The Social Media Divide Between Creative Shops and Clients

Here’s something for creatives and stodgy brand managers lament about.

According to new research from the Society of Digital Agencies, there’s a social media divide between shops and clients.

SoDA surveyed over 650 marketers, agencies and technologists. Here are some of the thought-provoking results when asked where spending should go this year:

• Facebook: Agencies 96%, Clients 69%
• Twitter: Agencies 89%, Clients 69%
• Social networks: Agencies 77%, Clients 69%
• Mobile: Agencies 70%, Clients 51%
• Viral: Agencies 52%, Clients 43%
• Games: Agencies 35%, Clients 18%

Agencies will point to success stories like CollegeFest, and how Facebook can rapidly grow and mobilize your target audience (and even open up new revenue streams). Heck, Twitter can even help when you’re tossed in an Egyptian jail – imagine what it can do to boost Net Promoter Score.

So where are clients looking to spend when it comes to digital? The golden oldies, the pick and shovel guys: advertising, SEO and infrastructure.

Maybe your agency (with its hopefully not-so-jaded creatives) will convince you to shift more of your budget into certain areas. Maybe not. That’s up to you. Regardless of how you spend on digital this year, there’s no denying that you should be focused on it.