A few coworkers went to a technology trends conference (I was hired after registration closed, unfortunately). One of the big pitches made by the vendor that sponsored the event was video. “Everyone is doing video!!!11!!!”. When asked what type of metrics are used for ROI, the responses ranged from “we received 10,000 hits” to “you can tell how long someone watched the video and if it was played in its entirety.
I would group this under a metrics category called “useless.”
If you’re going to play in the 2.0 space, every strategist out there will tell you to listen to users.
Looking at click rates and entrance interview responses is pretty much useless.
One of the best strategists in the social network space, Jeremiah Owyang, wrote a great piece that included a detailed section on listening:
This is one of the biggest problems for communicators today, just like a real conversation, is learning to listen. Any savvy party goer knows to listen before jumping into a conversation at a cocktail party. Marketers, MarCom, Integrated Marketing, Advertising, PR, have forgotten (or never knew) that by listening to the needs of the market will help them to create more effective messages and then evolve into a conversation.
If you’re going to use video, or any other “2.0″ approach, learn to use the technology effectively. This means getting a pulse on your target community. Tap into some user boards, read blogs, get objective opinions on your selected approach. And most importantly, don’t blindly trust a vendor. Do your own research!
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