2014 SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING INDUSTRY REPORT

The 2014 SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING INDUSTRY REPORT reveals how marketers are using social media to grow their businesses.

In order to understand how marketers are using social media, Social Media Examiner commissioned its sixth annual Social Media Marketing Industry Report.

It set out to uncover the the “who, what, where, when and why” of social media marketing” with more than 2,800 marketers revealing where they focus their social media activities, which social tactics are most effective and how content plays a role into their social media marketing.

Here's a quick summary of the primary findings:

• Marketers place very high value on social media: A significant 92% of marketers indicate that social media is important for their business, up from 86% in 2013.

• Tactics and engagement are top areas marketers want to master.  At least 89% of marketers want to know the most effective social tactics and the best ways to engage their audience with social media.

• Blogging holds the top spot for future plans. A significant 68% of marketers plan on increasing their use of blogging, making it the top area marketers will invest in for 2014.

• Marketers want to learn most about Google+.  While 54% of marketers are using Google+, 65% want to learn more about it and 61% plan on increasing Google+ activities in 2014.

• Podcasting on growth trajectory.  Only 6% of marketers are involved with podcasting, yet 21% plan on increasing their podcasting activities in 2014, more than threefold increase; and 28% of marketers want to learn more about it.

• Facebook and LinkedIn are the two most important social networks for marketers.  When forced to only select one platform, 54% of marketers selected Facebook, followed by LinkedIn at 17%.

• Most marketers aren't sure their Facebook marketing is effective: Only 34% of marketers (slightly more than one in three) think that their Facebook efforts are effective.

• Original written content is most important for social media marketing:  A significant 58% of marketers stated that original written content is the single most important form of content, followed by original visual assets (19%).

Mr. Michael Stelzner, the founder and CEO of Social Media Examiner, also revealed some fascinating findings like which social networks are used by those who invest the most time in social media marketing and the benefits achieved by those who have been at this for years.  opt