Marketers Use Of Social Media In Early Stages

Most marketers are still in the early phases of adopting and measuring social media, according to a survey by the Marketing Executives Networking Group (MENG).


The survey found that 67 percent of respondents consider themselves beginners at using social media for marketing purposes. Additionally, more than 87 percent said they are not regularly measuring the return on investment (ROI) of their social media marketing efforts.


“Our members are excited about the potential of social media, but most have not yet fully integrated social media practices into their traditional marketing efforts,” says Richard Guha, Chairman of MENG.


“While many marketers are worried they’re missing the boat, in reality even the Fortune 500 companies don’t feel they’ve mastered social media just yet.”


The majority (75%) of marketers define social media as media that is based on conversations among users. More than 67 percent said they will increase their social media advertising budget in 2009, almost 80 percent said social media is not a fully integrated part of their marketing programs.


“Many marketers are unsure where to start with social media,” said MENG member Dwight Griesman, Chief Marketing Officer at Forrester Research. “It’s important to make the decision on what to do based on your target audience and your strategy, not the technology