Study Shows Growth In Corporate Use Of Social Media Platforms Across Latin America

Perhaps the  corporate leaders in North America who continue to struggle with how to integrate social media into their marketing and service strategies should be looking at what our neighbors south of the border have been up to.  According to a recent report, social media use by Latin American companies is growing by leaps and bounds –and with increasing sophistication.

During its latest “Latin America Social Media Check Up,” Burson-Marsteller looked at the online activities of the top 225 companies in that part of the globe.  Comparing currently gleaned data against the Latin America social media “check up” performed in 2010, the numbers compiled in the newest report are quite impressive. For example:

One-quarter Of “Women of Social Media” Prefer Socializing Online Rather Than In-person

Women appear to have adapted to social media  quickly and easily. Whether connecting with friends and family, recommending brands,  shopping, posting product reviews or sharing everything from business advice to recipes,  it’s clear women have embraced a variety of social media platforms.

Seeking to identify how to tap into the online female market even more effectively, PR firm Weber Shandwick in partnership with KRC Research surveyed 2,000 North American women, with an emphasis on those seen as “digital influencers.”

“No successful brand these days can be without a social media engagement plan,” explains Weber Shandwick’s Director of Digital Engagement Marcy Massura. “Nor can any marketer ignore the strength – in number and influence – of women who use social media.”

Just how large and influential is this group of social media savvy women?  Take a look at these numbers: 

How Do Consumers Use And Value Online And Social Media During Purchases?

For anyone who’s still struggling with whether and how to incorporate social media into marketing campaigns, here’s a somewhat obvious, yet brilliant, way to determine how consumers use online channels on their path to purchase —just ask them!

That’s what Radius Global Market Research did, and the results contain some compelling lessons for marketers developing online media strategies.

The survey questions centered on what kinds of products consumers researched prior to making a decision to buy and which platforms they used.  As in earlier studies, respondents indicated that online research played a major role in helping them make informed decisions.  This was particularly true for big ticket items, or products for which people have strong emotional investments.

Here are a few salient findings that caught my eye:

Most Companies Still Not Measuring Social Media ROI

I find the continued unwillingness of some business executives to embrace social media to be, in the words of young Alice in Wonderland, “curiouser and curiouser.” Could it be a reluctance to go down what they perceive to be a “rabbit hole?”

Although a new study conducted seems to indicate that more and more corporate leaders do believe in the importance of social media platforms  from a business perspective, with more than half stating they expect to increase their social media budget in the future, the percentages take a nosedive once survey questions focused on strategy and implementation.  That’s surprising, especially considering rising customer expectations of corporate social media responsiveness and other research demonstrating how businesses can use social media platforms to improve their bottom lines.

With more than 400 responses from management personnel at the director or above level, each of whom stated they were social media decision-makers or influencers in their companies, the findings from this study were indeed a mixed bag.  On the plus side: 

Facebook And Twitter Are No Longer Leading The Innovation Pack—So What’s Taking Their Place?

Each year, the business and technology-focused publication Fast Company releases a Most Innovative Companies list. The ratings approach the notion of innovation from a variety of different perspectives and angles, but all the companies on the list have one thing in common: They’re making tangible, visionary moves to step into the future, maybe even changing their industries –or the world –while they’re at it.

Some organizations are transforming their internal structures to create efficiencies and better serve their markets. Others are expanding on their offerings to respond to fresh demands no one else is addressing. Some are solving a clear problem in a unique and unanticipated way or solving a problem their users didn’t know they had until they were told … only to become addicted to the solution.

In the midst of all this inspiring innovation, however, there were two glaring omissions this year.