TWITTER, YOUTUBE and LinkedIn hold the top spots for future plans. A significant 66 per cent of marketers plan on increasing their use of these social networks.
Marketers want to learn most about Facebook. While 93 per cent of marketers are using Facebook, 68 per cent want to learn more about it and 62 per cent plan on increasing Facebook activities.
A significant 57 per cent of marketers use video in their marketing. However, 72 per cent want to learn more about video marketing and plan on increasing their use of video. Only ten per cent of marketers are involved with podcasting, yet, 26 per cent plan on increasing their podcasting activities and 43 per cent of marketers want to learn more about podcasting.
Facebook and LinkedIn are the two most important social networks for marketers. When allowed to select only one platform, 52 per cent of marketers selected Facebook, followed by LinkedIn at 21 per cent.
Most marketers aren’t sure their Facebook marketing is effective. Only 45 per cent of marketers think that their Facebook efforts are effective.
Tactics and engagement are top areas marketers want to master. At least 91 per cent of marketers want to know the most effective social tactics and the best ways to engage their audience with social media.
The top social media questions marketers want answered can be summarised in the following keywords: tactics, engagement, measurement, audience and tools – in that order. As the social media marketing industry continues to expand and change, the needs of marketers are clear.
The number one question marketers want answered (92 per cent) is which tactics work best. This is not a surprise, given the constant changes taking place across many social networks. Figuring out how to best connect with people remains high on the list of questions marketers want answered (91 per cent). Engaging with customers is becoming a unique competitive advantage.
A significant 88 per cent of marketers want to know how to measure their return on investment for social media activities. This question has been top of mind for marketers for the last five years. Locating ideal customers and prospects is a big concern for marketers (87 per cent). Marketers are looking for guidance sifting through enormous social networks and connecting with the right people.
Marketers want better tools to simplify their social media tasks. A surprising 87 per cent don’t know which tools are best. We asked marketers if they use social media to market their businesses.
The overwhelming majority (96 per cent) indicated they are participating in social media marketing. A significant 92 per cent of marketers said that social media was important to their businesses. This is the same as 2014 where 63 per cent strongly agreed and 29 per cent agreed.
Only 45 per cent of marketers feel like their Facebook efforts are working, a slight increase from 43 per cent in 2014. However, those marketers either don’t know or indicated that their Facebook marketing is not working. Eighty-four per cent of marketers agreed that they have integrated their social media and traditional marketing activities, slightly up from 83 per cent in 2014.
*Michael Stelzner is founder of Social Media Examiner, the world’s largest online social media magazine. The information above was captured from its 2015 Social Media Marketing Industry Report.
