Came across this interesting take on the value of traffic brought in by a mention in a popular blog like TechCrunch. Apparently, social media consultants Simply Zesty don’t think the over 400 referrals, 70 new RSS subscribers or 30 new Facebook friends was terribly impressive after their TechCrunch mention the other day.

But for many web-properties—especially B2B companies—those numbers are very real and quite actionable. How long would it take your biz dev guy to run down all those 30 Facebook profiles and what do you bet he’ll uncover a few sales prospects?

The thing about those 70 RSS subscribers is that they aren’t just hits, they’re new additions to your marketing database. Every repeat visit is another touchpoint, another chance to build a customer relationship.

Sure, these aren’t the greatest numbers for behemoth marketers like Coca-cola or Amazon, but for many, many online marketers, forging a place for your company in social media isn’t just “me too” marketing anymore. If you’ve got the right business savvy to make use of what’s out there, social media can yield some real gems.