Social media continues to evolve and as we move into 2010 the landscape in which companies utilize it will begin to shift. According to Clay McDaniel’s Imedia Connection article, "Social Media: Listen less and sell more", it is time for companies to use social media for more than just creating buzz and actually get consumers to buy. In 2009 Social Media was centered on engagement, but for 2010 it will be all about sales.

"In 2010, more and more brands will find ways to use social marketing to move the sales needle -- driving people to not just talk about their brands, but to make purchases through the social channel. And that move will necessitate a whole new crop of analytics tools that enable marketers to measure with precision how social media activity about their brand impacts not just brand engagement, but conversion."

There are now many sophisticated analytics tools beyond just buzz monitoring tools that marketers can utilize to help companies make this transition. These tools can help brands understand which social media channels and conversations are driving sales and why.

McDaniel’s article discusses how companies can gather information on the front end, but these same companies need somewhere to input and utilize this information on the back end to help them drive sales. We recently launched a demo to help bring to life Microsoft’s vision for Connected Experiences for Consumer Goods. Connected Experiences for Consumer Goods is Microsoft’s vision to provide innovative, cost-effective solutions and capabilities that allow companies to connect with shoppers and consumers to create rich, lasting relationships. Our Consumer Goods demo touches on the great technologies and tools provided by Microsoft and their partners that companies can leverage to gain insight into their customers’ buying preferences and attitudes.

Although McDaniel’s article and Consumer Goods demo offer quite a big overview and may touch on more technology than most brands need, it still provides insight to some great tools and processes that can be leveraged to more effectively direct your advertising and increase sales through social channels.