I recently facilitated a presentation/discussion on the business case for digital and social media.  We looked at the challenged faced by agency and industry professionals in working with clients and companies on digital marketing communications initiatives from a small and medium sized company perspective.  With all the power and market reach that digital and social media has, there is still resistance in using these tools in a marketing communication mix.

I’m not saying that as a marketing communication professional that you should be totally giving up on traditional and print media.  There is something to be said about decreasing the amount of traditional that is done and increasing the amount of digital.  According to U.S. national research, many companies that invest in digital and social media are committing about 40% of their marketing communication to these tools and initiatives.  You should be doing this to make your marketing communication plans work the best for you.

After discussion with the larger group, two key items seemed to surface that can help to convince senior management the benefits of being engaged in digital and social media.  The first is to have a plan that integrates with the organization’s overall marketing communication strategy.  This is something that we all at ABC Creative Group preach constantly!  The second is statistics, case studies, and ROI.  Most people have found that these two pieces can be a great tool when justifying the digital and social media expense.

What are your thoughts on the justification for using digital and social media tools?  What issues do you have that you may need help with?