Marketers Are A-Twitter

Words of the Day

“We have two ears and one mouth so we can listen twice as much as we speak.” – Epictetus, ancient Greek philosopher

Social Media Has Businesses Buzzing

Social media integration is creating big business buzz. Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and YouTube are fast-becoming some of the sharpest tools in the PR, marketing and branding toolboxes – and businesses are discovering social media can be integrated into many channels. 

Two new studies reveal how the integration of social media is transforming the way marketers connect and engage their audiences – online and offline.  Today, WordSmith will dive into an Alterian study about social media marketing.  Stay tuned for how online users are emerging as brand advocates.  

Marketers Report Social Media as “Critical for Success” (Alterian)

The evolution of social and digital media marketing relies on the traditional – and successful – PR tool of two-way communications.  Marketers are quickly realizing that operating in a one-way marketing tunnel is a head-on collision in a social media world.

Marketers must be better listeners than ever, and keep the conversation engaging.  

A 2009 survey by Alterian indicates that social media is becoming an integral part of most companies’ marketing campaigns.  Highlights of the study:

♦  More than 50 percent direct at least “a fair amount” of effort toward integrating social media marketing into their overall strategy.

♦  66 percent will invest in social media marketing in 2010

♦  40 percent of those plan to shift more than a fifth of their traditional marketing budget toward social media marketing activities.

An eMarketer’s report on the findings of the Alterian survey pointed out, “[Social Media] is yet another channel to be incorporated into an integrated communication strategy, rather than addressed on its own. And it can provide unique insights into the consumers who can now use earned media to build brands alongside marketers.”

Other social media morsels:

♦  Marketers still desire social media education and training to get on the leading-edge of these tools.

♦ 37 percent of businesses planned to invest in training.

♦  36 percent of marketers will invest in social media monitoring and analysis.

WordSmith will keep his eyes on how marketers are walking the pages of Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, while also engaging other important modern consumer tools such as blogs, podcasts, vodcasts and more.

The WordSmith News Bureau is based at Deane Smith Media Innovations, a full-service PR, marketing and advertising agency.  Got PR?  Need marketing strategy? Ad consulting?  Message Wordsmithing?  Creative & online initiatives? Reach the WordSmith at wordsmith@deanesmithmedia.com