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http://www.reportlinker.com/p01033738/Social-Media-Marketing-2012.html#u...

Executive Summary

Social media marketing (SMM) has continued to gain importance among marketers in recent years, with many companies and brands using social networks to boost their reputation and connect with target audiences. While social media sites present a good base from which to drive brand development, concerns have been voiced by some businesses over the lack of measuring techniques and data analytics presented by social networks regarding paid-for advertisements placed on their sites. In May 2012, motor manufacturer GM revealed that it would be discontinuing its paid-for advertisements on Facebook, principally due to the lack of evidence presented by the social network to show how advertisements translated into revenue. It is likely, however, that social media measurement will become more sophisticated in the future, as social networks look to grow their businesses by attracting advertisers to their sites.Another emerging trend has been the development of mobile marketing platforms for social media sites, with both Facebook and Twitter developing new mobile platforms for potential advertisers. This has been driven by the growing popularity of smartphones within the UK, with a report undertaken by Google and Ipsos suggesting that smartphone ownership was near to reaching the 50% mark in January 2012. Other mobile devices, such as tablet computers — owned by approximately 11% of the UK population, according to figures published by Ofcom — have also continued to gain in popularity, thus presenting further opportunities to marketers to advertise on mobile platforms.Social enterprise solutions are also tipped to become more important in the future, reflected in the expansion of technology firms within this particular area; for example, Microsoft's acquisition of office social network Yammer in June 2012. This trend has been driven by the rising number of people now opting to work remotely, as well as the increasing popularity of conversing via social networks. Social enterprise networks are a development of customer relationship management (CRM) tools, initially used by out-of-house sales representatives to collate data on possible sales leads and appointments. Such services have been developed to incorporate usage by other in-house teams, such as marketing and advertising departments, as well as to boost conversations and collaborative projects in-house.Despite the increasing impetus now put on SMM by agencies, companies and brands alike, there is still much room for growth. The majority of marketing agencies depend on existing staff members to develop their own understanding of SMM, rather than employing a 'digital native' or out-of-house specialist social media firm. The lack of sophisticated social media measurement solutions for assessing the impact and potential revenue generation of a particular advertising campaign is likely to be the main reason behind this. However, figures from The Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) suggest that investment in expanding social media activities within marketing agencies is likely to increase over the next few years, with 32% of agencies expecting to invest in social media training, while a quarter (25%) are currently pursuing the recruitment of a 'digital native' in 2012.

Executive Summary

Introduction

BACKGROUND

DEFINITION

Strategic Overview

MARKET DYNAMICS AND SEGMENTATION

Market Sectors

Total Market Value and Growth

Use of the Internet

COMPETITIVE STRUCTURE

EDUCATING THE MARKET

Books

Conferences and Seminars

Awards

SOCIAL NETWORKING BUSINESS

MARKET FORECASTS

Social Media

BACKGROUND

THE SOCIAL MEDIA LANDSCAPE

Social Networking Sites

Niche Social Networks

Micro-Publication Networks

Aggregators

Blogging Sites

Bookmarking Sites

HOW TO ENGAGE WITH SOCIAL NETWORKS

WIDGETS, ADD-ONS, AFFILIATE ADS AND APPS

Blinkbox London/Instagram App

Starbucks App for Android

ITV Sport/Ladbrokes

Social Networking Tools for Enterprises

BACKGROUND

SOCIAL ENTERPRISE SOLUTIONS - COMPETITOR ANALYSIS

Jive Software

Oracle

Salesforce

SAP

SocialText

CONSUMER RESEARCH

SOCIAL NETWORKING TOOLS FOR MARKETERS

File Name/URL Shortening

Social Media Optimisation Tools

Social Marketing Tools

THE VALUE OF SOCIAL MARKETING

THE TIME FACTOR

Social Brands

INTRODUCTION

TOP BRANDS ENGAGED WITH SOCIAL MEDIA

By Sector

Social Networking Sites by Adoption Rates

WHAT MAKES A BRAND WORK ON SOCIAL MEDIA?

An International Perspective

MARKET DEVELOPMENTS

Use of Social Networking Sites by Region

The Power of Facebook

BUSINESS BEHAVIOUR

Europe

The US

Asia/Pacific

Latin America

Middle East/Africa

PEST Analysis

POLITICAL

Online Privacy: EU Amends Cookie Policy

UK Data Surveillance Laws Could Be Introduced

Plans for Superfast Broadband Network Continue to Be Rolled Out

ECONOMIC

The Value of Social Networks

SOCIAL

Google to Penalise for Over-Optimised SEO

The Social Olympics

TECHNOLOGICAL

The Next Big Thing: Smartphone Advertising Platforms

Industry Dynamics

INTRODUCTION

Jamie Armstrong, Social Media Manager, StormID

Laurence Bresh, Marketing Director, VisitBritain

Thomas Brown, Head of Insight, The Chartered Institute of Marketing

Jordan Stone, Senior Director, We Are Social

Erika Clegg, Founder, Spring

VIRTUAL ROUNDTABLE

With Which Social Networking Site Do You Think Marketing/Public Relations Companies Most Participate With for Business? Any Particular Reason Why?

What Are the Three Main Aims for Businesses/What Can Businesses Hope to Achieve by Engaging with Social Networking Sites?

Do You Integrate Your Company's Website with Social Networking Sites? If So, How?

How Do You Measure the Results/Success of Your Social Networking Efforts? What Are the Challenges Involved in Doing This?

What Percentage of Your Working Day/Marketing Activities Is Spent Interacting on Social Networking Sites?

Do You Believe That Participating in Social Networking Sites For Marketing Has A Clear/Direct Impact on Sales?

What Do You Believe Are the Main Strengths and Weaknesses in Using Social Media Marketing?

Do You Expect Social Media Marketing Activities to Increase/Decrease/Stay the Same Over the Next Months?

Company Profiles

INTRODUCTION

FACEBOOK INC

Company Structure

Profitability

Current and Future Developments

GOOGLE INC

Company Structure

Profitability

Current and Future Developments

LINKEDIN CORP

Company Structure

Profitability

Current and Future Developments

TWITTER

Company Structure

Profitability

Current and Future Developments

The Future

SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING ACTIVITIES IN THE FUTURE

FUTURE TRENDS

Further Sources

Associations

Publications

General Sources

Government Publications

Other Sources

Key Note Sources

Key Note Ltd

Key Note Research

The Key Note Range of Reports

To order this report:e-Commerce Industry: Social Media Marketing 2012

Nicolas Bombourg

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