THE STRUGGLE OF THE 7%
Trends and demographics are always important in any context. Social media is one context in which trends and demographics are especially important. Not understanding this area has the potential to harm you personally and professionally. Your company’s awareness, advertising, marketing, public relations, and growth potential can suffer.
Reflecting on 2013, Belle Beth Cooper (Cofounder of Hello Code) shares a revealing statistic about how companies are doing marketing today:
“ Only 7% of marketers say they don’t use social media for their business. ”
I see both good and bad here.
The Good. Wow! A whopping 93% of marketers use social media for their business. That figure has come a long way from the days when serious companies wondered if social media was just a fad. Today smart companies are onboard with social media as a natural extension of their advertising and marketing presence. They comprehend the synergy of the Web and they see its resulting growth.
The Bad. Unfortunately, 7% of marketers are struggling more than they need to be. Ignoring social media is like covering up the display windows of your store. Being a member of the 7% often has a double negative effect because potential customers become disenchanted when they see the lack of social media presence. The 7% are missing an entire dimension of customer relationship building and sales leads. They are unwittingly degrading their revenue and their profit. Truly, the struggle of the 7% is inexcusable.
