Regular readers of Synch-Up know that earlier this year we collaborated with Exhibitor Magazine to sponsor a study on Social Media in Event Marketing. We’ve had a few weeks now to dig into the data and we’ve uncovered some fascinating insights; insights that indicate social media isn’t just a vital part of daily life for millions of internet users. It’s fast becoming an important tool for event marketers.
We’ll take a look at the data in two installments. In this first part, we’ll discuss some of the key facts and figures from the study – what is being used and who is using it. Part two, posted here next week, will provide an analysis of the data – what the data means and where it goes from here. If you’d like to read along, get your free copy of the Social Media in Event Marketing PDF.
The biggest numbers come right upfront: two-thirds of respondents, fully 66%, state that they have already used social media tools in their event marketing. Of those, 85% indicate they’ve employed social media to drive brand awareness or event attendance. Considering the relatively short lifespan of popular networks, including Facebook (founded in 2004) and Twitter (2006), these are incredible adoption numbers.
Event marketers using popular, low-cost and easy-to-quantify network platforms report tracking their campaign results with metrics such as blog posts, fans/followers, social media posts and Twitter feeds. Marketers indicate fewer quantifiable results from metrics such as smart badge info, livecast views, SMS messages and data from virtual environments. That, of course, may be a reflection of the more resource intensive and specialized nature of these solutions.
A disappointing discovery concerns the large number of marketers conducting campaigns without first setting clear objectives. Two out of three survey participants reported not set any kind of measurable objective before beginning their social media efforts. As we’ve said in Synch-Up before, the excitement of working with new tools and journeying to new marketing frontiers doesn’t mean that we should abandon best practices or ignore important goal setting.
Perhaps less surprising, marketers are going where the users go. 93% of those surveyed feel that Facebook, the most popular of all social networking sites, has the most potential to become a powerful marketing tool, followed closely by Twitter (80%), then distantly trailed by professional networking site LinkedIn (36%), YouTube (27%), and business blogs (22%). Respondents overwhelmingly expect the value of these tools to grow, with 76% expecting the importance of social media to increase either strongly or somewhat in the next year.
Survey respondents also shared similar views about the usefulness of social media in event marketing. Over 100 respondents reported that improved brand awareness, improved client relationships and increased press coverage resulted from their use of social media. On the flipside, less than fifty participants reported increased ROI or ROO, improved sales or increased event attendance from their use of social media. On the whole, there seems to be a generally positive vibe surrounding social media campaigns – 74% event marketers reported that their campaigns met objectives and 15% said their campaigns exceeded objectives.
Of course, not everyone believes in the power of social marketing. Of the 34% surveyed who do not use social media for their business, 22% of those said they lack the time, 20% say they lack the knowledge, and 11% take issue with the ability to control their branding. One respondent replied “I think social media is a joke, and don’t understand why are people so addicted to it.”
A joke? Perhaps, but a joke that more and more marketers seem to be in on. Check back next week for part two, where we start to break down what these numbers mean, and how to use this knowledge in your own marketing efforts.