How does social media help in measuring the return of investment of a company?

[Proud Indian]

Comapnies and Business Services using FREE social media for their presence are investing a very small negligible amount for doing so. Say, by appointing some internet surfer or a marketing company to register them on several social media, creating blogs, registering with Directories, etc. If the business is of Website base, then the ROI is expected to be measured by parameters of no. of manhours and the expenses + Internet charges if they do it of their own at their own office, and the no. of visitors they get back in a month or so, on a regular basis.

If the business is not web based, then their full exercise is going to be simply a FREE advertisement for them, which may or may not have an impact, as compared to the conventional print media advertisement or Paid Membership in Directories such as IndiaMart. Yellowpages etc.

I expect the craze of FREE social media will end up abruptly sometime in the future, when everyone tries to feel his presence there. Also the social media is unreliable due to their irresponsible behaviour as has been the case with Facebook.