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Jupiter: Marketers Use Social Networks to Break through Static

A new report from JupiterResearch shows that social networks are increasingly attractive to marketers looking for a way to break through the media clutter, according to ClickZ (via MarketingVox).

Some 48 percent of brand marketers plan to use social marketing tactics in the next year, compared with 38 percent who did so last year, according to Jupiter. And marketers are engaging in a variety of tactics to reach the social-networking user base, according to the report, titled “Social Networking Sites: Defining Advertising Opportunities in a Competitive Landscape.”

The most common tactic is to create a profile on MySpace or another site. But no single approach is best for all marketers the report says. Nor is social network marketing the best idea for all brands. But even with the risks of negative feedback, the mere presence within a social network may be enough for a marketer since odds are good their competitor is weighing entry as well.

“Thirty percent of frequent social networkers trust their peers’ opinions when making a major purchase decision, but only ten percent trust advertisements,” said Emily Riley, JupiterResearch analyst and lead author of the report. “Consequently, brand marketers must harness brand advocates and influentials by providing additional motivation for frequent networkers to engage in social marketing.”