The ROI Catch-22

I always look forward to Kevin Shively and Lucy Hitz’s annual report “The State of Social Marketing” by Simply Measured. In it, they point out that the act of requesting additional resources for social media management is often cloaked in an ROI discussion with the boss. The boss is usually the Director of Marketing.

The socially savvy commuter does not ask “Where is my Yellow Pages so I can lookup Yellow Cab?” YET! The same boss that needs your ROI report just approved the Yellow Page’s invoice.

ROI is a Catch-22.

You need it to get the additional resources BUT you don’t have the resources to do the core job much less produce an ROI report.

One day very soon, there will be no more Uber.

Siri will make getting from point A to B easier and more effective than even Uber. This will occur in the same space and time that a high paid executive at Uber will be ignoring some ROI report in her “inbox” that she requested months ago that took 4 people to produce. How quickly we forget. PS. Did I tell you the joke about the Blockbuster ROI analyzer?

Socially Savvy Executives dont ask for ROI. They are too busy analyzing

THE FEEDBACK LOOP.

How are we doing right now? Why is that trending? Where did they come from? What can we do to improve that? Why do we do that? Can we do that differently?

STOP! Be quiet for a brief moment in time………. Can you hear your world changing? If you can’t, it’s because your feedback loop is BROKE.

Fix that and you will be released from the death grip of the ROI Catch-22.

If you need help building or fixing your feedback loop, feel free to call me (John Rector) at +1-843-327-6008 or Contus Us.

Author: John Rector

John Rector is an AI Futurist who predicted the next word in business™, starting with his notable paper from 2015, "Mommy, What's a Cashier?" Drawing upon 40 years of experience in the practical applications of high technology, he assists clients in converting uncertainty into strategic advantages within a one-to-six-year framework. With leadership roles including IBM executive and co-founder of e2open, he has a diverse and impactful background. In the AI sector, he has set benchmarks through his contributions to Mind Media Group and Florrol, pioneering AI-based services and content generation. His investment initiative, Waterway Ventures, is committed to advancing promising AI startups. His creative ventures include founding Bodaro and graphic design studio Palm ❤️. In education, he has launched Nextyrn, which uses AI for personalized learning experiences, and in art, he leads Potyn, an initiative using AI to create bespoke pieces. His ever-expanding portfolio features companies like Nozeus, Infinia, Blacc Ink, and Maibly. Operating from Charleston, SC, his current focus involves partnering with individuals and enterprises to develop innovative business models and processes for the rapidly approaching age of AGI.

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