New Survey Shows How Marketers Are Using Social Media

Every year, Social Media Examiner releases their Social Media Industry Report after surveying thousands of marketers to better understand what factors are affecting and driving their strategies most. Some of the factors they look at include:

• The top questions pros want answered on social media
• Average time commitment needed to see results
• The overall benefits of social media based on experience
• Most used social media platforms (and the ones driving the most results)

It’s an amazing way to get an idea of where marketers are allocating their resources, whether that’s time, money or both. Some of the findings are fascinating while others will likely confirm your suspicions, give you confidence in your approach or make the areas you could be missing out on crystal clear.

As with any social media statistics, it’s important to remember it’s based off a large group of people operating in their own unique businesses ranging across all industries. It’s not a replacement for leveraging your own data to find what works for your specific audience, nor is it meant to be.

Take a look at some of the highlights below but make sure you also download the full 2015 Social Media Industry Report from Social Media Examiner to get access to all 52-pages of data.

Which Social Networks Dominate Future Plans?

Out of the surveyed group, 66% of marketers said they plan to increase their use of three specific social networks:

• Twitter
• YouTube
• LinkedIn

Facebook Remains The Leader For Marketers

It’s clear that Facebook isn’t going anywhere with 93% of marketers using the social network and 68% wanting to learn more. 62% said they plan on increasing their Facebook activities in the future.

When it came to the two most important social networks for marketers, Facebook and LinkedIn dominated. When forced to choose only one option, 52% chose Facebook while 21% went with LinkedIn.

Facebook may be the dominant social network but it’s also the one that seems to puzzle marketers the most. They must believe in the power of the big blue giant because less than half of marketers actually feel their Facebook marketing efforts are effective, despite having 62% that plan on increasing their activities.

For those that are curious, the survey also revealed that B2C marketers are more likely to have success with Facebook than those in B2B. 51% of B2C marketers feel that their Facebook marketing efforts are effective versus only 36% for B2B.

The Video Revolution Is Here

If you’re concerned about ROI, video is an investment that will continue to pay off in the long term. Video has always been an effective medium but costs and lack of expertise has held back many from diving in.

Newer technology has democratized the ability to do video marketing in a cost effective way while still maintaining a high quality. This is obvious when we learn that 57% of marketers are now using video in their marketing and an additional 72% want to learn more or plan on increasing their use of video.

Social Media Marketing Industry Report 2015 Overview from Mike Stelzner on Vimeo.

Which social media statistic in the 2015 Social Media Industry Report surprised you the most? Let us know in the comments below!

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