DMR #23: Dr Angela Hausman – Is it possible to have a data driven social media strategy?

David: Is it really possible to have a data driven, results-orientated social media strategy? How does public relations fit into the modern marketing mix? What are the changes that are occurring at the moment in social media? Those are just three of the questions that I intend to ask today's special guest, Dr. Angela Hausman. Angela, welcome to DMR. Angela: Thanks. David: Angela's the head of marketing at Group Surfing. Angela owns Hausman and Associates, full service firm operating at the intersection of marketing and social media. Angela, I'm interested in this phrase, at the intersection of marketing and social media. Is social media not part of marketing then? Angela: Sure. Social media is part of marketing and I think that's why I used the tag line on my website at the intersection of marketing and social media. The reason is because even though social media is part of marketing, a lot of people who are operating in this space don't act like it is. They act like somehow social media is this totally different animal and often they think of it as a combination of technology and journalism. I have a problem with that because I think marketing is very important. One of the things that tracks really well for me on my blog are the articles where I really talk about traditional marketing concepts and how they can be adapted to social media because not very many people are out there talking about that. David: Can you perhaps give us an example of marketing done well via social media? Angela: I think there are lots of really good examples of marketers who really get social media. One of the ones that I heard recently is Talenti which is a high-end frozen yogurt gelato product. They use social media mainly because they didn't have the budget to do traditional advertising and I actually think that they were better off that way than if they had the money. Sometimes having too much money is a bad thing. It lets you get sloppy.