Social Media Marketing Tactics Going Mainstream?

According to recent research from Unica, via the eMarketer website, social marketing has become a "must have" in organizations. That said, the integration of these sites varies significantly by tactic. Many of the tools continue to be used for discrete events not directly connected to the overall marketing campaigns.
We've seen the same challenge in our institution. How do these statistics compare to your experience with social media marketing in your organization? I'd love to hear your thoughts.

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More about Consumer Demand

Ironically, soon after my last post, I came across an article in eMarketer entitled "Consumers Demand Brand Interaction". This research really supports, statistically, what I wrote about as well. After interacting through these channels, consumers felt that they:

• had a more positive impression of the brand
• felt a stronger connection to the company
• believed they had a better service experience

These positive impressions were felt by seven out of ten respondents, a pretty strong endorsement. If you aren't already in the social media space, think about the implications for you. How do you think these consumers, when faced with an organization that isn't engaged, feel about that brand? Probably the way the frustrated Florida banking customer felt.