6 Key Shifts in Thinking About Social Media

Do you ever wonder how businesses are using social media marketing to grow their business? Whether they are concerned about declining Facebook reach? What platforms and strategies they intend to invest their time on?

Donna Mortiz, column writer for Entrepreneur.com examines Social Media Examiner’s annual Social Media Marketing Industry Report after surveying over 2,800 marketers.

The one undeniable message from the report is that marketers continue to place high value on social media with 92% of marketers indicating that social media is important for their business.

The report also revealed a number of shifts in focus, as marketers try to stand out from all the noise to get noticed and get results online.

Here are six key shifts in thinking that are highlighted by this year’s industry report:

1. A Return to Blogging

When asked how they will change their future social media activities, blogging absolutely topped the charts with 68% of marketers planning to increase their efforts.

2. Facebook May Be Losing its Shine

The report indicates that we’re seeing the beginning of a decline in the use of Facebook by marketers, despite it remaining the most important social network platform overall.  Seven percent of marketers plan to decrease their Facebook use in 2014, and only 43% believe their Facebook efforts are effective.

3. B2B vs. B2C Requires a Shift in Focus

The report reveals interesting differences in the focus of B2B and B2C marketers. When it comes to B2C, Facebook dominates, followed by YouTube, Pinterest and Instagram. For B2B marketers, LinkedIn surpassed Facebook as the platform of choice, with blogging and Twitter also play a prominent role.

4. A Greater Fascination with Google+

Marketers want to learn most about Google+. While 54% of marketers are using Google+, 65% want to learn more about it and 61% plan on increasing Google+ activities in 2014.

5. Podcasting is on a Growth Trajectory

Although only 6% of marketers are involved with podcasting, 21% plan to increase their podcasting activities this year. This is more than  a three-fold increase.

With 28% of marketers wanting to learn more about podcasting, this is considered a major shift in priorities and this is likely fueled by the global adaptation of smartphones.

6. Eyes Are Now on Visual Content

When it comes to content, visual assets top the list of content forms that marketers want to learn more about. 68% of marketers want to know about how to create original images and infographics, followed by an increased interest in learning how to produce original videos.

It is becoming more difficult to reach your ideal audience while they filter out the noise. As indicated in the report, clever marketers are considering a shift in their approach to reach consumers.

Whether this shift is to be flexible in the platforms you focus on, to include more visual content, or to embrace emerging mediums such as podcasting, the end result is to provide quality content that catches the attention of consumers and provides them with value.

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Read the full article by Donne Mortiz.