Digital Marketing With Social Media - Where Is It Headed In 2011?

Most digital marketing specialists would not hesitate to declare that 2010 was the year of Social Media Marketing. As the gold rush over social media continues, we are hearing voices in some quarters of the marketing circle that there may soon be a social media bomb, similar to the dotcom bust in the early 2000's.

According to EMarketer, a leading digital marketing research company, it is expected that four-fifths of American companies with hundred or more employees, will utilize social media marketing to enhance their advertising efforts. Funds spent on this digital marketing avenue are expected to increase accordingly. The important question is how will these extra funds be spent? Many marketers are saying that the hot social media buzzwords of 2011 are expected to be location based services, better videos, and improved customer interaction.

VentureBeat, another website on digital marketing research, says in an article, that rather than being a marketing tool, social media is a utility that helps engage customers and employees. Using the various tools available through social media channels, companies are able to send real-time responses to issues faced by customers and employees. This article also points out that the management of most big businesses are not particularly good in formulating responses in 'real time'. This is when the skills of digital marketing companies may come in handy.

As more and more investors begin pushing money into social media startups, it is beginning to look a lot like 1999, all over again. Even conservative publications like CNN money are beginning to speak about a 'bubble'. So, where is social media headed? If you recollect the past, you will be able to see that the dot.com explosion of the late '90s bears a strong resemblance to the social media explosion of 2010 -11. We are witnessing the use of new technology that is making billionaires out of startups, lots of money floating around, and corporate investors cashing-in by investing in social media.

Nonetheless, there is a lack of clarity among digital marketing experts about the use of available technology. Also, corporate structures are not fully capable of handling various online demands. Just as sales and IT departments clashed over who would control the company website in the late nineties, today, not many companies know who should be given the responsibility of controlling the social media campaign of a company. Should it be the sales and marketing team; the customer service department; professional digital marketing experts; or someone from the IT department who is familiar with different types of technology?

In most companies, there are no clear-cut answers to the above questions. It is important for businesses to create a coherent policy to manage and control social media in 2011, to avoid wastage of funds that could cut into company profits.

Qudos Digital is a leading digital marketing consultancy and can be contacted on 020 8891 2077 or info@qudosdigital.co.uk.

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