It's easy to get lost in metrics and analytics when crafting a social media strategy. How many conversions? How many fans? What is my reach? Of course numbers are important, but they can never tell the whole picture. If you are serious about improving your social media marketing campaign you have to be willing to look at more than numbers. Some of the most successful companies are gaining influence with a more creative and organic strategy. Here are a few valuable lessons from companies who excel at using social media to grow and increase sales.

Friends versus Fans 

Making friends instead of fans is all about developing a relationship with your customers. Fans are merely consumers whereas friends are part of an ongoing conversation. If you are in the habit of primarily "selling" your product on social media, you're doing it wrong. Real engagement is all about interactive conversations where there is give and take; you must listen and respond to feedback in an authentic way to create this kind of relationship. You also need to be able to interact. Volkwagen's 2009 campaign, The Fun Theory, is one example of how brands can truly interact with consumers. Volkswagen set out to find out if "fun [could] change people's behavior" and they challenged consumers to do the same. You may remember the now famous piano stair video from this campaign. The video went viral and Volkswagen's challenge to consumers really hit home. This car company understood that consumers could be much more than buyers, they could be a part of a movement and thus help to promote the brand.

Get a Sense of Humor 

Save the carefully prepared copy for press releases; it won't help your social media campaign. Don’t be afraid to show your sense of humor. Customers will undoubtedly respond to brands with personality. Tweets such as,"winning isn’t everything, said the sad, girlfriendless sports loser as he shuffled off the field and smelled bad" helped Old Spice become one of Time Magazine's "sassiest" brands on Twitter. Old Spice has adopted a light-hearted (ridiculous at times), and downright funny approach to social media marketing. Their zany and quick-witted tweets have garnered the attention of their millennial target audience. They displayed the same consistently humorous voice across their social media campaign. Younger customers are more likely to relate to this type of content, and it’s fun enough to keep them coming back for more.   

Go Social with Loyalty Rewards 

You may or may not already have a loyalty program in place. These types of promotions are old hat, but adding a social component makes them more effective than ever. The My Coke Rewards program is a great example of how social rewards programs can boost sales as well as promote your brand. The secret is simple: make it easy and convenient to share. Embed opportunities for sharing in the rewards program. My Coke Rewards participants have the option of tweeting canned tweets such as "Hey, look at what I found at My Coke Rewards" or even creating their own message. The rewards catalog also offers easy ways for participants to share on Facebook or via email. The ease of social interaction created deep brand engagement. 

Summary

Mad Men's Don Draper called technology a "glittering lure" and I'm sure both you and your customers can relate to this metaphor. He goes on to say that, "there's the rare occasion when the public can be engaged on a level beyond flash, if they have a sentimental bond with the product". That should be your goal when using social media marketing. This idea is a great reminder to take a break from the numbers. Analytics and metrics can only get you so far. As you can see, qualitative strategies also play an important role in improving your social media marketing strategies. These strategies might not be an exact fit for your business, but they still offer a valuable lesson to infuse a bit of humanity into your marketing