If you're a marketer, you're undoubtedly trying to monetize your social media efforts. Everyone is. However, the jury is still out on how to measure the effectiveness of marketing on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, et. al. Marketing experts even suggest that the ROI on social media is good only because the "I" is so small.

Could it be that we're measuring the wrong things? Social media is a social experience. Perhaps using marketing to interrupt that experience and ask people to buy our stuff just isn't a reasonable expectation. What if we accelerate the social experience rather than interrupting it? If we create a popular culture around a brand or product – or play into one that already exists – we can likely profit from giving customers a reason to participate with a brand. Increased sales will necessarily follow.

Like Peeps®. Manufacturer Just Born has practically given control of their Peeps brand to their customers – with incredible results.

• Annual Peep diorama contests are tremendously popular.

• Social media sites are helping customers extend the Peep experience.

• And the phenomenon grows more and more every spring.

Peeps even plans to launch a new line of Peeps flavored lip balms – quite a coup for an inexpensive marshmallow candy that lacks a big marketing budget. Could their success be the result of enabling a popular culture? Of creating an authentic idea that customers can embrace? We think so.

Especially because we've already seen what happens when a brand name shuns the social experience.