OSS : 2013 SMM Industry Report

So.. the Social Media Marketing Industry Report for 2013 has officially been released, and WOW is it interesting!! But as interesting as it is, it is also LONG... and I know how busy you are so I have helped you by summarising some of the key findings and things you should know:

MAJOR FINDINGS

Here's a quick summary of primary findings:

• Marketers place very high value on social media: A significant 86% of marketers indicate that social media is important for their business, up from 83% in 2012.

• Tactics and engagement are top areas marketers want to master: At least 88% of marketers want to know the most effective social tactics and the best ways to engage their audience with social media.

• YouTube holds the top spot for future plans: A significant 69% of marketers plan on increasing their use of YouTube, making it the top area marketers will invest in for 2013.

• Marketers want to learn most about blogging: While 58% of marketers are blogging, 62% want to learn more about it and 66% plan on increasing blogging activities in 2013.

• Podcasting set to explode in 2013: Only 5% of marketers are involved with podcasting, yet 24% plan on increasing their podcasting activities in 2013— almost a five-fold increase—and 32% of marketers want to learn more about it.

• Facebook and LinkedIn are the two most important social networks for marketers. When forced to only select one platform, 49% of marketers selected Facebook, followed by LinkedIn at 16%.

• Most marketers aren't sure their Facebook marketing is effective: Only 37% of marketers (slightly more than one in three) think that their Facebook efforts are effective. (Side Note: Should you need guidance feel free to contact OSS)

• Increased exposure is the top benefit of social media marketing: A significant 89% of marketers stated that increased exposure was the number-one benefit of social media marketing.

The above summary is merely a taste of what's in this report.

MEASUREMENT OF SMM

When marketers were asked to rate their agreement with the following statement, "I am able to measure the return on investment for my social media activities", only about one in four (26%) agreed they are able to measure their social activities.

(Side Note: For insights into tracking your Social Media Campaigns view here)

HOURS SPENT ON SMM PER WEEK

A significant 62% of marketers are using social media for 6 hours or more and 36% for 11 or more hours weekly. This is an INCREASE over 2012, when 59% reported 6 or more hours a week and 33% reported 11 or more hours weekly. It's interesting to note that nearly 17% of marketers spend more than 20 hours each week on social media .

BENEFITS OF SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING:

INCREASED EXPOSURE

With as little as 6 or more hours per week, the vast majority of marketers (92%+) indicated their social media efforts increased exposure for their businesses.

REDUCED MARKETING EXPENSES

Nearly half of those who spend at least 6 hours per week or more on social media efforts saw a benefit of reduced marketing expenses.