Over half of food and drink industry executives do not measure the return on investment (ROI) they get from their use of social media, according to a just-drinks survey.

More than 54% of the industry professionals surveyed said they did not monitor the ROI that their companies make on social media networks. A further 18% "did not know" if the business in which they worked measured the returns.

The results come from a survey of over 500 food and drink executives that just-drinks and sister site just-food conducted as part of a report into how companies in the two industries use social media.

When asked what the "top three barriers to implementing a social media strategy were", several respondents said that it is difficult to measure the ROI. "Showing the ROI of a Facebook fan or a Twitter follower", was one hurdle put forward.

While some 52% of those surveyed said their companies now have a formal social media strategy, around a quarter of executives said their companies have not devoted any of their marketing budget to social media.

Nonetheless, over two-thirds of respondents said social media would be included in their companies' next marketing budgets.

For more details on just-drinks’ Social Media in the Food and Drinks Industry report, click here.