The biggest challenge to any marketer is getting in front of their targeted audience(s) and getting them to engage with their message. One factor in overcoming this challenge is the production of quality content that not only addresses the value proposition of the audience but also puts that value proposition in context of the needs of the target audience(s). With the rapid growth of social media networks like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn, there is tremendous opportunity to develop a relationship with your target audiences so they can access and consume your message.

The Social Media Marketing Industry Report, which profiles the current and future plans from over 3,000 marketers from both the B2C and B2B worlds, provides compelling evidence on how organizations are now viewing social media as a viable marketing tool. In regards to the sheer number of marketers that consider the use of social media as part of their overall marketing mix, a resounding 93% of study respondents stated that social media is important to their business. More B2B businesses responded that they have been using social media as a marketing tool for over a year (52.6%) compared to their B2C counterparts where only 46.2% have used social media as a marketing tool.

From a benefits perspective, marketers see social media as an effective way to stand out in the marketplace and to cut their way through an increasingly noisy, cluttered and congested marketplace.