August 2011

We found some interesting research this week about how brands in Australia are embracing (or failing to embrace) the changing face of Social Media.  The survey found some interesting stats including;

• Only 14% of small to medium businesses have a presence in social media
• Social media spending has increased from 0% of the marketing budget to around 5% in only 3 years
• 60% of Medium and Large Companies expect to spend more on Social Media next year
• 98% of businesses involved in social media activities expect to increase sales because of their efforts

Very interesting statistics showing that large businesses are quickly embracing Social Media, but small and medium sized businesses are lagging behind.

One of the most critical aspects of a good social media strategy is the listening strategy.  It is critical that you, as a brand, know what your customers and potential customers are saying about you.  Research completed by Alterian found some interesting stats about how little most companies are actually listening to their customers online.  Some of the stats include;