It is 10 years since marketing via social media began to appear on the radar of major brands. That's when Facebook arrived in South Africa, and Twitter quietly won the hearts of early adopters. But it is only now that major brands are truly getting to grips with the medium. As recently as three years ago, many of those using it were still bewildered about what worked and what didn't. Today, a vast body of experience, case study and best practice means they get it right more often than not. That is reflected in the latest edition of the South African Social Media Landscape report, released this week by World Wide Worx and brand intelligence organisation Ornico. The study shows that the vast majority of major brands in South Africa, 82%, now use social media as a core part of their marketing campaigns. Half of them regard it as an effective PR channel, and almost half use it for customer lead generation. Their return on investment is measured primarily in terms of brand awareness, muc...

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