A new study reported in the Social Media Examiner reported that in April, 2011, nine of every 10 corporate marketers said that they used Facebook.  That’s 92%, if you like statistics as a percentage of the total.  Twitter and LinkedIn rank #2 and #3 on the marketing social media usage charts.

That’s not surprising.  How many of those marketers have incorporated social media into their overall marketing plans?  What percentage actively monitorthe return on their social media investment with something other than the “3F’s” (friends, fans, followers)?

One thing that is important in looking at social media is the demographics of those friends, fans, and followers.  Are you attracting consumers (readers, who consume your social media posts and information — whether they are business buyers or individuals purchasing for personal use) who can ultimately be converted into customers? 

Hot mobile marketing start-up Jumptap, which just secured $25 million in venture funding for its mobile device advertising platform, says that social media demographics aren’t all that reliable — that people (surprise!) overstate their income by a large margin — especially young people (under 25). 

Regardless of demographics, there’s a big difference between friending and following someone and actually purchasing from them, according to Shama Kabani, author of The Zen of Social Media Marketing.   

In her best-seller, the Dallas social media guru says that it’s definitely a three step process in converting members of the 3F’s into customers.  First, you have to publish content that attracts them into the first category.  Then, you have to market to them using more traditional means — email, a great website that offers them the information, products, and details they need to get excited about your product, and so on.  Last, but not least, you have to turn that interest into a compelling buying message.

That’s where a comprehensive marketing plan comes in, especially in a marketing organization with a complex indirect sales channel.  Social media is great, but the reason to use it is important.  Social media for the coolness factor alone doesn’t contribute to the all-important ROMI (return on marketing investment) equation that management judges marketing success with .

So the question of why marketers use Facebook really is important.  Why do you use social media?  How do you measure results?  

Help us figure it out by answering a short, 10 question survey — no identifying information about you will be collected, and you won’t be asked for an email address, so there’s absolutely no follow-up email.  We’ll publish the results here in a couple of weeks.  Take the survey now.