Today’s guest post is from Alexandra Carroll, director of Summus Limited, the market research firm with whom SmartBrief has partnered to undertake a definitive State of Social Media for Business report. A free topline summary of the report is now available.
We were not surprised to read the results of a recent SmartBrief on Social Media reader poll that only 33.33% did any market research before jumping into a social-media campaign. In fact, that number is somewhat encouraging because it means that a third of companies understand the complexities of this new medium and are taking the time to inform themselves.
If, however, you’re one of the 66.67% who jumped right in without conducting market research, do not despair. While custom insights into your customers and how your brand proposition translates to social media is a critical piece of succeeding in this arena, there is now a substantial body of data available that can fill in some of the social-media information gaps most companies have.
This week, Summus Limited and SmartBrief are proud to unveil the State of Social Media for Business. This report is based on data collected from 6,500 SmartBrief readers across many industries and sectors. It delivers an unprecedented look at how business is using social media in 2010 and provides insights that can drive future social-media strategy development and implementation.
If you are involved in social media for your company or would like to gather information and set baselines to help your company get on the right track, the State of Social Media for Business delivers essential building blocks of information that will arm you with the data you need to succeed.
Here are a few questions that we delve into in the report:
- What platforms and channels are most important for companies to reach their desired audiences?
- What business goals are companies trying to achieve through social media?
- What tactics are companies using to reach their audience and achieve their goals? Where are the opportunities to innovate and set yourself apart?
- Are companies providing adequate internal support for their social-media strategies to flourish?
- How are companies staffing their social-media efforts — is it a collaborative effort by a number of people on a part-time basis or are companies hiring staffers to do social media full time?
These are just a handful of the topics covered in the report. The State of Social Media for Business is a truly comprehensive document that answers many of your questions regarding how to incorporate social media into your business.
It may also raise new, interesting questions about the future intersection of business and the social Web. We hope you’ll share those with us, because we will be updating the report with reader commentary, as well as conducting annual tracking of the results.
Here is a free topline summary of key themes in the report. The full State of Social Media for Business is available for purchase here.
Enjoy the research and tell us what you think.