Public Relations & Social Marketing Insight

ndall Jenner, Selena Gomez, Taylor Swift and Cara Delevigne are all worth $230,000 per social media post when the message appears across Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, D'Marie told Adweek. The celebrities represent a sample, according to D'Marie, of the top 2 percent of social influencers—which includes numerous other big names who can ask for $230,000 per post. 

The tech company aspires to be a Nielsen Ratings-style system that brands can use to measure the value of influencers. It has a proprietary algorithm that takes into account 56 factors to determine the marketing success of individual social media posts, including reach, engagement (likes, comments, shares, etc.), clicks and purchases.

How Instagram and Pinterest Are Powering the Visual Content Shift
"Our system is also going to predict your sales conversions," noted Frank Spadafora, CEO of the New York-based company. "And this is the type of granularity we are talking about: If you are selling a yellow dress for $75 to $100, we are able to look at our system and find the best person, best social platform and best [message]."...

Many studies show that when people answer surveys asking "How did you hear about us?" somewhere between 25 and 50 percent of the time they will just guess. "I saw your ad on a billboard," someone might say, even though the business doing the asking doesn't advertise that way. Or, "I heard about your product on the radio or in the newspaper," when the business has never placed a radio or newspaper ad. People who answer incorrectly don't want to be misleading. They give an answer because they want to be helpful.

The point is that social media isn't only about ROI. And it isn't only about sales. Social media is about branding, opening channels of communication with customers, building loyalty, being transparent and establishing good will.

And if you cover all of those bases, then guess what? If your product or service is worthy, you will most definitely see a return on your investment. Here are four things to know about investing in social media....

Learn the elements your homepage should have to ensure it's optimized for lead generation.

Run your current homepage through this quick 8-question assessment:

1. Does it have a clear, compelling statement that addresses your target audience's pains as a headline on the homepage?

2. Does it have an empathetic photo so people can connect with your company?

3. Do you articulate your differentiation right there on the homepage?

4. Is there validation to back up your story on your homepage?

5. Do you provide a variety of educational content, like reports, videos, webinars, and research?

6. Does your site deliver a personal experience?

7. Can your site be shared via social networks quickly and easily?

8. Does it work just as well on tablets and smartphones?

If you answered “no” to even one of these questions, you might want to make some changes to your homepage. Here are 8 upgrades you should consider to optimize your homepage for better lead generation....