A report from Forrester found that many companies are using social media without effectively integrating the channel into their efforts to improve brand visibility. The study suggests that just 49 percent of businesses have made social media a part of their marketing strategy.
Ninety-two percent of respondents to Forrester’s poll, relayed by Mashable, said that social media has changed the way their prospects engage with companies. Still, more than half of the same respondents are not using social media to engage with existing clients.
With the rise of different forms of new media marketing, marketing goals remain centered on conversions but companies have various outlets that allow them to think long-term and cultivate leads over time. While sales and leads are the main drivers of all marketing success, using social and other new media channels to drive site traffic and overall brand visibility is critical on the web.
Social is helping both B2C and B2B companies in different ways. According to Forrester, 59 percent of consumers are active users of social networks, which Forrester defined as using platforms at least once per week. One-third choose to log into Facebook or Twitter . For B2C companies, appealing to social consumers is often aimed at direct conversions. Meanwhile, B2B social media use tends to focus on driving website traffic, improving brand appeal and establishing a company as a thought leader its niche.
Even among companies using social media marketing effectively, many are struggling to assess their campaigns. Brafton recently reported that 28 percent of businesses active in the channel do not measure their efforts, while an additional 27 indicated intuition is their primary metric.
