Social media marketing is expected to have a huge impact on industrial companies this year.

This is according to a survey reported by Marketing Maven Blog, a blog dedicated to online marketing in the industrial sector.  Marketing spending, as well as sales (evidenced by 87% of companies surveyed), are predicted to increase in 2011 over 2010, with social media playing a big role.

Popular social media applications are Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, as well as blogs and online events.  LinkedIn got the most votes (used by 69% of companies surveyed).

And the marketing budget’s not just going to social networking sites: 64% of companies plan to increase spending on video, and 47% plan to spend more on online events.

The blog also provided the main takeaway for all companies to keep in mind, not just those in the industrial sector: Don’t make social media the sole focus of your marketing time and budget – rather, it should complement existing marketing efforts.

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Tags: online marketing