There is no denying the fact that social media has quickly become a top priority for most marketers. According to eMarketer, four in five US businesses with at least 100 employees will take part in social media marketing in 2011. According to the same report, social media ranked third among areas marketers planned to focus their online marketing budget in 2011, after search and their own website.

As the stakes get higher, it has become increasingly important to effectively measure ROI. But, social media ROI measurement is still in its infancy. Very few marketers are successful in determining the true ROI from this channel. But, regardless of ROI conundrum, no marketer can afford to sit on the fence and wait until it’s too late. You have to get your feet wet and understand how this channel works. This takes time and there is no silver bullet that will make your social media campaigns successful overnight. Your social marketing needs and objectives are unique and they require a custom approach that can only be developed over a period of time.

via Top 5 Facebook Pages Series – Retailers | Retail Spokes – Online Retail Focused Content Solutions.