How many marketers out there read blogs?  According to one source, only about 20 to 30%. 

Blog reading should be an essential element of a company’s self and competitive research.  You can find out what is on people’s minds, what makes them react/what moves the needle, how they react to what your company does, as well as to your competition.  You could also spot emerging competition or just get inspired from blog “listening”. 

It seems like social media marketing is the new kid on the block who everyone wants to adopt.  But does everyone do so efficiently?  Not necessarily.  Companies of all sizes and from all industries feel the need to have a Facebook account, a Twitter account, and maybe even a blog.  However, if they do so without understanding the potential benefits/implications of social media they risk wasting their time and adding on to the already gushing information flood. 

Just like with old school marketing, web marketing still has to follow some rules.  There has to be a plan on the strategic side, aligning any social media endeavors with the company’s overall brand and objectives.  Going into more detail, there has to be a map of all the social media used, relevant content, and a timeline for all social media postings.  Closing the loop, there should be ROI measurement.  This one is a bit tricky but there are many web analysis tools available that can help.  For small businesses, a good start would be tracking the number of followers to see awareness, whereas tracking the number of actual customers gained via social media will show new customer acquisition and more.