Over half of UK companies using social media to market their businesses have no real strategy to convert the activity into sales, a new report suggests.
The ‘Channel Vision’ report, commissioned by Catalogues4Business, interviewed 123 companies, found that while 53% of businesses use social media, most are “ad hoc” in their approach.
Over a third (36%) are using social media such as Twitter or Facebook for the first time this year, while a fifth of those interviewed are setting up online sales platforms.
The survey also found that the top three tools for driving sales were ecommerce software, email marketing and traditional catalogues.
“It’s great to see so many companies embracing social media and digital marketing,” said Ian Simpson, managing director at Catalogues4Business.
“It can be a very powerful tool, but as with most marketing activities, there must be a strategy in place, and some joined up thinking. This will ensure each marketing activity is working with each other and working to the max.
“Otherwise you can quickly find you’ve wasted a lot of time, and money, and not got much to show for it.”
The survey’s authors say customers are often driven to buy online after they have receive traditional forms of marketing, such as direct mail or catalogues.
“Without doubt, many saw the relentless rise of the web and internet marketing as the death knell for paper catalogues and other mailings,” says Simpson.
“In truth, they should lie as uneasy bedfellows – they are at opposite ends of the technological scale; the old dependable versus the wiz kid. But it is clear they each have their place and they can learn from each other.”
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