A new report from Ogilvy & Mather and ChatThreads found that social media marketing campaigns have the broadest impacts when used as part of a broader integrated marketing program.
According to the study, social media content exposure increases conversion in both B2C and B2B marketing. However, just 24 percent of consumers reported exposure to social content. Businesses have to be more aggressive with their use of social media marketing material. Even when turning to platforms such as television advertising, businesses should include information about their social media content, the study suggests.
Alone, social media marketing improves brand reputation, the study says. Businesses and consumers that are followers or fans of a brand’s social accounts enjoy receiving engaging information and deals through these channels. However, the greater impetus for increased spending comes when social is part of a broader effort.
“We found that in the real world, social content exposure – by itself and more broadly when combined with other types of media exposure such as out-of-home, PR or TV ads – is linked with two to seven times higher likelihood of consumption and actual spend increases,” Irfan Kamal, senior vice president of digital and social for Ogilvy & Mather, said in a release. “And social content exposure alone is associated with the largest shift in week-to-week brand perception.”
One of the greatest complements for social media campaigns is content marketing. Brafton reported last month that content marketing initiatives aimed at boosting SEO and SERP standing benefit greatly from links and brand exposure offered by social media use.
