iMedia Connection just published an article about social and it’s lack of enthusiasm from marketers in 2014. The declining value of social marketing
I find it fascinating that marketers are coming to the conclusion that social really isn’t turning out to be the “one ring to rule them all” as some predicted just 3 years ago. But then again, if you were one to believe that, then shame on you for not understanding the industry in which you’ve decided to dedicate your career. None of this should really come as a surprise.
Here’s the breakdown and my take on the numbers:
- 6% are new to social. – In other words: Um, where have you been? Welcome to the club but you’re probably just going to copy what others have done and not innovate at all in the medium.
- 7.75% are happy campers. – In other words: The few that actually “GET IT”.
- 10.5% are going to do something else. – In other words: Getting bored with it, and hate the social “experts” on their team.
- 21% are dissatisfied with social marketing. – In other words: These are the companies and agencies that have old school traditional types running the show and they are too lazy and stupid to take the time to learn how to really make social work so they just give up.
- 54.75% are stepping back and waiting. – In other words: The saddest of all of the numbers in this study. They know it can work, think they are the right type of brand to utilize social the proper way, but they just can’t find the right people to do the work and they are too afraid to tell the traditionals in their agency to bugger off and let us innovate and create. Agencies are afraid to ask for budgets for social and in-house departments can’t figure out how to show the ROI to the suits. So they will just wait it out and hope they don’t miss the boat on something big and get fired.