Is Social Media Even Worth It Anymore?

Great question, posed by Jodi Harris, director of content strategy at the Content Marketing Institute (CMI), in a recent article titled, “Is Social Media Even Worth It Anymore?”

“Gone are the days when social platforms sent significant traffic to publisher and brand websites,” she writes. “Today, platforms want to keep eyeballs and engagement within their digital walls.”

Harris raises the important question of whether it makes sense to invest your brand’s time, energy, and marketing budget in what has been the accepted practice of the past several years. Is it time to shake it up, rejigger your marketing channel priorities? To take your online marketing inside to owned channels and media?

“Our research tells us social media only generates 2% of traffic and leads for most companies, and paid social is only 2%,”said Michael Brenner, CEO of Marketing Insider Group. “Focus your effort where the people are willing and ready to engage.”

To shine a light on the ever-changing world of online marketing, Harris offers six suggestions, accompanied by comments from a wide assortment of online marketing pros, plus her observations. Find the full article here.

1) Experiment and diversify, but exercise caution

2) Align social strategy with audience and goals

3) Think quality and originality over quantity

4) Consider paid social ads optimized for conversions

5) Leverage groups to build community trust

6) Know when (and how!) to pull back