Evaluating the value of social media

By Dean Calbreath, UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER

Over the past several years, companies have increasingly spent their advertising and marketing dollars on search engines such as Google or Yahoo and social media outlets such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

But how much business do they actually bring into a company? And how can companies improve their online presence to generate more sales?

Those questions have dominated the Online Marketing Summit, a four-day conference concluding today at Paradise Point Resort in Mission Bay.

“What’s working in social media is that it’s a great way to engage your customers and have a real dialogue with them,” said Thad Kahlow, chief executive of Business OnLine, a San Diego firm concentrating on Web-based marketing. “What’s not working is the drive to know how much return they’re getting on their investment.” Read on!

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