The more you know about social media and its expanding user base, the better you can harness its communication powers for your marketing campaign. Luckily for you and me, the people at HubSpot and MarketingCharts regularly compile exhaustive data about social media sites and the folks who use them. I downloaded their PowerPoint presentation chock-full of revealing statistics that can guide you as you plan and implement your social media marketing campaign. I chose a handful of stats to share with you here.
If you’re not a numbers person, I promise it won’t be too painful. But, if you like to see exactly where your social media marketing efforts stands, roll up your sleeves and dig in!
1. People love hanging out on Facebook
You probably know that Facebook dominates the social space, but did you know just how dominant this powerhouse is? Facebook users spend an average of seven hours, 46 minutes per month on the site. Users of runner-up AOL Media Network spend only two hours, 52 minutes per month. So, users spend five more hours per month on Facebook than on its closest competitor, time-wise. These results are a good indicator of where you should be spending your time, too!
2. LinkedIn is great for marketing and PR
Don’t count out LinkedIn. Research shows a trend in LinkedIn’s growth over the past year. In one month (August – September, 2011), LinkedIn grew its U.S. market share of visits from 0.57% to 0.64%. It’s also a favorite among journalists; 92% of business journalists have a LinkedIn account. If PR is part of your job, you may want to try pitching on this site. And if you’re a B-to-B marketer, you should absolutely be using LinkedIn Groups to communicate with your customers, as the site hosts numerous professional and industry networking Groups.
3. Go mobile
Marketers should be watching the convergence of social and mobile closely. This year, twice as many people age 55 and over visited social networks on their mobile phones, compared to last year. Your customers are mobile, and you should be, too.
4. Social media influences purchases…
Social sites impact 35% of buying behaviors. That’s right–your tweets and wall posts have the power to directly affect purchasing decisions. Why not offer coupons and specials through social media channels to entice your customers even more?
5. …but is still intimidating to marketers
If you’re intimidated by social media, you’re not alone. 68% of CMOs reported being challenged by social media. Respondents described feeling unprepared for the demands of marketing on social networks.
Even after dividing respondents into two groups (outperforming and underperforming), 66% of the top CMO’s reported feeling unprepared for social media marketing.
So, what do you do? Do as I do, and look to the top experts for advice. I subscribe to tons of industry newsletters and read loads of reports and blogs just to stay on top of what’s coming next in social media marketing.
With so many opportunities for engagement and an ever-expanding reach, social media is proving to be a commanding force in digital marketing. To access the full PowerPoint presentation, visit HubSpot’s website.
Image courtesy of creative design agency Arrae
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