If the life of a CMO was not difficult enough, add to the mix what most have suspected for the past year or so -- social media are not the promotional panacea they are believed to be.
On September 29, Demandbase and Focus jointly released a national study conducted in May with executives spanning all sizes of B2B companies. Its observations:
- Good, old-fashioned personal networks and referrals are still the best source of leads.
- While corporate websites run a distant second for lead generation, they are still seven times more effective than social media.
Companies have had 15 years to experiment with, understand, and refine their use of the web as a calling card. Progress has been made, sure, but truly effective corporate websites are still in the minority.
Social media are no different, and are still in the early stages for most companies. They hold both promotional and CRM promise -- particularly as components of a comprehensive online set of tactics -- but the payoff lies down the road once the refinements are made.
As the devil is in the details, the study should be examined fully so that you can draw your own conclusions.
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