A significant challenge is emerging for German businesses navigating the landscape of social media marketing, according to a new survey released this week by Bitkom, the German Association for Information Technology, Bitcom. The study, based on interviews with 505 German businesses across wholesale, retail and vehicle trades employing ten or more staff, reveals a widespread struggle to maintain a consistent and effective social media presence.
The research, conducted between March 5th and March 19th, 2025, found that nearly half of companies with social media profiles (approximately 35%) report difficulties in consistently sharing content. Beyond the issue of frequency, a considerable proportion of businesses (34%) also struggle with creating engaging and compelling content. Moreover, 23% cite ongoing channel management as a persistent hurdle.
The complexities extend beyond content creation and scheduling. Companies expressed concern over the prevalence of fake profiles and manipulated metrics (35%), highlighting the difficulty in verifying authenticity and engagement. Managing interactions with genuine users also proves to be problematic, with 41% of merchants identifying the handling of negative comments as a key challenge.
While the perceived effort required for social media marketing often seems disproportionate to the resulting business success, as acknowledged by 46% of the surveyed companies, paid advertising on social platforms has become essential for many (42%). This highlights a paradoxical situation: the necessity of paid promotion despite questioning its overall return on investment. The findings underscore the evolving and demanding nature of social media marketing for German businesses, demonstrating a need for more effective strategies and resource allocation.
