A new survey on social networking by WorkPlace Media shows how when it comes to influencing brand perception, social media still has a long way to go.
The study, which polled 753 American workers in May, found that not having a presence on a social site made no difference to people’s opinion of a brand, because only 11% said they follow a major brand on a social network.
“When it comes to influencing brand perception and purchase decisions, the data shows that social networking still has a long way to go.” says Stephanie Molnar, CEO of WorkPlace Media. “Most of our meaningful recommendations continue to be old-fashioned, word-of-mouth recommendations from friends, co-workers, and/or family.”
But if companies are still interested in establishing their brands on social media channels, a Facebook presence will most likely be the most rewarding, since the study found that Facebook was by far the most popular social property, with 89% members of the site. The runner-up was MySpace (40%), followed by LinkedIn (31%), and Twitter (18%).
Of the 18% who reported acting upon a business or product recommendation on social networking sites, the top categories were: entertainment (53%), dining out (50%), groceries (23%), beauty care/cosmetics (21%), apparel (20%), and electronics and pet care (15%).
The study also showed that social media isn’t as prevalent in the workplace as employers may think. More than half (55%) of office workers with Web access said they have at least one social networking account, but only 43% use it at work, and typically for less than 30 minutes per day.
Popularity: 3% [?]
July 6th, 2009 at 6:13 pm
Thank you for the article. Interesting statistics, but I am not sure (without reading the entire study) that I follow the causal connection asserted in this phrase: “… not having a presence on a social site made no difference to people’s opinion of a brand, because only 11% said they follow a major brand on a social network.” Surely the most substantial factor regarding social media users’ perceptions of brands relate to the word-of-mouth impact inherent in social media friend interaction, not the actual brand’s social media presence? Does the study explore that further?
Thanks,
Stuart
July 7th, 2009 at 10:48 am
Social networking is a key “ingredient” to a business. Although it just recently become popular from the past 5 years or so, it has definitely changed the way business run things now.
Keep the good info coming.
Chris Moniz
VP Marketing, Internet Marketing Professor
http://www.drdavehaleonline.com