Selling Social Marketing to CFOs

November 6, 2008

Selling Social Marketing to CFOs


As Sam Decker writes, justifying spending on word of mouth and social media marketing to CFOs is often a tough job for marketers. As we head into a leaner economy, this task may become even more difficult. And it's no wonder - of course it's hard to be taken seriously while claiming that a collection of intangibles with names like Twitter, Yammer, Flickr, Yelp, Zoomr, Pownce, widgets, blogs, wikis, and so on can add up to real value. But that doesn't mean that social media marketing isn't a priority. In fact, in an environment in which marketing budgets are closely watched, social marketing may become more crucial than ever, given that "capital expenditures necessary for social marketing are often minimal compared to other forms of marketing." How can marketers get this point across to CFOs? Decker has provided us with 8 simple tips. It's all about hard data, proven value, and tangible results, and establishing that, silly names aside, social media is more than a passing fad - it's here to stay.

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