Social media marketing is big

While social media marketing is the big thing at the moment, often social media traffic can be "worthless", according to one sector commentator.

Peter D, writing for SEO Book, questioned why a company should pay $1 (65 pence) on Google Adwords for financial keywords but when using pay per click (PPC) services on social networks the same terms cost just five cents.

He claimed that this could be due to one of two reasons - either the networks were underestimating the service or their members were unlikely to follow PPC to commercial messages.

However, Mr D added that social media marketing can still be useful in generating buzz and attracting links.

"Whilst not a replacement for a marketing strategy, social media can be a viable component of a wider marketing strategy," he explained.

The key to evaluating its success lies in tracking and analysing the costs against the benefits, he concluded.

Meanwhile, e-consultancy's Patrick Oak has said that feedback is important for e-tailers but that it should be collected in a "thoughtful manner" that addresses bias.

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