The Verdict is In: The Future of Marketing is Social!

by Dr. R. Kay Green 

We can’t deny it. It’s everywhere we go, it’s everything we see. It’s social media and it symbolizes where we are as a society: Interconnected…and it is here to stay.

Social media is a marketers’ dream. It allows your audience to watch you – as a brand – develop, grow, and evolve. Many of your most loyal fans and followers are engaged in your lives and businesses through social media.

Whether you’re an entrepreneur or a corporation, social media provides multiple no-cost platforms to connect with your target audience. They follow your companies, your brands, and your experiences, through the good times and the bad times. Your audience gets to know you, like you, and build trusting relationships with you.

The most recent facts on social media indicate that not only is social media the latest, greatest phenomenon; but, it is also predicted to remain a part of our lives for decades to come. How do we know this to be true? Let’s consider the most recent facts on social media:

• FACT: Currently, marketers allocate 7.6% of their budgets to social media. CMOs expect that number to reach 18.8% in the next five years. (Source: CMO Survey)
• FACT: Marketers spend an average of 4-6 hours a week on social media. (Source: Social Media Examiner )
• FACT: 79% of Marketers have integrated social media into their traditional marketing activities (Source: SocialMediaToday)
• FACT: Social media is the top driver for relationship building (Source: SocialMediaToday)
• FACT: 37% of brands would like to use social media engagement to create customer-tailored marketing campaigns. (Source: Social Media Today)
• FACT: 33% of consumers cite social networks as a way they discover new brands, products or services (Source: SocialMediaToday)
• FACT: Facebook users spend 6.35 hours each month on the social network via their desktop (Source: SocialMediaToday)
• FACT: Instagram has more than 150 million active users (Source: SocialMediaToday)
• FACT: 15% of Internet users are on Pinterest (Source: SocialMediaToday)
• FACT: 25% of consumers who complain about products on Facebook or Twitter expect a response within 1 hour. Peer Influence + Bad Reviews = Brand Killer. (Source: SocialMediaToday)
• FACT: 51% of the top 20% of B2B marketers generating leads through social media use social sharing tools, compared to the industry average of 39%. (Source: Aberdeen)

The Takeaway? If you are not active on social media, you are missing a world of opportunity for engagement and connectivity in your market, both domestically and globally. The key word here is Opportunity. Plain and simple, social media is EXPOSURE, EXPOSURE, EXPOSURE.

If you are currently active and visible on social media, strive to make your brand more relevant than ever before. The key word here is Engagement. Try new platforms and new ways of engaging your audience…they will follow.

Social media is about being SOCIAL. Have fun with it, and be creative, engaging, and connected. Remember, always communicate your message clearly, consistently, and constantly.