It seems that everywhere you look on the web, more and more statistics and studies about the use of social media arise – so much so, that you can find secondary research to support essentially any claim you want to make. Social media is a hot topic right now and many companies want to weigh in with their opinions and statistics, but are these numbers really a good foundation upon which to develop an appropriate social media strategy?

Don’t get me wrong, research certainly has its place within a social media strategy, but it is to make the case that social media is here and important in the B2B world, not to determine whether to start a Facebook versus a twitter account. Secondary research is great for usage and penetration, not strategy and implementation. Many publications are releasing studies which claim that their audiences just aren’t using social media – and while maybe that is the case – it may be related to the audience members who responded or how the questions are worded, as well. And let’s also not forget to consider the potential bias of a publication trying to stay in print despite the new digital media landscape.

Even if a study is from a respected and reputable source, one should be cautious of dismissing a social media strategy, or implementing one, based on pre-established – or existing -research alone. The most important research, when constructing a social media strategy is the one that *you* conduct, what we at Godfrey refer to as a Social Media Audit.

In order to tailor an effective and appropriate social media strategy, don’t rely on what others tell you, dig in for yourself. Study your target audiences online: listen to the types of conversations they are having, discover which platforms they are using to connect – social media is not limited to the scope of twitter, Facebook, et al. More and more niche communities are taking off each day, and there might be an existing forum focused on your audience. Once you monitor how your audience participates online, you can begin to craft an appropriate strategy.

Even if you think that your product is so specialized that a Facebook fan page won’t do the trick, your audit results could surprise you, or at least uncover forums where users “like” your product in a different way. It’s essential that you don’t rely on a general study by one company or another – you must take the step to proactively understand your audience yourself.