The State of Social Media 2012

The state of social media is a constantly evolving mechanism for those who profit from it. How people act and think is influenced by how their friends act and think. Companies trying to reach potential customers have unique opportunities to individualize a sales pitch using social media.

Social Media Today

Experts at Social Media Today agree the greatest influence on purchase behavior today is Facebook. The company has grown its social purchasing influence from 24% a year ago to 47% in 2012 according to Socialnomics Statistics. By contrast Twitter only influences 5% of users in making a purchase decision.

Statistics from Edison Research show the fastest growing age group to participate in social media is the group who has the most money to spend, those between 45 and 54. Of that group 55% have a social networking profile. Almost a quarter of Facebook users check in five times or more daily and 54% access Facebook from a mobile phone. Twitter users are increasing by more than 20% per year since 2010.

Social Media Marketing Trends

• WebPro News predicts video will become more prevalent in social media with communication between customers, businesses, and social networks merging more.
• The Smartphone market will continue to grow until the market is saturated by the end of next year. People who have Smartphones are potential customers for social media marketers.
• Facebook will find its way out of its drop in value since its IPO. The company is still the most powerful force in social media today according to The Wall Street Journal’s Market Watch report.
• E-mail is still a force to reckon with. SEO statistics show the return on investment for email marketing is still over 200%. Email accessed from mobile phones has grown 24% in three years.
• Platforms that encourage social networking spending influences include Pinterest, Tumblr, and LinkedIn.
• Google+ has potential for those looking for SEO advantages, reports Search Engine Journal. The company will be an asset for organizations looking for local social networking advantages.
• Blogging and Forums will continue to offer users a voice for others to hear, and social media influences will help educate readers about other opportunities.

As social media markets grow the advertising and network development opportunities increase. Businesses have cheaper ways to have a brand seen by more people than ever before. Knowing how to exploit Search Engine Optimization (SEO), and including the latest gadgets and apps on a webpage offer marketers a greater return on investment (ROI). The state of social media is considerably brighter than the general economic picture for 2012 and 2013. Investing in social media is a very good risk for those looking to increase brand awareness or wanting to launch an online presence.

If you are looking for a SEO / SEM / Social Media consultant, feel free to contact The Dude!