In 2015, three of the top five areas where marketers planned to increase their spending involved social outlets. This year, those investments appear to be turning a profit. The link between social marketing and revenue increased 3x over the last year, with nearly half (48%) of marketers reporting that social media marketing is directly linked to their business’ primary revenue source. Does this mean social media ‘experts” were right? Hardly.
82% of marketers agree that social media marketing is core to their business. Last year, 27% of marketers said social would eventually generate ROI and 28% said it already generated ROI, accounting for 55% of all respondents. This year, 75% of respondents report that social is currently generating ROI. But in what form?
[inlinetweet prefix=”” tweeter=”” suffix=””]Those who are experiencing an ROI from social media are using social media for two way communication[/inlinetweet], not as a broadcast channel. Social provides an open platform for two- way communication between businesses and customers that’s hard to replicate elsewhere. Social channels give marketers a forum to build digital rapport on a highly personalized scale — one retweet, like, and comment at a time.
Top marketing teams understand the need for real-time communication and engagement on social channels. The most successful marketers excel at replying in a timely manner across all social networks.
In other words, [inlinetweet prefix=”” tweeter=”” suffix=””]when consumers seek out your brand on social media you had better be listening and respond in Internet time. [/inlinetweet]
