Over 500 marketers around the World participated in Marquette Group’s latest social media marketing benchmark survey. Canadian marketers made up about 10% of those surveyed. The report reveals the most effective social media marketing tactics used by these marketers.

Social marketers remain firmly focused on awareness, engagement, and ultimately lead generation.

  • 54% of those surveyed believe social marketing has been very successful at increasing brand/product awareness.
  • 49% were very successful at using social marketing to increase customer engagement.
  • 39% found social marketing efforts effective for lead generation.
  • 34% successfully used social marketing to increase website traffic.
  • 26% were very successful in increasing direct sales revenue for their company through social marketing.
  • 23% saw a marked increase in lead quality due to social marketing.
  • 18% successfully increased their content reach.
  • 15% saw improved search engine rankings due to social marketing efforts.
  • 15% of marketers saw a reduction in marketing costs as a result of using social marketing tactics.

Marketers are obviously becoming better at utilizing social media for it’s primary purpose, namely brand awareness and consumer engagement. They begin to flounder when attempting to use social media for more focused reasons, however.

It’s interesting that they had less success with objectives requiring more in-depth measurement. It may be a matter of not knowing how social media has helped in these categories more than a lower level of effectiveness for the purpose. Marketers who focus solely on click through rates (CTR) and website visits don’t see the complete picture that they would if they measured lead activity and conversion rates. This results in “dog chasing a car” syndrome among marketers who know how to chase down consumers on social media, but aren’t sure what to do with them once they catch them.

“Digital advertising must be measurable” the report declares. “Whether the metric is clicks, calls or conversions, the ability to deliver measurable results is a requirement for success.”

Another issue is the conflicting personality types required for effective, fully-featured social marketing. The social extrovert is very good at engagement and brand awareness, while the typical analytical introvert is required for data utilization. The position also requires an artistic touch (writing, graphics skills) and knack for tech (using tools for effective execution and measurement), as well as a strategic thinker with the ability to translate data into a useful strategy. Finding that unique combination of personalities and skill-sets is difficult indeed, but it can be done.

The unique requirements make it that much more important to watch social marketers in action before you recruit them. Luckily, the nature of the job means we’re accessible online. Don’t worry too much about marketing or communications degrees, focus on demonstrated ability. They’re either good at social marketing or they’re not, and no piece of paper will guarantee their value to your company.

The Most Effective Social Marketing Tactics

Social marketers are convinced of the benefits of content marketing and they’re enjoying a lot of success for their efforts.

Marketers Reveal Their Most Effective Social Marketing Tactics

Chart courtesy of Ascend2 and Marquette Group

Creating content is only half of the job, however, which brings us back to strategy.

“An integrated approach to leveraging social marketing ensures content is viewed by the right people at the right point in the purchase funnel” the report advises.

Need some guidance? Here are a few exceptional resources to help you learn more about using social media for business success:

  • Free LinkedIn training is available at LinkedU: How to Create a Massive LinkedIn Referral Network with THE Most Influential Players in Your Market.
  • The book Likeable Social Media: How to Delight Your Customers, Create an Irresistible Brand, and Be Amazing on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, Pinterest, and More, was revised and expanded in 2015 and is perfect for social media novices.

Comment on Canadians Internet BusinessHow is your social marketing going? Please share your ups & downs in the comments below.

You may also be interested in reading:
How Social Media Engagement Impacts Search Ranking
Mobile Facebook Use Increases in Canada: Work it to Your Advantage
Co-operative Social Media Engagement Groups for Canadian Businesses
Top Web Analytics Tools Used by Marketers

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Digital Business & Marketing Manager at Online Business Canada | Website | + posts

Melody McKinnon is an internet entrepreneur with 25 years of experience in a wide range of online business models, backed by a formal business education and enhanced by training and mentorship. She has owned or managed both educational and ecommerce websites. Her book, 7 Recession Proof Online Businesses to Start From Home, is available from all major ebook retailers.

Melody has worked with many businesses & brands in a multitude of capacities. She can often be found on CanadianDigitalMedia.com, CanadiansInternet.com, CanadianFamily.net, and AllNaturalPetCare.com, as well as other quality digital publications. Her content has earned reference links from highly-respected websites, magazines and university textbooks.

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Bryan

I love benchmark reports to line up with what I’m doing and inspire new methods. Thanks!

canadian25

I don’t think I’ve ever seen so much agreement on social in Canada!
It’s inspiring to see our local businesses are catching on.

Nix

It’s really interesting to see what others are doing. I need to step up my marketing and now I know where to start.

Trudy M.

Great stuff!!