This post was written by Mirna Bard, a social media consultant, speaker, author and instructor of social media at the University of California, Irvine.
SmartPulse — our weekly nonscientific reader poll in SmartBrief on Social Media — tracks feedback from leading marketers about social media practices and issues.
Last week’s poll question: Have you used Facebook plug-ins, such as the “Like” button, to
increase traffic to your blog or website?
- I have seen an increase in site/blog visitors – 38.46%
- I have not noticed a difference in traffic – 25.38%
- I don’t know how I would tell if the increase in traffic comes from the Facebook plug-ins – 20.77%
- I wasn’t measuring either way – 15.38%
You cannot be online these days and not notice Facebook plug-ins being integrated into other websites. According to Facebook, 10,000-plus new websites connect to the site each day through social plug-ins, such as the “Like” button, the ability to log in to a site with your Facebook log-in, commenting or the most recent “Send” button.
It seems to me that the “Like” button is now an online requirement of social proof for many individuals, but does it do what Facebook promises — bring about an increase in Web traffic? Well, very close to 40% of SmartBrief on Social Media readers say they have seen a spike since adding the plug-ins.
According to Facebook from information shared on Searchengineland.com, several brands and commerce sites have not only seen a boost in eyeballs, they have seen an increase in revenue after adding the plug-ins. Certainly, common sense would seem to indicate that an increase in qualified eyeballs does translate to an increase sales. But the big question still remains: “Are social plug-ins effective in bringing more sales for businesses like Facebook is stating?” If so, how is this being measured since so many factors play a role in increasing revenue?
I have so many questions, and I am interested in hearing from all readers on your opinion.
Just because the Facebook social plug-ins are everywhere doesn’t mean they actually lead to more sales transactions or bring in more revenue — or do they? If you have experienced an increase in sales from the plug-ins, how much of an increase and how are you measuring this? Please do share!