Despite the constant buzz surrounding the concept of “social media,” it is not the ultimate media solution for every brand. In fact, traditional (read: paid) media continues to anchor the majority of “integrated” media campaigns for our clients. This doesn’t mean that social media is left out; it simply signifies the importance of creating a project strategy that properly balances traditional and social media based on the needs of the client and the brand.

You may be thinking, “Hold the phone, why can’t I jump on the social media gravy train to conversions and sales?” The answers are a), social media is an excellent complement to a traditional media campaign, but it won’t necessarily get the results you’re looking for on its own, and b), it’s not as cheap, quick and successful as most people think it is. There are examples, such as @comcastcares (http://bit.ly/aXU6V), where social media is highly effective on its own, but it’s been our experience that it is not the single solution to the majority of the business problems our clients are trying to solve with their media interaction. And, by no means should a brand use social media just to use it.

Paid media maintains some undeniable benefits. Historically it’s been the only way to guarantee exposure of your ads, and paid media also offers the opportunity to track not just click rates but also click throughs, view throughs, page views and conversions. Social media metrics are still evolving, and it’s difficult to accurately measure reach and impressions of these campaigns. (For more information regarding social media monitoring, please see Darcie Meihoff’s post: “Social Media Monitoring for Your Company’s Online ‘Health’.”)

Social media has great potential to support traditional media campaigns. For instance, when people talk about your brand in the social media realm (e.g. on Twitter), it’s in a conversational way, versus the forced messaging of traditional advertising—the audience shapes the conversation. The more a brand tries to control the social media conversation, the less impact the message will carry. Rely on brand evangelists to help guide the conversation. You may have negative conversations pop up, but chances are they’re going on already (via phone, TV, letters to the editor, etc.)—trash talking is by no means exclusive to social media. The beauty of social media is that you have the opportunity to respond to your criticizer directly, if you so choose. As demonstrated by @comcastcares, facing your critics can have seriously powerful, and positive, repercussions.

Going forward with your next media buy, make social and traditional media work together to drive traffic. Social media can make display advertising more memorable, and using paid search to link to relevant content will guide the target to your site.

Here are some tips to keep in mind when creating your media plan:

1. Over-targeting can lead to missed opportunities. There is value in a wide-reaching campaign.
2. Remember that there is still value in traditional media—it’s worked for decades.
3. Expand your focus beyond the click, and include the value of impressions and visibility.
4. Be cautious when determining measurement—not all traditional metrics have a digital equivalent.
5. Social and traditional media are not interchangeable—they complement each other.
6. Keep an eye on the changing dynamic between traditional and social media.

Related sites to visit:
1. www.mediapost.com
2. www.adage.com/mediaworks
3. www.imediaconnection.com