Effectiveness of online marketing through social media 'questioned'

19:29 7th July 2010

The effectiveness of online marketing through social media websites has been brought into question by a new survey.

According to research by LinkShare, paid-for online marketing ads only affect the purchasing intent of 3.5 per cent of users of social network sites, reports New Media Age.

More than 2,000 consumers were polled by the company, which found that in 2009, nine per cent of those using social networking sites were affected by ads.

"Despite there being more advertisers on Facebook, marketers don't seem to be fulfilling the site's potential," the news provider quoted the managing director of LinkShare, Liane Dietrict, as saying.

Recently, Tim Gibbon, co-founder and editor of the Social Media Portal said social media was becoming a more established channel for online marketing, advertising and public relations.

"Professionals, both agency and brand-side, are eager to demonstrate the return on investment of involvement in social media."

The latest data from Econsultancy revealed that 81 per cent of companies are now using Twitter for their online marketing and 78 per cent are making the most of Facebook for it.

Mr Gibbon advised firms to consider the "various mediums that a business uses" in order to improve online marketing strategies.

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