Social Media Just Another Task In The Job Description
Sixty-five percent of organizations pile social media on top of other duties, while only 27 percent employ someone who focuses exclusively on social media, a new Ragan/NASDAQ OMX Corporate Solutions survey reveals.
The survey, which aims to uncover the factors impacting how social media teams are structured, found that organizations are cautious about dedicating resources to social media, and add social media to the list of tasks traditionally assigned to communicators.
“They’re doing events, they’re putting out newsletters, they’re writing press releases, and now they’re handed this task of overseeing Twitter accounts, Facebook and Pinterest pages,” says Mark Ragan, CEO of Ragan Communications, of communicators today.
The results of the survey, a joint effort by Ragan Communications and NASDAQ OMX Corporate Solutions, are summarized in a whitepaper that allows organizations to benchmark their social media efforts against organizations of similar size and industry.
This 18-page white paper reveals findings from a survey of more than 2,700 social media professionals. Major Findings in Key Areas include:
65% of respondents do social media on top of their other duties. For those who do social media exclusively, nearly 83% work on teams of three or fewer
69% are dissatisfied or only “somewhat satisfied” with how they measure social media. Only 31% are satisfied or very satisfied. And many say they lack the time to track data or aren’t even sure what to measure
Only 28% saw their budget increase this year, while 69% stayed the same. Prospects were only slightly better for 2013, with 62% of budgets remaining static
Salaries for social media manager or director also showed wide variation, with 21% earning in the $25,000- $35,000 range, and 22% earning from $65,000-$90,000. Five% earn top salaries, which hover above $125,000.
A lot of people are still figuring out social media. Only 13% describe their efforts as advanced. Slightly more than half agreed with the statement, “We keep our heads above water, but not by much.” Another 23% describe themselves as “newbies.”
Facebook is by far the most popular platform, with 91% of respondents maintaining a page there. Twitter follows closely, with 88%, while 69% use LinkedIn
“Ownership” of social media is murky, and the question may even become passé as numerous departments within organizations jump in. 70% of respondents say marketing is involved, with 69% reporting that public relations played a role. Corporate communications trailed, with 49%.
Respondents from for-profit corporations made up 58% of the total. Nonprofits amounted to 24%, while 7% came from government. (About 11% answered “other.”) Organizations of more than 1,000 employees constituted 28% of the total; the vast majority were under 1,000, and 23% worked for organizations employing fewer than 25. Social Media is revolutionizing communications, but an organization not committing additional resources is not alone.
In the era of social media, an education in communications (77%) or public relations (76%) is most highly valued for employment. (Respondents were allowed to click multiple answers). Marketing trailed with 65%. Only 20% felt an English major made a better candidate, compared with 42% for journalism.
The survey revealed that 69% are dissatisfied or only “somewhat satisfied” with how the company measures social media.
Many respondents felt there is no industry-accepted tool to determine the value of social media efforts. They say that they rely on impressions and general feedback. Asked about their social media goals, 87% said to increase brand awareness.
For more about this study and report from Ragan Communications, and access to the Whitepaper, please visit here.
