With millions of users logging on to social media sites and over 500 million tweets published every day, it makes perfect sense for businesses to target consumers and clients through social platforms. And, according to a new study from the Content Marketing Association (CMA), this trend only looks set to continue.
The CMA’s study, The Role of Social in Content Marketing, asked 100 senior level marketers, media agencies and creative agencies about the extent to which social formed part of their plans for the coming year. Four out of five respondents said they were planning to increase their use of social media next year, while three-quarters said they planned to invest more in owned social media. A further 57% said they currently invest in paid social media. Quizzed about the reasons for using social media, 57% agreed it was for amplification and 21% said it helped build a fan base.
The study also highlighted the social platforms that were believed to work best. Somewhat unsurprisingly, Twitter and Facebook were named most influential and the most economically viable in the content marketing space. Within the B2C sector, 55% said Facebook was the most effective social media for content marketing, whilst in the B2B sector 67% said LinkedIn was a content marketer’s best friend.
However, despite so many companies planning to ramp up their social activity, 42% said they were unsure of how to accurately measure the return on investment from social platforms, with only 28% of respondents saying they were confident of measuring their effectiveness.
“This brand new insight demonstrates the importance social media now holds for marketers and the content marketing industry, with most seeing it as a necessary part of their strategy,” said Claire Hill, managing director of the CMA. “The pace at which social media is growing in power and influence is remarkable, and that there are many opportunities for brands to use this to their advantage to make their voices heard.”
It seems companies ignore social media at their peril, even if they’re struggling to get a handle on its effectiveness. 
