Social Media Marketing Industry Report 2013

Recently, Social Media Examiner published their 5th annual Social Media Marketing Industry Report, and there were some rather interesting findings.

The Social Media Marketing Industry Report surveys thousands of marketers from a number of industries to get a picture of the state of social media marketing in our industry. The data compiled always provides some excellent insights, and this year proves no different.

Below are some of the most interesting highlights from this year’s report. To read the full report, click here.

The Importance of Social Media is on the Rise

Since last year, there has been a 3% increase – from 83% to 86% – in the proportion of marketers who believe that social media is important to their business. Furthermore, of the marketers surveyed, the most important area where they are looking to increase their presence and knowledge is in the realm of blogging. 62% of marketers want to learn more about blogging and 66% plan on increasing their involvement in the activity. It is, after all, one of the best ways of driving traffic and establishing your brand as an industry-leader.

Measurement is a Top Question

Among the most pressing questions marketers want answered when it comes to social media marketing is measurement criteria. Considering the relative novelty of the marketing platform, there are still a variety of ways in which people are measuring their efforts, and there is no one convention that the industry as a whole sticks to. That is why 87% of marketers are looking for answers when it comes to measuring the return on investment (ROI) from their social media efforts.

There Are Still Marketers Adopting Social Media

A whopping 75% of marketers have been engaging in some form of social marketing for less than three years. Of those, 23% have been engaging in social media marketing for less than twelve months! So if you’ve been involved for a few years now, you’re way ahead of the game.

Marketers Are Slow to Adopt to Mobile

Only about 28% of marketers have optimized their blogs for mobile. Though the number of mobile users accessing the web and blogs is on the rise, many marketers have been slow to match.

Social Media is Becoming Heavily Integrated

A staggering 79% of marketers agree to some extent or another that they have integrated their social media into their regular marketing efforts. It is important to note that social media is not a standalone tool; it is simply another piece of the marketing puzzle that will help you build your brand, and it should be properly incorporated into existing strategies, not replace them entirely.

Exposure and Traffic Are the Biggest Benefits

When asked about the greatest benefits of their social activity, a significant 89% of marketers stated that their brand’s involvement in social media has increased exposure, while 75% stated that they had seen their traffic increase.

Increased Leads from Increased Involvement

Perhaps the most impressive statistic from the report relates to lead generation from social media. According to the survey, by devoting a minimum of six hours per week to social media marketing, roughly 64% of marketers saw an increase in their lead generation from social networks.

These are just a few of the great stats and findings in the report. To read the full report, download it here.

What findings do you find most impressive/shocking/interesting? Tell us in the comments below or on Twitter!