2012 Social Media Marketing Industry Report
Posted on 03. Apr, 2012 by Lee Odden in Blog, Book Reviews, report, Small Business Internet Marketing, Small Business Marketing, Social Media, social media marketing, social media research
Click the image above to download your copy of the report.
While the speculation, pontification and monetization of social media is reaching momentum of tsunami proportions, many businesses looking for practical advice are asking, “Exactly how are marketers using social media to grow their businesses?”
Michael Stelzner from Social Media Examiner has posed that same question and others like it to a sample of marketers on the front lines of the social web to help bring some clarity to what works, what doesn’t and where to focus.
When asked about the bearing of the report on the intersection of search and social, Mike said, “With Google integrating results from its Google+ network into search, we’ll begin to see an Amazon type social proofing of search results based on the activity of friends. This will make search even more important.” We agree!
The 2012 Social Media Marketing Industry Report is out today and offers 42 pages of insights, tables, graphs and examples of tactics. Over 3,800 respondents provided their advice on the who, what, when, and where of social media marketing. They also shared where they plan on investing in the future.
Key subject matter covered in the report includes:
- The top 10 social media questions marketers want answered:
- The time commitment
- The benefits of social media marketing
- Commonly used social media services:
- Social media sites people want to learn more about
- Social media outsourcing
- B2B vs B2C
- Changes since the 2011 report
How much time should you spend on social media marketing tasks each week? It’s a reasonable question and the responses broke down as:
- 59% – 6 hours / week or more
- 33% – 11 hours / week or more
- 15% - 20+ hours / week
Other key findings from the 2012 Social Media Marketing Industry Report include:
- 83% of marketers indicate that social media is important for their business.
- Top benefits of social media marketing:
85% Generating more business exposure
69% increasing traffic
65% providing marketplace insight - 76% of marketers plan on increasing their use of YouTube and video marketing
- While only 40% of marketers are using Google+, 70% of marketers want to learn more about it and 67% plan on increasing Google+ activities
This report is a perfect compliment to the upcoming Social Media Success Summit online conference coming up on May 1st. You can get your basic questions answered and some alignment with what others are doing from the report and then get practical advice, tips and training from consultants and practitioners from the online conference. It’s a great example of content marketing to promote an event actually.
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© Online Marketing Blog, 2012. |
2012 Social Media Marketing Industry Report | http://www.toprankblog.com
A-to-Z Internet Marketing News: Bloggers Beware, Google Trust, Mobile SEO, New Twitter, SMBs Heart SEO
Posted on 09. Dec, 2011 by Ashley Zeckman in B2B, b2b marketing, Blog, content marketing, mobile seo, News, report, Search Industry News, Small Business Internet Marketing, Small Business Marketing
New Report on B2B Content Marketing for 2012:
This week started off right with the new report (pdf) from Content Marketing Institute and MarketingProfs: ”B2B Content Marketing: 2012 Benchmarks, Budgets & Trends”. The report offers a great mix of insight into most and least effective content marketing tactics, social media tools, measurement, budgets and compelling data points like:
- 9 in 10 organizations market with content
- Content marketers use 8 different content marketing tactics (on average) in their mix
- The most popular content marketing tactics included social media, blogs, newsletters, case studies and events
- The least effective content marketing tactics: podcasts, mobile content, digital magazines
While SEO is mentioned in the context of measurement, “SEO Ranking”, there is no other mention of the role of search engine optimization in relation to content marketing in the entire report. Either questions were not asked that allowed SEO to be indicated as a response or this is further evidence of the disconnect between content marketers and the role of search optimization as a key traffic driver for content. Either way, it reinforces our evangelism at TopRank for companies to invest in content creation as well as optimization and promotion. #optimize
Bloggers Beware:
“Crystal Cox, Oregon Blogger, Isn’t a Journalist, Concludes U.S. Court –Imposes $2.5 Million Judgement on Her” Cox’s interview with Seattle Weekly sheds some light on a sticky situation. One of Crystal Cox blogs contained highly critical information about a particular financial company and it’s co-founder. The prosecution was able to convince the court that because Cox is not affiliated with a specific newspaper, magazine, news service, or network she is not covered under Oregon’s media shield law and therefore can be fined. Via Seattle Weekly.
Brands New Twitter:
“The New Twitter: Everything You Need to Know” Twitter has revealed a slew of new features and design including Brand pages (like Google+ and Facebook). New features and labeling include: Home (news feed), Connect (Your @replies), Discover (Personalized news stream), Me (Your profile). Along with these revisions are brand pages which are customizable and the ability to embed individual tweets in web pages. Verdict? Did we ask for these changes Twitter? Via Mashable and Twitter.
In Google We Trust: But Does Google Trust You?
“Are You Trusted by Google?” Determining how Google calculates reputation scores has long been a mystery. This article provides resources that give some teasers into how Google might use these scores but there is still no information provided on how exactly reputation scores are calculated. Google’s new Agent Rank provides some clarification when it comes to +1 scores and as predicted, they are not all created equal. Via SEO by the Sea.
Mobile is Your Daddy:
“How the Mobile Web Changes the SEO Landscape” Mobile Internet usage is said to surpass desktop usage by 2014. Something worth noting is that the way that users search using their mobile devices is also very different. This presents a threat as well as an excellent opportunity for marketers to optimize for mobile. This article provides some interesting insights into some of the ways that Internet usage is about to change. Via Forbes.
Dodging Social Media Risk:
“Too Many Wrong Messages on Social Media? Try Leadership, Not Control” Many organizations have found that the type of information their employees are sharing on social media reflects poorly on their brand and may have severe consequences. The question many companies face is should they control the way that their employees share? This article shares some great tips for educating employees on the do’s and don’ts of social media. Via Social Business News.
SEO is the Bomb for SMBs:
“Survey Says SEO the Single Most Important Marketing Channel for SMBs” A recent study by MerchantCircle/Reply.com surveyed 2,500 small business owners with some surprising results. Search Engine Optimization is the marketing channel 32.9% of marketers would use if they had to choose just one making it the front runner by a landslide. Facebook also ranked high as the most common marketing tool being used to promote their business online. Via Search Engine Land.
Nominate TopRank’s Online Marketing Blog
“Nominate Your Favorite Social Media Blog: 3rd Annual Top 10 Social Media Blog Contest” Social Media Examiner is taking nominations for your favorite blogs that cover social media topics. Online Marketing Blog ranked #2 in this list of prestigious blogs along with Brian Solis, Jay Baer, Mitch Joel, Jason Falls, Olivier Blanchard, Gini Dietrich and many others. Please take a moment to nominate TopRankBlog.com for the 2012 list 
Via Social Media Examiner.
Was there any news this week that you think would be of interest to our readers? As always we welcome any feedback that you have regarding our blog and what you would like to see more of. Have a great weekend and we hope to see you again next week.
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© Online Marketing Blog, 2011. |
A-to-Z Internet Marketing News: Bloggers Beware, Google Trust, Mobile SEO, New Twitter, SMBs Heart SEO | http://www.toprankblog.com
MarketingSherpa 2012 SEO Benchmark Report
Posted on 31. Aug, 2011 by Lee Odden in benchmark report, Blog, marketingsherpa, report, research, Small Business Internet Marketing, Small Business Marketing
One of the report categories from MarketingSherpa that I’ve been reviewing for a long time, as in 5 or more years, is their coverage of Search Engine Marketing. In particular, the Search Engine Marketing Benchmark Report – SEO Edition. (See last year’s review here).
The sub-title is appropriately a great indication of the theme for this guide: “Research and Insights for Creating and Capitalizing on a Rich End-User Search Experience. This is a far cry from the days of “Boost Your Search Engine Rankings and More!”. As Online Marketers have matured, there is an increasing focus on optimizing for customers and customer experience vs. the sole KPIs of rankings and traffic.
Authored by Research Analyst Kaci Bower, MarketingSherpa’s 2012 Search Marketing Benchmark Report SEO Edition is broken down into an executive summary that outlines key findings from the survey from which the report is based, 10 chapters on everything from integrating Social Media & SEO to Mobile tactics to SEO Success Stories. There’s also an appendix that includes charts from the research.
If you’re a nut for data, charts and research based insights, this guide is priceless. The section on Planning and Tracking budgets as well as the Agency Perspectives offer helpful information for consultants and of course the SEO Objectives/Tactics, Local, Mobile and Content Marketing sections offer plenty of tactics and insights for practitioners.
If you read Online Marketing Blog, you know we’ve been promoting the notion of “optimize for customers” over a sole focus on keywords. That perspective blends well with the customer-centric theme of MarketingSherpa’s SEO Report.
Just think about the richness of users search experience today in stark contrast to the bland search results made up mostly of just web pages several years ago. With Google in particular, Universal Search, Personalized Search, Social Search, Instant Search, Local/Mobile, Preview and even the currently suspended Real-Time Search all factor together to give users what they’re looking for. The diversity of search experience is the basis for the research and recommendations in the 2012 SEO Guide.
One of the interesting insights from the research in this report includes the disconnect between marketers that consider SEO Strategy an important challenge to overcome, but not a a top objective. That mismatch in priorities can be costly in terms of ineffective prioritization of tactics and inefficient utilization of resources. The real irony is stated in the report, “Interestingly, increasing measurable ROI ranked higher as an objective than developing an actual strategy to do so!”
Another key finding concerns the importance of Content Marketing, which was rated as one of the most effective tactics for SEO but also one of the most difficult to implement. Content has been a hot topic for years, with many SEOs dismissing “content is king” as a whitehat SEO battle cry. But of course, relevant (optimized) content is effective for link building, sharing and certainly for inspiring prospects to become customers. The SEO Report identifies many other top SEO tactics as well, segmenting by organization SEO maturity and industry.
I could go on and on, but I think you get the idea. MarketingSherpa has done a great job at providing data sliced and diced every way you can imagine with this year’s version of the SEO Report. The survey findings presented according to level of SEO maturity is especially helpful for companies that have been utilizing SEO best practices for some time, but want to continue to advance their progress.
For organizations that are just starting to investigate a more holistic approach to SEO to professionals that want to incorporate SEO best practices in their areas of expertise (like Public Relations, Web Design, Interactive), the 2012 SEO Guide is full of data, examples and insights.
You can get a sneak peek at the Search Marketing Benchmark Report, SEO Edition and more information about the report overall on the MarketingSherpa website (affiliate link).
Gain a competitive advantage by subscribing to the
TopRank® Online Marketing Newsletter.
© Online Marketing Blog, 2011. |
MarketingSherpa 2012 SEO Benchmark Report | http://www.toprankblog.com
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