Is your business using digital and social media marketing?
Are you getting the most out of your social media marketing campaigns?
Are you on the RIGHT social media platforms to reach your target market?
Is your social media marketing strategy clearly articulated and complete?
Do you feel overwhelmed in trying to optimize your social media marketing?
I created this video using PowToon — which is a really easy way to create all kinds of videos. I got the data from a variety of sources, but much of it came from a great post on Business 2 Community on 103 facts about social media marketing.
Summing up the data, here are the trends to watch for in 2014:
Social networks continue to grow and fragment.
Worldwide growth in social media use now crosses country and demographic lines with social networks moving into developing nations and is no longer the realm of young people. In fact, growth among 65+ on social networks, especially Facebook, has been dramatic. Businesses follow suit.
While Facebook is still the big tuna with over 1 billion users, it’s only 1 of many social platforms drawing users. Younger folks are now mostly OFF Facebook and on to sites like Snapchat and Vine. Older users tend to be on LinkedIn more than other platforms and Pinterest is primarily female. Internationally, major differences exist with little Twitter usage outside the US, compared with other social networks. And, dedicated social platforms such as QQ in China and VK in Russia.
Online visibility is critical for sales
Huge numbers of consumers and businesses start their purchase search online and most use results to inform purchase decisions. If your brand isn’t online or isn’t optimizing where your brand shows up in search results, you’ll likely see huge declines in sales and the problem will likely become worse before it becomes better — if it ever does.
Social media is a disruptive change. Online search and the impact of social media on brand image have forever changed the nature of marketing and advertising. And, word of mouth has gone viral on social networks. Ignore customer complaints about your brand online at your peril.
Lack of systematic planning and monitoring
Despite the vast opportunity presented by digital and social media marketing, firms run online campaigns like a bunch of undergrads. They jump right into execution without the necessary planning and don’t bother with the numbers. Even firms using advanced monitoring tools often have little idea WHAT to measure and drown under the deluge of data coming at them so fast and from so many sources that it’s hard to draw valuable insights.
Your turn
I’ve summed up 6 facts about social media marketing in the video. But, I’d like to hear your opinion. What do you think are the most salient facts about social media marketing?
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