social media platforms, but after watching Facebook engagement and reach fall flat this past year, I firmly believe you have to strategically put dollars behind your content. You don’t have to take my word though… Facebook has admitted organic reach is dipping. See for yourself.
The bottom line is this… if you’re okay with only 16 percent of your Facebook fans seeing your content (source), then keep doing what you’re doing. If you want your content to stand out from all the noise and reach more people, then you need to pay.
2. Social data to make smart decisions.
Gatorade’s Mission Control was founded in 2010 and since then we’ve seen others, from the Oregon Ducks to NASCAR, follow their lead. Now is the time to shift the focus from the bright and shiny tools to actual data that can influence smart business decisions. Research proves organizations want to find ways to measure their digital initiatives and use social data across business. In a recent study done by OMI, it was found that analytics is the most coveted skill in digital right now.
In 2014, let’s use social data to help drive product decisions and athlete endorsements (consumer sporting goods); adjust game broadcasts (ahem, if ABC listened on social they would know Eminem and college football don’t mix); garner feedback about the game day experience; understand the content fans are craving.
We have all this information right at our fingertips and in real time. It’s time to look beyond the likes, shares and comments to meaningful stories in social data that help influence real business decisions.