I’m always amused by the dumb things smart people often do. Today’s bit of amusement comes in the form of an article from eMarketer about how marketers view and use social media. Now, I’m the first to recognize that business executives (and regular folks too!) often say one thing and do something completely different (and opposite) which is, in retrospect, short-sighted. However, this piece demonstrates that the gap between recognizing a strategic imperative and acting upon it is pretty wide when it comes to emerging social media. But let’s see what you think.
The eMarketer piece highlights a study from Jive Software and Penn, Schoen & Berland which found that 78% of executives thought a social business strategy was somewhat or very important to the future success of their business. However, the survey of executives who have final say or significant input on social business strategy found that only 27% listed social business as a top strategic priority. Nearly half (47%) admitted a social plan was necessary but not a strategic priority and 19% said social business strategy was simply not necessary.
Sure, there are other things that may seem of more importance such as customer retention and customer acquisition but that’s exactly where social can excel and the marketers seem not to recognize that. By placing each of these marketing tasks in separate buckets they’re viewing the world in a manner inconsistent with how their customers see it.
I think eMarketer sums it up nicely:
Many companies may be using social media marketing, but those that choose not to focus on a social strategy risk falling behind the curve in integrating social media with their overall marketing goals. Recognizing the importance of strategy alone isn’t enough; companies should start implementing a plan.
Amen!
Consult Keith 