There's a funny term in marketing: the impression. It's like a hit or a view, but implies that you've created an "Impression" -- as in a user has not only seen and/or heard whatever piece of marketing, but has also acknowledged, understood, appreciated and even participated in it.
But no matter how it's described, an impression is really just a view, isn't it? It's a generic quantifiable number of people who have seen, but not necessarily absorbed -- and certainly may not have cared -- what you've done.
Let's say the question on your mind right now is, "What can I do online that's the best use of my money?" Maybe you're thinking this because our economy seems kind of disreputable right now. (Just a guess!) It's a fair question in any situation, though; you want to put your money to good use.
It's 2008 and whatever marketing you do, in any medium, can theoretically be copied and transmitted anywhere. Anything good or bad -- all your TV, billboards, direct mail, whatever -- is on the Internet somewhere. Even radio. (I just came across a funny, older Corn Nuts radio ad encouraging people to bust a nut.) And when users share your marketing, it adds impressions. More impressions, yay!
But really, is that impression good or bad? Sometimes you know the answer. You pay attention to comments, blog posts, etc. Maybe you're using Google and other technology properly and neutrally, and are actually paying attention to the cloud of chatter around your marketing instead of just the data directly related to a viewing of your marketing. But more often than not, you only know there are more impressions and not what those impressions mean.
It's currently considered a high form of success to get a lot of hits, or a long term of engagement, or a high ranking on YouTube. There are heatmaps and focus groups, and metrics, metrics, metrics. I'm curious to know, though, which of these measures the crucial "Does the user give a shit" measurement?
That's what the YouTube star ratings are for. I love the YouTube stars. They speak to something I call "endorsement."
More than an impression, an endorsement is a stamp of approval. Which is why you should care what consumers say about you when they share online, especially in the social-media space.
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