Social Media: A Marketing Fail?
Today on MediaPost.com, reporter Joe Mandese covers the new report from Knowledge Networks called "How People Use Social Media." The report claims that now with over 83% of internet users utilizing social networks, less than 5% of these individuals turn to social media for advice on specific products. The Knowledge Network's report says that people are turning to social media to connect with individuals and finding a rich experience when joining a social networking site; however, these individuals are not finding it to be a "meaningful" way to connect with brands and products.
Mandese reports, "Obviously, a lot of people are using social media, but they are not explicitly turning to it for marketing purposes, or for finding out what products to buy. It's really about connecting with friends, or connecting with other people," says Dave Tice, vice president and group account director at Knowledge Networks, and the top analyst behind the report. "What we're seeing is that word-of-mouth is still the No. 1 most influential source, followed by TV. The influence of social media isn't at the bottom of the list, but it is somewhere in the long tail of marketing - about the same as print ads, or online [display] ads."
As a social media professional, we encourage you to read Mandese's article in its entirety.
Has social media worked for marketing? Will it ever be a valuable vehicle for marketers to connect with their audience on a more personal level?