68% Of Brands Struggle To Integrate Social Media Into Marketing Strategies

Social media is a two way street, there has to be reasons for both marketers and consumers to engage with each other. But what either side is looking for can be two completely different things and if marketers don’t realise this, then they will greatly limit the level of interaction between the two groups.

A survey conducted by CMO Council looked into what results marketers and consumers expect from a brand’s Facebook page. From a company point of view, they are currently struggling to integrate it fully into their marketing strategy with 34 per cent saying that while they’ve developed strategies which include social media, it still isn’t fully integrated into their strategies.

Another 44 per cent said that they either have some social media strategies brewing or have loosely connected strategies, but only 17 per cent said that they had a full and integrated strategy.

This stems from a lack of understanding about social media and its benefits, or more accurately a sure fire way to estimate how valuable the service is. While there are analytical services available on Facebook, brands are having problems establishing just how valuable a comment or ‘like’ is.

Despite this, many felt that the integration of social media has impacted positivelyThey also found that the level of communication via social media is low with 76 per cent of customers interacting with companies through email and only 11 per cent communicating through a brand’s Facebook page.

Also, many felt that the integration of social media has impacted positively on the company with 55 per cent saying that it has improved customer listening, engagement and conversations as well as opening up new avenues to gather and further market insights. 47 per cent felt that it had increased the complexity of marketing planning and mix allocation.

One real area where both marketers and consumers differed somewhat was in what they felt was the meaning behind a ‘like. When asked what they believed it means, 57 per cent of marketers felt that it meant the content in question was agreeable while roughly 40 per cent said that it meant consumers wanted to be heard as well as track news on the brand and product.

Consumers responded in a similar manner by saying that they like a brand so that they can be eligible for exclusive offers, interact with other consumers and share their experiences and to find games, contests and other unique experiences. However, the satisfaction of consumers when they interact with brands is high with 34 per cent saying it was what they expected and more. 40 per cent said that their last experience with a brand through social media was good but left them wanting more.

The survey was conducted by CMO Council, in conjunction with Lithium, and asked more than 1,300 consumers and 132 marketers to gain a better understanding about the value of social media. If you want to read the report in full, you can find it here.