Aimia’s recently released study puts the spotlight firmly on what we would call the mechanical social media efforts of most companies.  Basing their findings upon a detailed segmentation of the users of social media, Aimia makes the strong assertion that the current emphasis on quantitative (likes, followers etc) measures of social media success is putting companies on the wrong track. 

Recognizing that there are distinct types of users on social media, Aimia suggests companies focus on understanding how those segments relate to their business and focus on achieving higher levels of customer engagement on social media.  Overall the big shift for companies will be away from the quantitative world of likes and followers to the more subjective (but higher business value) measures of engagement level and influence.