More than 100 million less searches carried out on search engines in the UK fromJuly-August. 40 million less searches carried out August-September. So what's happening? the rise and rise of social media, that's what. Because the increasing trend for those in the know is to find the answers and information they're looking for on the social web. Although Google remains the king of all search methods, its lead is gradually being eroded by the likes of Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.
So what is the real significance of this shift? Those in the know say its this; Social media is becoming more and more important in driving traffic to websites that search engine optimisation, and it might be that the days of search engine optimisation (SEO) are slipping into the past. Is it worth businesses spending hard earned cash on SEO when there might not be any return on this investment?

Probably not. Indeed, it all points towards money spent on social media being a far better bet.

There's always a lot of talk about social media and the bottom line. Just how do you effectively measure the ROI when looking at your social media costs. Although its often said that social media engagement is a necessity rather than a luxury these days, its still important to be able to justify those Pounds, Rands and Dollars spent on social media.

So how do you do it? is social media still rather more art than science? or can we nail it down with the metrics? So-called 'soft' indicators such as engagement relate to the numbers of followers on Twitter, or 'likes' on Facebook are cited by many as indicators of success. But only twelve percent of users and sixteen percent of social media consultants can cite bottom line improvement. These figures are perhaps subjective but maybe that's why art trumps science, at least at the moment. Or perhaps it always will as fickle social media consumers hop from channel to channel depending upon the latest fashion. We've seen the fall from grace of former behemoths like MySpace and BeBo, as well as start-ups which fail to set the world on fire, like the recently closed Scoville...

Have a look at this article for a closer look at the stats.
And if you want some more advice on social media measurement, there's a good article here from Brass Tack Thinking.

(image from ivisitorguide.blogspot.com )

Ok, so you've taken the plunge and entered the world of social media. Your business is on-line and active across the social web and you are starting to get some interest. A few likes on Facebook, some followers on Twitter and you're ready to take the next step and recruit a social media expert to boost your profile and hopefully bring in new business.

So, what do you look for in a social media consultant? and how will you maximise your rate of return (ROI on what might be a substantial investment. After all, its notoriously difficult to quantify success or failure with social media compared to traditional profit and loss accounting.

I came across a great article recently which hits the nail on the head on the subject of social media consultants. I think it sums up the qualities of the ideal social media expert your business needs. Have a look here and see if you agree....

( image used under creative commons licence. Original from theadaptivemarketer.com )