Social Media Advertising Today I will make a prediction for 2013 and it’s this. Social media will feature less and less in the strategy of most businesses that know what they are doing.

The reason is simple. Social media or advertising – both the same from the business perspective, both are not worth doing if no return happens. A value exchange must take place, if no exchange takes place, what’s the point?

The business takes his adverts to the much-hyped social media-advertising platform.

The business makes an investment not a payment. From that investment he wants a return. In other words – he/she wants to see numbers, sales, more profits from the investment into social media.

Now lets look at this. Not too long ago for a reason that I can only see as crazy all the major companies decided to no longer use their own URL but would use a URL like facebook.com/myurl.

Why? People believe that if there are masses of people and crowds that is where the business is yet that isn’t always true.

One man took his goods to a football stadium to sell. He thought over 70,000 people will be there that means sales, sales, sales!

The entrepreneur was selling phone chargers for iPhones but cheap copies. He knew most of the crowd these days have cell phones but what he failed to account for was the mindset of the crowd.

Yes some maybe would want this new special iPhone charger, most would think it was a great idea even yet why do people go to football grounds? One reason only – to watch and hope their team wins – no one goes to watch them lose.

So the crowds are upbeat, happy, talking a lot of full of optimism. Unfortunately for the seller there is no buying conversation taking place in the minds of the people at this point. Over the next few hours thoughts of spending on beers, pies and maybe a football program of the game… that is it!

Now think about this, why do people go to social media?

• Gossip, date, look up hot guys, look up hot chicks, see what’s going on but more important a battle for significance.
• People want to be the first to deliver news of any kind
• People want you to know how great they are doing.
• People want you to know how incredible their business really is.

And more.

• Yet the bottom-line for advertisers is this – ARE THEY BUYERS?
• People go to eBay to buy.
• People go to Amazon to buy.
• People go to Facebook/S.M. to … hang out and see what is going on.
• So investors invest in crowds, in the masses hoping to catch one or two in the process.

Yet as time goes on an the advertising investment fails to show a return of any significance, advertisers will begin to pull away from social media as the only and best way to create business.

My advice is this …

• Make sure all of your advertising is focused (small groups can be more profitable than large crowds).
• Make sure all of your advertising is measurable (how do you know what ads or marketing is working?)
• Make sure all of you advertising is an investment (you invest for a return or value exchange)

Interesting that Charlie Sheen has just deleted his account of 8 million twitter followers. The reason he gave was …’I got nothing back from them’. I think that says a lot don’t you?

I’m not advocating you don’t advertise on Facebook after all there are some highly targeted groups on there. You can create great relationships with your groups and fan pages alike on Facebook but the bottom line is … RETURN!

I believe social media advertising will drop dramatically over the next few marketing budgets of many large and small companies. Lets see.

Business consultant Alan Forrest Smith has had over 27 years real-life business experience. He can offer you well over 200 ways to take your business to market. All you have to do is ask. CONTACT ALAN BY CLICKING HERE.