Firms appoint social media managers

Some 69 per cent of UK businesses have or will appoint social media community managers in 2011

The sheer popularity of social networking among consumers has prompted the majority of UK businesses to appoint social media or community managers.

Some 69 per cent of UK firms have or will create such a role, according to research from software vendor EPiServer. Some 28 per cent have already put a social media or community manager in place this year and a further 41 per cent expect to appoint one in the next 12 months.

Almost three-quarters (73 per cent) of businesses are now running online communities, or looking to do so in the next 12 months, and as a result there is a greater need for specialist knowledge and expertise in social media.

"Managing social media can be challenging and time-consuming, so it's vital to put a dedicated resource in place along with the right tools and platforms to ensure multiple channels can be updated and managed with ease," said Maria Wasing, vice president of marketing Europe and sales operations at EPiServer.

The EPiServer study reveals the opinions of 250 UK marketing decision makers.