B2B marketers struggling to measure ROI for social campaigns

The majority of B2B marketers are still struggling to measure the value of their social media content efforts due to a lack of time and quality toolsets but are confident of improving their return on investment during the next 12 months, a new study published by Immediate Future shows.

The social media agency polled the opinions of 150 senior B2B marketers to offer a clearer picture of the attitudes towards platforms such as Facebook and Instagram and how brands are getting to grips with metrics and analytics. The survey found that less experienced marketers are having the most difficulty in determining the success of their campaigns.

In total, 58 per cent said that they are not happy with their ability to measure social, and just a third are currently tracking sales on networking sites. It appears that some marketers still don’t recognise the importance of social for strengthening brand image and driving engagement as 13 per cent suggested that analytics are not necessary.

Immediate Future CEO Katy Howell said: “The report reveals a widening gap between the marketers that have mastered social measurement and are impacting the bottom line and those B2B brands that are struggling with some of the basic metrics. Dig deeper into the report, and you’ll see the underlying issue is a lack of investment in skills, resource and technology.”

This suggests that B2B brands could benefit from working with a digital agency that can deliver return on investment through the effective distribution of high-quality unique content on social. The rewards are great for those that master content placement, as the report found that successful marketers are driving sales worth in excess of £50,000 every month.

B2B marketers are optimistic about the future though, as 67 per cent believe that they will get better at measuring social during the next two years, while half will allocate more resources to the cause during the next 12 months.

Howell concluded: “The confusion and disconnect in measuring social media makes it a challenge to prove a case for further investment. But it appears marketers are optimistic and committed to social media regardless, as they have plans to invest more and get better at identifying the metrics that prove business value.”