Social media marketing may have been adopted by nearly all businesses but the vast majority are in danger of blowing their budgets, with just 14% investing in monitoring tools to measure success and traction.
This is one of the key findings of a new independent research, commissioned by global mobile and social analytics firm Webtrends, which probed 100 UK marketing managers.
As Webtrends director of technical service Conrad Bennett said: “Why have an online presence in the first place if you are not going to monitor what people are saying online? Measurement is as important a part of the marketing strategy as the campaign itself.
“Gathering concrete data on how consumers are interacting with brands online enables marketers to make solid business decisions based on an accurate knowledge of what people are engaging with.”
The Marketer App-etite survey also showed that – at long last – the year of the mobile could soon be upon us, with a substantial majority of UK marketing managers (83%) viewing a mobile strategy as important to their activities.
The study also found marketing managers are putting more and more budget aside for mobile marketing campaigns, with 34% planning to spend more than 20% of next year’s marketing budget on the medium. This shift to mobile is also reflected by the fact that over half (55%) see mobile strategy as a standard part of planning any campaign.
Mobile apps and mobile websites were found to play a large role in mobile campaigns, with only 16% identifying neither mobile apps nor mobile websites as appropriate for their business. In fact, the research found that 89% plan to invest in a mobile website, and 87% plan to invest in apps.
Nick Sharp, Webtrends vice-president and general manager, EMEA and Australia, said: “In an increasingly connected world, we are seeing brands of all shapes and sizes turning their focus towards mobile marketing through market demand. Our findings have confirmed that more and more budget each year is being allocated to deliver mobile marketing campaigns as mobile cements its place as an essential technology.
“We see mobile apps deployed on daily basis by marketers aiming to interact with smartphone users, but it is also important to note that mobile websites are also experiencing growth. Mobile sites can also be a great marketing tool to engage with consumers, and in many cases they can be more effective than an app.”
Additionally, the research has found that a lack of time and resources is proving to be the biggest barrier to social media successes, with 43% of those identifying this as a major issue. Needing to focus on other marketing activity was the main restriction for 25% and cost constraints were listed as an issue for 22%.
1 Trackbacks & Pingbacks
Comments are closed.