I wrote a long post on Social Media Czar - a job I would not mind being because I see it as an extension of Web Analytics - in other words, I think a Web Analyst could be very well be the perfect person to head up, or at least, be part of such a role.

As I mentioned, there aren't many corporations that even have someone dedicated to Social Media, much less a Social Media Czar, and a team dedicated to that - going cross organization.

But to me, the real issue is ownership and budget - without the concept of a "Czar" it's hard to see how most corporations are going to buy into Social Media in an effective manner.

which gets back to why corporations aren't doing much with Social Media up till now … there was no proven ROI and there was a fear it was not scalable enough (ie: buy blog advertising - but could you get enough impressions and visitors to matter - up till now, probably not - unless you were just interested in Branding or WOM).

However, I believe within the next 3 years, Social Media will occupy a position in Corporations much as Search Marketing and Web Analytics does now (and Web Analytics will, in some cases - hopefully - get merged into Social Media).

And now I'll answer why Web Analysts would make good Social Media Czars …. ROI Measurement …that's why. I wrote a post about it at The Analytics Guru a few weeks ago titled

I think I just figured out where the Future of Marketing is going

Ok, talk about strategy - yes, PR people might have a better understanding of how to generate BUZZ and Marketing people might have a better understanding of how to SELL … but do either have much luck measuring anything in a meaningful way …. no, they don't.

When you put a marketing or PR person in charge of Social Media …. there's the possibility you won't have good analysis, good measurement - good ROI metrics - but that would never be the case if you put a Web Analyst in charge - or, at least, as a key member of the Social Media Czar's team.

BTW, as a Board Director in charge of Social Media for the Web Analytics Association - I've found a curious thing - or at least, realized it - Social Media is a "state of being" not an activity - it permeates all marketing and communication channels - it's not just a channel - it's part of everything.

IN that spirit -here's a recent meeting I had with a few of my Community and Social Media  members - my committee, which I started from scratch a little more than a year ago, now has 73 members, more than double the size of any other committee of the WAA - and we're looking at various options to harness the talent and knowledge within the committee - Social Media Lunch on 7-17-08 in Lower Manhattan.

If your interested, btw, anyone can join WAASOCIAL, the Web Analytics Association's own Social Network -