New York – Social media has an extremely high usage rate among content marketers, according to a new survey by the Custom Content Council, in partnership with ContentWise. “Social Media in the Content Mix” examines the role that social media, SEO and mobile play in content marketing in North America.
Eighty-nine percent of content marketers are using social media, with an average frequency of 11 times per week. Of the remaining 11% not engaged in social media, 38% plan to use it next year. Customer interaction was the leading reason (55%) marketers used the medium, including responding to customer comments on Facebook.
Despite the overwhelming social media penetration among marketers, the Social Media survey found 51% of those surveyed do not have a formal strategic plan in their content marketing efforts. Not surprisingly, 57% is planned within four weeks or less and 23% do not plan social media content in advance at all.
Three-quarters (74%) of content marketers develop their social media entirely in-house, with only 7.5% tapping agencies for any portion of their social media content. Text is the most common content type (60%), followed by images (21%) and video (12%).
“Content marketers have always been on the forefront of digital strategies and the same holds true in social media,” said Lori Rosen, Executive Director, Custom Content Council. “The survey also indicates that there are plenty of growth opportunities in this area in outsourcing opportunities and helping marketers to ‘keep pace’ with the mediums.”
Among other findings:
- Social Media Distribution Channels: Social network channels (defined as Facebook, LinkedIn & Google+) are the most used social media channels (100%), followed by microblogging channels at 77% (Twitter, Tumblr); video sharing channels at 68% (YouTube, Vimeo) and photo sharing at 41% (Pinterest, Flickr).
- Greatest Challenges: On a scale of 1-6, marketers ranked keeping pace (3.9) as the biggest challenge in social media, followed by measuring ROI (3.6), assembling content (3.3), finding time (3.2) and managing the volume (2.8).
- Effectiveness as a Marketing Medium: Compared to out-of-home, broadcast and print advertising, marketers said social media was more effective or about the same and less effective than direct marketing, search marketing, event marketing and PR.
- ROI Proves Positive and On the Rise: The vast majority of marketers said the ROI from social media was either extremely positive (10%), positive (36%) or moderate (42%). Its importance is on the rise, with 89% of respondents reporting a steady or dramatic increase.
The Social Media survey found an even split between content marketers using search marketing for their content, with more than half (52%) abstaining from the practice. Of the marketers who do engage in search marketing, almost all of them (98%) integrate keywords and metadata into their content. A third of marketers not utilizing search marketing this year plan to do so in the next 12 months.
Mobile marketing is still in the nascent stages when it comes to content. According to the survey, the two leading strategies are optimizing email for mobile devices and utilizing mobile ad campaigns. For those marketers who had an app, 48% said the primary purpose was to distribute engaging content. Very few marketers (21%) plan to release an app whose primary purpose is to distribute content.