Social Influence Marketing Report by Razorfish

Posted by Francis Raymond July 15th 09

Razorfish has recently released their annual Social Influence Marketing Report that surveys and analyzes how brands evolve within the social sphere. These reports are proving to be very useful and somehow a bit of a reality check. Indeed, amidst all the rave about how great and unavoidable social media is for brands and companies, we tend to forget to remain critical and focused in our online marketing efforts. Here are some excerpts we feel are quite relevant:

1- People trust offline channels the most when making purchase decisions

This might come as a surprise to some. According to Razorfish's numbers, 36% of consumers tend to trust TV advertisement over expert online reviews (34%) or social network advertisement (21%.) Even more surprisingly, online friends account for even less influence (9%) - we're a far stretch from the 66% of trust attributed to offline friends.

2- People tend to trust offline advertising mediums over online ones

Respondents seem to think brands look more authentic on TV and print than on radio, online banners, blogs and social networks. Also, respondents showed a high level of indifference to online marketing.

What does this means to brands and businesses? First, let's not forget what social media really is about: tools that help people connect. Second, most brands are not understanding and/or using social media tools in an efficient way. As Razorfish points out, they should "focus on value exchanges. The most influence takes place around products and services, and not in terms of affiliations with a particular brand." Third, brands need to increase their credibility on social platforms. It is not just a matter of borrowing influencers' trust and people's relationships but instead to develop your own language to talk to your consumers.

You can get your own copy of the report right here.

What has been your experience with social media marketing so far? Have you been able to develop your brand's trustworthiness on these channels? Let us know what your experience has been so far.