How can you measure the effectiveness of social media?
Standard ‘Engagement’ Metrics:
In most cases today, if you are leveraging social media, you are driving traffic back to your web site. Here are some general ‘engagement’ metrics that brands can use once their visitors arrive:
- - Total time spent per user
- - Frequency of visits
- - Time spent on site
- - Depth of visit
- - Conversions
There are a number of web analytics tools to help track these metrics, such as Omniture and Google Analytics which is free!
In terms of the Innocent ‘Big Knit’ campaign that I mentioned in my previous post, the success of the campaign can be measured through press coverage, increase in sales and overall amount of money raised for the Age UK charity.
Social media regulations
There has been a rapid expansion of surveillance and data mining technologies in order to protect the privacy and security of network users.
UK regulation
•Data protection Act (1998)
•As of March 1st, 2011, UK Code of Non-broadcast Advertising, Sales Promotion and Direct Marketing (the CAP Code) expanded to include online, including the rules relating to misleading advertising, social responsibility and the protection of children.
How are social networking sites protecting it’s users?
Facebook
Encourages self-surveillance and regulation of the self. The site provides users with a recommended privacy default setting which encourages its consumers to select the “Friends Only” option. This option will limit the amount of information visible other non-friend users.
Facebook work hard with other regulation bodies in order to provide its users with a safe environment to communicate with friends.
TRUSTe Program. Facebook has been awarded TRUSTe's Privacy Seal signifying that this privacy policy and practices have been reviewed by TRUSTe.
