2009 Social Media Marketing and PR: Benchmarks and Best Practices

First Ever Benchmark with All-New Research

Social media is changing the way companies communicate in the pursuit of brand building and commerce. Social media, as it relates to the practice of marketing and PR, is a rapidly emerging topic with continually evolving strategies and tactics.

MarketingSherpa's first-ever "Social Media Marketing and PR: Benchmarks and Best Practices" comes at a critical point in the emergence of social media marketing and PR, as organizations seek new ways to generate maximum revenue with minimal investment.

This benchmark guide will help marketers determine what really works in social media marketing, and equally important, it will save you time and needless effort because you'll find out what doesn't work. This information is based on in-depth research from 1,290 social media marketing and PR practitioners who have generously shared their knowledgeable experience with us.

Social Media Marketing and PR Defined For This Report

Social media marketing and PR is:

• The practice of facilitating a dialogue and sharing content between companies, influencers, prospects and customers, using various online platforms including blogs, professional and social networks, video and photo sharing, wikis, forums and related Web 2.0 technologies.
• The commercial practice of building ways for fans of a brand or company to promote it themselves in multiple online social media platforms.
• Enabling collaboration between people
• Engaging the consumer in conversation in a way that provides mutual value.

Key Findings

In the Executive Summary of "2009 Social Media Marketing and PR: Benchmarks and Best Practices" find out:

• How much communications is evolving. Here's a tip - adapt or become extinct.
• Why social media is going to receive the most additional funding in 2009. And this is in an economic climate where the number of companies planning to reduce spending exceeds the number planning to add to those budgets.
• What the most significant barrier to social media adoption. It's not budget, but "Lack of Knowledge."
• Why achieving branding goals is most effective use of social media. Second most effective use of social media is increasing web traffic.
• Why just measuring ROI is missing the point. The fact is that most effective social media tactics are the least measurable.

Special Bonus Section: "9 Steps to Social Marketing Success"

For many it's hard to know where to start. This special section gives you practical, step-by-step guide on how to:

• Find out what social networks are saying about your industry and your company
• Approach the goals and strategy of your social marketing efforts
• Build a project plan and timeline
• Measure social media results
• Determine technologies and tools you need to consider
• Produce content on a consistent basis for your social media efforts
• Start your blog
• Determine if you need micro-blogging, social network pages, photo/video sharing, etc.
• Evaluate your social media plan 6 months after launch

Five Major Sections

"2009 Social Media Marketing and PR: Benchmarks and Best Practices" is broken into five major sections.

1. The Emerging State of Social Media Marketing and PR
• How Marketers View and Use Social Media
• Barriers to Social Media Adoption
• Where is Social Media Going?
• Social Media's Impact on Purchasing Behavior
• Social Media Consumption
2. Planning for Social Media - Strategic Goals and Tactics
• Strategic Goals for Social Media
• Social Media Tactics &nash; What Works and What Doesn't
• Integrating Social Media with Other Tactics
3. Social Media and the Changing Face of Public Relations
• What Social Media Marketers and PR Practitioners Think
• How to Win Friends and Influence Mainstream Media Journalists
• Online News Releases for SEO and Social Media Engagement
• Social Media News Releases Optimize Social Media Engagement
4. Social Media by the Numbers - Metrics and Budgets
• Measuring Social Media Success
• Social Media Spending Rises While Marketing Budgets Decrease
• Predicting the Exponential Reach of Viral Marketing
5. Web 2.0 and Social Media
• The Technology and Brands Driving Social Media Use

Special Reports

You will get 7 Special Reports with how-to information, real-life data, and practical tips on specific topics:

• Social Media Strategy Drives Website Traffic and Generates Leads
• Wikipedia Strategy Generates 18% Higher B2B Lead Conversion Rate
• Using Social Networking Sites for Demand Generation
• How Blog Advertising Helped Video Series Go Viral
• Five Strategies Using Social Media to Boost SEO
• How to Create and Distribute a Social Media Release (SMR)
• Launching a Product on a Tiny Budget Using Social Media

You will also get real-life marketers insights on specific topics:

• Responding to Negative Commentary
• Strategic Goals
• Innovative Tactics
• How Social Media is Changing Communications
• Metrics
• Budgets