A recent survey indicates that nearly a third of Web marketers plan to increase spending significantly on social media-such as blogs and discussion boards. The marketers don't look to ROI as the top measure for such media's success, the survey shows.

I like the first half of that and will never understand the second part. It's from a report yesterday in Online Media Daily, a MediaPost Publication, by Tanya Irwin.

Imagine for a moment if you will ladies and gentlemen a 500-seat auditorium in which every seat houses the fanny of a Fortune 500 CEO. Each CEO has had a wire inserted into that part of the brain that drives the profit motive. All the wires plug in to a MeaterEater Monitor on stage that features a Satisfaction Index with what's being said. So far, the needle is way left, registering little or no interest and some disdain. 'They want more money and they can't tell me how much of it and then some that I'll get back...'

The whole point of commercial social media as far as I'm concerned is that it is measureable. Two, the things that can be measured relate over time to customers, prospects, sales, margins, share, etc.

Asked about social media return on investment (ROI), 35% reported positive ROI and 41% said that ROI was "unknown."

I think the 41% with the unknown ROI are at risk of having their social media projects drained of funds or discontinued. In this era, shareholders, stakeholders, CEOs, and board members, to mention a few, aren't buying the old "feels good, looks good, seems right" justification for marketing expense.

Prospero Technologies, LLC did the survey. In fairness to Rusty Williams, co-founder and vice president of Prospero Technologies and who is quoted in the piece, I think he's saying what I'm saying, maybe, in a way? Let's return to the wired CEOs while they listen to what Mr. Williams says about the survey respondents:

"The majority of respondents see engagement with their brand as the most important measure of social media success, while more concrete ROI measures such as sales and new business leads carry less weight..."

Someone gets up to check that the dormant MeaterEater Monitor is plugged in. Most of the men and some of the women in the room have been 'engaged,' in one way or another, at least three times themselves and want no part of it. Mr. Williams continues...

"The reality is the key value to most companies is attention... "

Wires warming.

"If you look at what people say was important it was repeat visitors and total page use."

Needle moving to the right. 'The number of people getting my message can be measured, right?'

"That attention translates into people buying from you..."

Ding ding ding ding. Needle spikes way right.

"Attention is a unit of measure for success right now rather than a hard dollar return."

'Huh?' Needle spikes back to zero. Is it any wonder so many CEOs are confused or skeptical or down-right hostile toward social media initiatives?

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