Commentary

Marketing Spend For Email and Social Media Top Plans for 2010

According to the November "2010 Marketing Trends Survey"  of business leaders by StrongMail, 89% of respondents plan to increase or maintain marketing spend in email marketing and social media budgets in the New Year. The industry survey of more than 1,000 global business leaders found that the positive outlook is supported by 50% of polled businesses that expect their customers to spend more in 2010, and nearly a quarter more that expect them to spend the same.  Only 8% of businesses expect their customers to spend less.

48% of businesses are increasing overall marketing budgets in 2010, and email and social media marketing are the two leading areas of investment at 69% and 59% respectively. Search marketing comes in third at 42%.  Conversely, events and direct mail lead the pack in decreased spend at 44% and 42% respectively.

Marketing Program Spending Plans for 2010 (% of Respondents)

Program

Increase Spend

Decrease Spend

Advertising

28%

32%

Direct mail

21

42

Email marketing

69

6

Mobile

22

5

Public relations

19

12

Search (SEO/PPC)

42

7

Social media

59

3

Tradeshows & events

20

44

Other

7

7

Source: StrongMail, November 2009

 Social media marketing is a clear focus for businesses, with 69% of respondents planning to integrate it with their email marketing campaigns in 2010.  However, of those who have already integrated the two channels, only 42% are achieving a lift in campaign performance.  35% report no significant lift and another 23% are unable to measure.   Respondents identified the top three benefits of social media marketing as:

  • Awareness building (64%)
  • Customer loyalty and retention (49%)
  • Expanded reach (46%)

 Bill Wagner, executive vice president of business operations at StrongMail, notes that "... this survey reveals a strong focus on high ROI channels like email and emerging ones like social media... (with) an unprecedented number of companies look to integrate email and social media in 2010..."

Most Important Email Marketing Initiatives in 2010

Initiative

% Ranking Among Top 3

Improving performance of campaigns

59%

Growing opt-in list

44

Re-engaging inactive subscribers

28

Integrating with social media marketing

42

Integrating with mobile marketing

19

Improving deliverability

26

Reducing costs

19

Integrating into transactional emails

20

Accessing data to increase relevance

21

Improve segmentation and targeting

46

Centralizing on single platform

11

Other

4

Source: StrongMail, November 2009

Reported survey highlights include:

  • 89% of businesses plan to increase or maintain marketing spend in 2010
  • 50% of businesses expect customers to spend more; 23% to spend about the same; 8% to spend less
  • 69% of businesses plan to increase marketing budget for email; 59% social media; 42% search
  • 69% of businesses plan to integrate email and social media in 2010
  • 64% of businesses identify increasing awareness as the primary value for social media

  For more about StrongMail and the Marketing Trends Study, please go here.

4 comments about "Marketing Spend For Email and Social Media Top Plans for 2010".
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  1. David Culbertson from LightBulb Interactive, December 7, 2009 at 8:37 a.m.

    It's been proven the search is the best bang for your Internet marketing buck so the planned decrease in SEO spending puzzles me. I blogged about this:

    http://lightbulbinteractive.blogspot.com/2009/10/seo-most-bang-for-your-internet.html

  2. M.l. Stone from Abstract Graphic Design Group, December 7, 2009 at 9:51 a.m.

    I agree with David...the decrease in spending for SEO doesn't seem to make a lot of sense.

  3. Reese Ramos from Juxtapose Interactive, December 8, 2009 at 5:38 a.m.

    And some say that Social Media is "dead"?
    On the contrary, it's as relevant as ever!!!

    @porchista

  4. Eddie Alvarran, December 8, 2009 at 11:36 a.m.

    I agree, the decrease in search doesn't make much sense, but this is from Strongmail, so what did you expect?
    I also love the fact that over half are seeing no lift in campaign performance, and 23% don't even know how to measure it, but everyone has to do it!
    Social is the bright shiny object marketers have fallen in love with, but it is limited in scope.
    Tread carefully.

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