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Dear (%fname%),
Back in October, you took time out of your busy schedule to complete Exhibitor Media Group's Social Media in Marketing Survey. In return, we promised you a sneak preview of the results in an Executive Summary. Well, those results are in.
According to the research - which was made possible by GetSynchronicity, Skyline Exhibits Inc., Echelon Design Inc., and Exhib-It Tradeshow Marketing Experts - two-thirds of respondents have used social-media sites and tools for marketing purposes, including exhibit- and event-marketing campaigns. And while the majority of them are turning to social-networking sites such as Facebook, many others are utilizing professional networking sites such as LinkedIn, microblog services such as Twitter, video-sharing sites such as YouTube, and internal or external microsites and business blogs.
Those who are tapping into the marketing potential of social-media applications claim increased brand awareness, enriched relationships with clients and prospects, additional press coverage, increased event attendance, increased booth traffic, and even increased sales as direct results of their campaigns.
But the so-called "free" services offered via social-media sites don't come without their own fixed costs, as nearly a third of respondents currently using social media report spending six or more hours per week strategizing, executing, and monitoring their social-media presence. And nearly 10 percent of respondents dedicate 21 hours or more, per week, to their social-media campaigns. In a day and age when doing more with less is no longer a cliché but a corporate mandate, it's clear that social media is anything but free.
Below are some additional findings from the report:
- Thirty-one percent of respondents have incorporated social media into their exhibit-marketing efforts, along with 24 percent of respondents who have used social media as part of their company's B2B and/or B2C corporate events. Fifty-seven percent have used social media for more general marketing and branding purposes, excluding exhibits and events.
- One-third of respondents who have used social media as an exhibit-marketing tool set measurable objectives prior to implementing their social-media campaigns. Nine out of 10 of those respondents indicated their social-media efforts met or exceeded those pre-show objectives.
- Thirty-two percent of respondents believe social media has "limitless" potential in the context of exhibit and event marketing. An additional 58 percent believe it has "moderate" potential.
- Twenty-two percent of companies that have not used social media as part of their marketing efforts cite "lack of time to dedicate to social media" as the primary reason.
- More than three-quarters of respondents expect the value and importance of social media as a marketing tool to increase "strongly" or "somewhat" in the coming year.
Comprehensive results of Exhibitor Media Group's Social Media in Marketing Survey will be published in the January issue of EXHIBITOR magazine. Thanks again to our survey sponsors (GetSynchronicity, Skyline Exhibits Inc., Echelon Design Inc., and Exhib-It Tradeshow Marketing Experts), and congratulations to our three $100 cash prize winners: Hailey W. of Minneapolis, MN; Chad R. of Forest City, IA; and Bradley R. of San Francisco, CA.
Thanks again. Your help, as always, is appreciated.
Travis Stanton
Editor
EXHIBITOR Magazine & Corporate EVENT magazine
questions@exhibitormagazine.com
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