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    11Mar, 2022
    Social Media Marketing is a joke – It’s time we admit it

    Let’s get back to the roots.

    Social media marketing has seen the greatest development since the Russian hacking of Donald Trump’s 2016 election. Why? It exposed what many social media marketers have known for a long time: social media platforms are a joke. Their valuations are based upon imaginary users and their integrity lies somewhere between Lucifer or that guy who eats peoples’ faces in movies.

    Marketing consultants like myself find it increasingly difficult to recommend existing social media platforms such as Instagram, Twitter, or Twitter. This is because many of us don’t trust the metrics.

    Why should we? Facebook does not

    Our key metrics (DAUs), MAUs (monthly active users) and ARPU (average revenue per user) are calculated from internal company data that is based on user account activity. These numbers are based upon what we consider to be reasonable estimates for our user base over the relevant period of measurement. However, measuring the usage of our products among large online and mobile populations around world presents inherent challenges.

    According to the largest data management company, it doesn’t know if their numbers are correct. Estimates? How do marketing professionals want to know the estimated results after they are done?

    It gets worse. It gets worse.

    We estimate that approximately 10% of all MAUs worldwide were duplicate accounts in the fourth quarter 2017. As compared to developed markets, we believe that the proportion of duplicate accounts in developing countries like India, Indonesia and the Philippines is significantly higher than the rate found in more developed ones. We estimate that fake accounts accounted for approximately 3-4 percent of our global MAUs in the fourth quarter 2017.

    Let this sink in. Facebook admits that approximately 10% of its monthly active users is fake. They don’t say how much of their daily active users they are fake.

    That’s the problem of social media. It’s impossible to tell the difference between real and fake social media.

    Social media isn’t real anymore.

    We are proud of our accuracy as marketers and advertisers. We used to obsess over ratings numbers for advertising and print promotions and delivery success rates for direct mailings.

    All platforms were thoroughly audited in all cases. It was easy to determine the audience for each medium or channel. There was always a review point for the numbers.

    Because traditional media like radio, TV and print have been around for so long, there are thousands of case studies that can be used to examine the successes or failures of campaigns. These mediums were public records, so it was easy to look backward to determine what media mix and budget worked.

    We could quickly establish industry benchmarks for success, not only based on our individual experiences but also based upon the collective experience of clear strategies that were laid out for everyone to see.

    Social media blew that out of the water.

    The numbers of Instagram, Twitter and Facebook were always a joke.

    In the days gone by, company valuations were based on revenues and assets as well as performance.

    This all changed when the idea of “daily activate users” was introduced.

    Social media platforms became more powerful than ever because of the desire to gain new users. The obsession with user growth has opened up the possibility of advertising and marketing fraud at a scale not possible before.

    Let’s be clear: Any platform that allows users to create fake profiles to allow others to buy likes, followers or shares is harmful to both advertisers and brands.

    Okay, now I get that the word “allows”, is doing a lot in that sentence. Let me explain a little more.

    I doubt I’ll be able to get any arguments from them when I say that the most popular social media platforms are also the most technologically advanced. Their entire business model revolves around being able crunch numbers, facts and obscure pieces millions of times per second.

    They are also large corporations with an army IP bulldogs and lawyers waiting to protect their brand from any outside threats.

    Let me ask you, why is it that people still have the ability to buy likes on Facebook, Twitter followers or Instagram fans, despite all the news?

    It was always a fraud. We were all conned.

    What does it matter if the users are real or fake? To ensure integrity of your userbase, you would hire an army of auditors if you had the money. They never did this, and I doubt they will ever do it again.

    Social media platforms use honey traps.

    Social platforms like Twitter and Facebook initially lured companies and brands to their platforms by promising free advertising and marketing. You can quickly build a following and fan base without having to hire marketing scum like me. You don’t need to hire a professional when it is possible to do it yourself.

    This was something I supported at first. Marketing and advertising were often expensive and only large companies could afford them. Small business marketing was not being considered. Even a small business can compete online with the help of social media marketing.

    Many businesses have spent thousands of dollars and hours to increase their online followers.

    After luring them into their honey traps, social media companies held their followers and fans hostage. To have access to the userbase you cultivated and built, you had to pay.

    The numbers suddenly made no sense. It was expensive to boost or promote posts, when it was previously free. Many businesses were left devastated by the result. Although the ROI numbers didn’t add up for many businesses, there were so many customers that they couldn’t help but continue trying to get as much value as possible.

    Furthermore, such promotions opened the door to more abuses. Social platforms seemed to be driven by revenue and continued to ignore fake profiles and social media bots in order to drive ad sales. Users were not able to comprehend how their personal data was harvested or manipulated.

    It did a lot to marketing, and I don’t think we can recover. It forced many digital marketing agencies and firms to share the Kool-aid. When we all knew better, people doubled down on social marketing for their clients.

    Advertising agencies and marketing agencies were made accomplices in the aftermath of the event.

    Marketing and advertising consultants, as I mentioned earlier, are expected to be meticulous and accurate. We want to ensure that our clients get the best possible ROI.

    We are self-serving, just like professionals in any industry vertical.

    Real estate agents are one of my favorite examples of people who don’t know better but will do anything to make a quick buck.

    A real estate agent might tell you that it is a bad time to buy a home. I’ve never seen a realty agent say that buyers should wait to buy a house. Are house prices rising? This is a great time to purchase; you will get your money back right away! House prices going down? It’s a buyers market! Get your savings locked in now!

    Social media marketing was a similar endeavor by advertising and marketing professionals.

    We were astonished at the rise of these platforms and did not want to be left behind. Clients were asking us to assist them as the buzz was growing behind them. Many firms advised their clients to invest in social media, even though they were not proven with any case studies.

    What happened? Most social media campaigns end in disaster. Only a small percentage of companies continue to use social media in a serious manner compared with the rates they used for traditional advertising and SEO.

    It is evident in the positioning. Digital marketers discuss social media in terms of “reach”, “exposure,” and “presence.” This is code for “throw away your money.” You can do an internet search for social media effectiveness and find a lot of SEO and social media marketing pros praising the platforms.

    Real marketers speak about ROI. Impact on sales and lead generation. Brand awareness is not a rentable asset. This is what I say as someone who builds brands every day.

    10Mar, 2022
    16 Questions to Ask When Hiring a Social Media Manager

    Businesses are increasingly turning to the Social Media Manager for help with their online marketing. It is well-known the positive impact that social media marketing has on businesses and the benefits it brings. It’s not surprising that many business owners are unable to manage their social media marketing on their own.

    Social media managers do much more than simply updating profiles with status updates. Social media management involves figuring out who, what, when, and why. What do you want your business to reach? What are the steps to reach them? What are their most active locations? Why should social media be part of your marketing strategy? Many companies are realizing that outsourcing, or hiring someone to manage their social media campaigns, is an important part of social media marketing. A third party can often see the larger picture better.

    In recent years, social media management has been a popular position. Its popularity is due to the following:

    – Entry barriers are low

    High demand for these services

    – Big rewards

    Is it for everyone? There are many social media managers out there. Some are very, very talented. Some are really, really terrible. How do you find the positive ones? The best social media managers know what they are doing and will be able to help you succeed.

    These 21 questions are for your potential social media manager. What better answers would you like?

    1. What is success?

    Social marketing success is not measured by the number of followers. Social media managers should be able help you define success at both a tactical and strategic level in order to support larger marketing goals. A social media manager who has a narrow view of success or cannot explain how performance is measured beyond the number of audience will not be able provide higher-level strategic solutions.

    2. What kind of results can you expect?

    A social media manager who is able to manage your expectations will help you see the potential results. Social media managers are not magicians. While they should work for you using industry best practices, there are many things that can go wrong. Based on their past results and experience, they should be able give you an idea of what they can bring to the table. A social media manager who cannot communicate effectively with you about their experience in social media will probably not have the right level of experience.

    3. What is the ROI of social marketing?

    Social marketing can measure ROI, contrary to popular belief. It can also be perceptual. Which are your goals? Did they succeed? If they were, you achieved a positive ROI. Did your campaign help your business in any way? If so, did they have any positive results? If so, you are a success. Social marketing ROI does not always have to be tied to tangible business results. Ask your social media manager how these factors can be measured to show the business value they provide.

    4. Which social media platforms are you a specialist in? These platforms are right for your business.

    Different social media networks have different users and practices. Each network may not be right for every industry or business. How could a pharmaceutical company engage in Twitter drug marketing? While most businesses can use the networks in some way, it is likely that many others can’t. Your social media manager should be aware of any limitations.

    5. Do we have to be on every social media platform?

    Social media managers who have done research on your company should be familiar with your target audience. This is how you get a clear picture of the perceptions they have of your business. Social media managers can spread your visibility across multiple networks which could cause your campaigns to suffer. They should focus on maximizing performance on the platforms where your target audience is located.

    6. Is Google+ worth it for our business?

    This should show the depth of your Google+ social media management knowledge. Google indexes Google+ content quicker than any content from other sources. This platform has seen rapid growth since its 2011 launch and is now one the most popular social networks. This is something a social media manager needs to know. They should be able to identify if your target audience is there and whether it is viable for your business. Also, they should be able to leverage Google+ to achieve your larger marketing goals.

    7. Can you please give us an example of a social media platform limitation that you have encountered? What did you do to overcome this limitation?

    Social media managers need to be aware of the limitations social networks have. These include bandwidth limits, API calls, character limits, and bandwidth limitations. Social media managers who have never encountered limitations or not been able to overcome them are likely to be inexperienced. They will likely be new to the social world. You can get a good idea of their approach to dealing with adversity by asking them how they have overcome obstacles with clients in the past.

    8. Is it possible to run a “Like and share to win” contest on our Facebook page.

    Don’t be surprised if a social media manager doesn’t know the answer. It is essential that you hire someone who understands the rules and guidelines for each social platform. They will also be able to enforce any Terms of Service. To enter the contest, you must use a third party app.

    9. Do you remember having to manage a crisis in social media marketing? Could you give us an example?

    Asking a social media manager what a ‘crisis’ is to them will show their experience. Their biggest crisis is if they misspell a URL on a Pinterest Pin and don’t notice until their client asks about why there are so many messages about broken link, then it’s likely that they are very inexperienced. It is also useful to inquire about the steps taken to solve the problem and the outcome.

    10. Would you be willing to share some of your current clients and projects?

    Reputable social media managers will be able to show you client accounts. You should be proud of this. Depending on the campaign goals and strategies, some profiles will do better than others. If they refuse to answer your question or can’t show you any information, it is likely that they are hiding something. Managers of social media should show you their portfolio if they take pride in producing quality work. Imagine going to a sales pitch and not having a sample of the product. Without a product sample, clients would not even consider placing an order.

    11. How would you allocate your social marketing advertising budget.

    Social media managers should be able describe how to allocate advertising budgets and how to determine if they are successful. You should provide specific metrics and KPIs. They should also be analysed and reported. You can also gauge the opinions of your customers about which advertising platform they prefer, and how they feel that your business should be promoted.

    12. What are our responsibilities as clients?

    A social media manager doesn’t operate in a vacuum. They must be involved in all aspects of your marketing activities. They will also need to be able to access any marketing information and resources. You, as the client, should be clear about your role and that of a social media manager. These guidelines should be communicated to both you and the social media manager before you establish a working relationship.

    13. What is the social marketing strategy of our competitors?

    If you value your job opportunity, any social media manager will conduct initial research before meeting with you. It should alarm bells if they don’t know anything about your competitors. Social media managers should be able give you an insight into how your competitors use social networks such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn right away. Although this information can be further researched later, it will give you an insight into the organisation and proactiveness of your competitors.

    14. How can you assess new social media platforms? How can you keep up with the latest developments and innovations in Social Marketing?

    Social media landscapes are constantly changing. Even the most skilled social media managers must continue to improve their skills, learn new strategies, and try out new techniques. Social media managers should be able to build engagement across multiple platforms using multiple tools. While there are certain platforms that are considered the juggernauts, remember AOL, MySpace, and eBay. Would you hire someone to manage your social media accounts and pitch engaging your I.T customers via MySpace? I doubt it. It is important to remember that social media landscapes are constantly changing. Social media managers should continue to evaluate new platforms and make recommendations on which ones to consider.

    15. Are you able to offer community management as part of your Social Marketing services

    Your Facebook page doesn’t mean that social engagement ends. In fact, the most difficult part of the process is creating profiles. Executing the community management strategies that follow is the most difficult and expensive. It is crucial to understand how your social media manager approaches the community management process and which strategies and tactics they will use in interacting with your audience. This will give you a clue about how your social media manager will manage your brand online. It is important to get feedback and guidance on how your business is perceived online.

    16. Do you own a blog? Are you currently writing content for different social platforms?

    Managers of social media should live by what they preach. Ask to see their blog and check if they post regularly. Social media management is more than just updating Facebook and Twitter. Balance is key. Otherwise, your social media streams will be cluttered with irrelevant articles or giant advertisements. Social media managers who are skilled at writing will allow you to create engaging and interesting articles. They will also have a good understanding of SEO and will optimize content to include the correct keywords at the right places, linking back to your company. Ask to see the articles they have written before so that you can decide if their writing style would suit your business.