Beyond marketing: In 2022, social media results will be transmitted to other departments

[shammis606]

During the pandemic, even the least prepared businesses were forced to rely more on social media as the core channels for their marketing , sales, customer service and more.

In fact, Hootsuite’s 2022 Social Trends Report indicates that 83% of marketers surveyed reported having some level of confidence in quantifying the return on investment (ROI) of their social media efforts , up from 68% last year.

Among those who felt most confident, 55% said their social media ios database advertising strategy was fully integrated with other marketing activities, while 48% said they use social media to learn more about their customers so they can deliver exactly what they want and need.

The fact is that the impact of social media on marketing has caused organizations to realize the benefits that can also have on the rest of the companies: leveraging the value of social media to help other departments stand out .

That's why it's a good idea for your brand to focus on developing a social media strategy in 2022 that not only considers its marketing efforts, but also has a real impact on other areas of the company.

But how can you achieve this?

Answers straight from the source: An interview with Hootsuite senior copywriter Konstantin Prodanovic
Today, we bring you the third article in the Rock Content series in partnership with Hootsuite (if you missed the first two, you can read them here ) in which we will speak with Konstantin Prodanovic, lead writer for Hootsuite's Social Media Trends 2022 report.

Enjoy the interview below!

"The most important lesson for marketers is not to treat organic and paid as separate production centers when implementing a social media marketing strategy."

Konstantin Prodanovic, Hootsuite
Rock Content: The COVID-19 pandemic meant that many businesses had to turn to social media to stay afloat. Do you think it also influenced businesses when it came to quantifying the ROI of their social media marketing initiatives?

Konstantin Prodanovic: Absolutely. Many business leaders found themselves in a position where they had to use social media for many things they were not used to. It then became their central marketing, sales and customer service tools all in one. And I am sure the pandemic has affected their perception of the business utility of social media.

RC: This year we witnessed a lot of changes in social media. New networks like TikTok are growing rapidly and some marketers are saying that Facebook is dead. Do you think these changes and rumors will greatly impact social media marketing strategies?

KP: That’s a great question (laughs). The short answer: yes. The long answer: I think TikTok’s dominance has totally impacted social marketing strategies, and more so when it comes to customer segmentation and creating niche audiences .

TikTok shattered the preconceived notion that the true utility of social media comes from its use as a mass marketing tool. Marketing experts understand that there is increasing value in social media’s role as a digital community-building resource and are focusing on the more targeted and specialized interest groups that thrive on networks like TikTok.

But at the same time, I wouldn’t be so quick to write off Facebook . It’s still the largest social network in the world. 2.7 billion people are on the platform (TikTok recently passed 1 billion, by comparison). There’s still a lot to be gained from good strategic marketing on Facebook.

RC: In the Hootsuite Social Trends survey , 65% of those who reported being “very confident” in measuring social media ROI also fully integrated their paid and organic strategies, stating that social media is most powerful when the two work together. Can we apply that thinking to strategies like content co-creation and e-commerce strategies?

KP: There's too much in that question for me to keep my answer concise (laughs). I think the biggest lesson for marketers is not to treat organic and paid as separate production centers for their social media marketing strategy. Paid advertising efforts should reinforce organic content and vice versa.

So when we talk about co-creation and s-commerce (social commerce), we can apply the same lesson: keep your messages cohesive so that your customers have a consistent experience with your brand .

RC: How can marketing KPIs (and those of other departments) be improved through social media metrics? What can we learn by applying this data to the entire company?

KP: Great question. I think the most important thing here is that business leaders should think of social media as more than just marketing platforms.

For over a decade, experts in the field have focused on using social media to create brand awareness (an important pillar, if not the central pillar of marketing). However, we are seeing social media begin to take on an increasing importance in customer service, sales and recruiting.

RC: And how can marketing leaders demonstrate the value of social media to other departments in their organization?

KP: I think marketing leaders have a role to play in breaking down any misconceptions their colleagues may have about the value of social media.

Part of that means moving away from focusing on engagement metrics and reach and toward viewing social media more as tools for gathering data and insights :

What are potential customers talking about online?
What type of service requests do you see most frequently?
How do competitors position themselves?
Once marketing leaders start helping their counterparts answer questions like these, people will see the value of social media in other departments.

RC: How can B2B social media management companies like Hootsuite help accelerate the growth of other businesses?

KP: In less than a decade, social media has completely reshaped the way we live, work and communicate. It is the first place people go when looking to discover, learn and buy, and it is also an essential platform for building a brand, uncovering deep strategic insights and getting closer to customers.

From social media intelligence, generating responsiveness and engagement to social commerce and AI-powered customer service, Hootsuite offers a scalable platform, deep expertise, strong industry partnerships, and a bold vision to help your organization deliver world-class digital experiences to your customers at every stage of their journey, today and tomorrow.

RC: This is the first time Hootsuite has presented the results of its annual trends survey as interactive content. Why did you decide to go down this path?

KP: Insights are power. We’ve done our best to distill our survey data into five key trends with actionable takeaways for business leaders. But social media is so big and growing so fast that it’s hard to cover it all, even in a report like ours.

There are many valuable insights in our survey data for anyone using social media as a business tool. Whether you’re a media planner, brand strategist, social marketer, SMB owner, or CMO, our comprehensive set of survey data is there to help you make informed decisions and get results.

RC: What other insights can you highlight from Hootsuite’s trends survey?

KP: I think we did a good job of distilling the most important data from the survey. But I also encourage people to check out our blog, where we dig deeper into conversations we had with experts from creative agencies, consultancies, and networks like Twitter and YouTube to help us flesh out the report. Or check out our Twitter account, where we often speak directly to social media managers and marketers around the world about our trends.

What's the next step?
If your goal is to have a stronger, bolder brand in 2022, I suggest you look at social platforms in a different way. Whether that’s making your content more creative and engaging with your audience, or aiming for better conversion rates and measuring the ROI of your social media efforts (and taking them company-wide).

Want to learn more about the future of social media? Read Hootsuite’s Social Trends 2022 report and stay tuned for more special articles here on the Rock Content blog.

Next week, as we continue our series of posts from Rock Content and Hootsuite, we’ll be showcasing how brands can attract new customers and build loyalty through solid social commerce strategies.

See you there!