Social media marketing: got to do it, but is it really a revenue driver? That appears to be the perception, at least according to survey results [download page] from a newly-released Nectar Online Media study. Respondents were nearly universal in their belief that social media is important to their organization 94% and that it enhances awareness of their brand 92%. 8 in 10 also checked social off as a strategic imperative – mirroring results from a Facebook study last year in which 6 in 10 senior marketers said social was key to their company’s survival. But amidst all the importance assigned to social media marketing, the Nectar Online Media survey respondents the majority of whom have responsibility for or influence over their organization’s social media marketing were less enthusiastic about its ability to drive revenue, or even their ability to perform social media marketing successfully. Only 46% agreed or strongly agreed that social media drives revenue for their organization, and just 28% said their program was “best-in-class.”

via Execs More Convinced of Social as Strategic Priority Than as Revenue Driver.

A recent survey from the NPD Group found that computer users are increasingly turning to their smart devices to browse the web and access Facebook. New data from FreeWheel [download page] shows that professionally-produced online video viewing is also migrating from computers to devices such as smartphones, tablets, and game consoles. In Q4 2012, non-PC/Mac devices accounted for 12% of video views, per FreeWheel’s report, triple their share from Q1, and 6 times their share from a year earlier.

via Online Videos Increasingly Being Watched on Devices Other Than Computers.

64% of 18-24-year-olds want companies to respond to them when they talk about them online, according to [download page] a new e-book containing results from a survey by J.D. Power & Associates and NetBase. Older age groups mirror that sentiment, although just half of the 55+ group agree. While that suggests that in general, consumers want companies to respond to discussions about them online (generally referring to social media), separate results from the survey paint a more confusing picture.

via Millennials to Brands: Respond When You’re Being Spoken… About.

The tablet has become a leading device among users for many digital activities, including game playing, browsing and online shopping, but now it is even replacing the traditional computer for more keyboard-intensive tasks like emailing. Perion, a developer of email client software, surveyed 4,400 US iPad users on their emailing habits during the last six months of 2012 and found that the devices are becoming the preferred place to read and send emails.

via For Email, Users Reach for the iPad – eMarketer.

The age of real-time marketing is nigh, according to a new report by eMarketer.Marketers are already well-versed in analyzing social media sentiment for clues to brand health, and most have the capability to respond to comments and complaints on social media.But more are now tapping the services of social analytics vendors, digital agencies and PR firms to also use social data for a variety of outbound marketing activities, according to the new eMarketer report, “Meeting the Need for Speed: How Social Analytics Support Real-Time Marketing.”

via Real-Time Marketing Grows in Importance as Social Analytics Improve – eMarketer.

B2B marketers around the world are trying a little bit of everything, according to a November survey by Eloqua, CMO.com and Software Advice. Nearly all B2B marketers surveyed reported maintaining email lists and doing search engine optimization (SEO), but most have experimented with nearly every marketing tactic listed in the poll, whether time-tested or cutting-edge—from trade shows, to telemarketing, to social media ads, to behavioral retargeting.

via Mix of Digital, Offline Tactics Yields High-Quality B2B Leads – eMarketer.

As you’ve probably discovered, there are people lurking all over the web who find great joy in humiliating and attacking others. This insightful infographic describes the inner workings of Internet trolls, explaining why they decide to spend their online time in attack mode. Tapping the expertise of psychologists and experts, it offers solid reasons why this scourge of the Internet continues.We all like to think that most people mean well, and are inherently good. Even if that’s true, the infographic shows us instances where even some good people can quickly turn bad, all because of a variety of situations related to mob behavior.

via Why Do Internet Trolls Exist? [INFOGRAPHIC].

Time display correlated with link activity and traffic peaks on Tumblr, Twitter and Facebook. Data by BitLy.

via Retronator // Social Network Clock.

If Twitter-launched video app Vine is any indication, mobile video content seems to be moving in the direction of short and social. On January 24, Twitter announced Vine, an iPhone app that enables users to record videos of up to 6 seconds and then easily share them with their Twitter followers. The app reached No. 1 among free apps in the Apple social app store the day after its release.

Still, Vine is new to the market, and awareness remains low overall, according to an AYTM Market Research survey of US internet users conducted a few days after the app’s launch. Just under 2% of US internet users surveyed said they had signed up for a Vine account.

via Will Vine for Twitter Make Brands Rethink Video Creation? – eMarketer.

73% of online shoppers agree that their path to purchase is more complex and less direct than it used to be, according to [pdf] an About.com study. As the traditional purchase funnel has been upended and turned into more of a “loop,” per the study, shoppers indicate that shopping has taken on a more personal nature. That is, 79% agree that their relationship with brands is much more personal than ever before, and 68% agree that shopping today is less about the brands/products themselves and more about them what they’re feeling or needing.

via Online Shoppers Say Their Path to Purchase is Becoming More Complex, Personal.