CMOs Increasingly Turning to Social Media to Reach Customers and Prospects

Digital marketers have a wide array of channels available to them, but new research suggests that social media and search rise above the rest.

Recently, Nielsen conducted “The Nielsen CMO Report 2018” to determine which channels CMOs, in particular, are turning to in order to reach out to their customers and prospects. In terms of importance, the majority (79 percent) of respondents said social media was the most critical digital media channel. This was followed by search (73 percent) and online video (63 percent).

When specifically considering effectiveness, most CMOs (69 percent) claimed that social media was the most effective digital media channel. Search (69 percent) tied for first place, followed by mobile (60 percent) and programmatic advertising (54 percent).

That being said, CMOs still appear to be hesitant when it comes to the measurement of actual effectiveness in their tactics. The majority of CMOs (48 percent) claimed that they are only “somewhat confident” in their ability to accurately quantify digital media ROI.

Confidence in the Omnichannel Experience

Previous research also shows that marketers are confident that an omnichannel experience can pay off in the long run. This despite hesitation on the ability to measure digital media ROI as illustrated above.

According to the “Omnichannel Marketing: The Key to Unlocking a Powerful Customer Experience” report from Target Marketing, one-third of marketers believe it is “very important” to have a cohesive omnichannel experience. Forty percent believe it’s “fairly important” or at least “important.”

However in terms of the quality of omnichannel experience marketers already provide, half of the respondents (48 percent) called it “average.” Lack of budget, lack of personnel with skills and know-how to enact omnichannel strategies, and problems accessing data across all channels are currently top challenges for marketers.