The New Symbiosis of Professional Networks 2010

The New Symbiosis of Professional Networks2010Society for New Communications research (SNCR)Presented by:-Vanessa DiMauro, CEO Leader Networks and SNCR Fellow- Don Bulmer, VP Global Communications SAP, SNCR Board Member and FellowTwitter: @dbulmer and @vdimauro

About This Study
Focus of the study:
Users of online professional networks
Examination of current use of online professional networks
Online preferences
Changes and predicted changes in use of online professional networks
Sample composition:
The survey “The New Symbiosis of Professional Networks” was administered online to 114 participants
Participants were notified through blogs and direct email invitation by study sponsors
Close to two in ten (18%) respondents identified themselves as the CEO of their organization, with close to half identifying themselves as a “Director” (20%) or “Manager” (24%)
Company size ranged from less than 100 to over 50,000 full-time employees
Age was well distributed with the greatest proportion in the 36-45 range
10 countries were represented, with 76% of respondents living in the US
All respondents were either the decision makers or influenced the decision maker
2

4 Key Research Findings
3/3/2011
3

Online Professional Network Usage
4

The “Big Three” Networks Remain Constant From 2009 To 2010, But Facebook Is Losing Significant Ground
Essentially all respondents indicated that they use LinkedIn
One third of respondents also mentioned Facebook, while just over two in ten mentioned Twitter
Hundreds of other networks were mentioned, many by only one or two respondents
Top Professional Networks
5
Question: What are the top three online professional networks that you use? (Open Response)
n= 113

Professionals Have Chosen Their Online Professional Networks
The age of professional networking experimentation is starting to end, as professionals have stabilized on the number of networks they participate in over the past two years.
3-5 is the range of online professional networks that decision makers participate in. This is up by five percent over 2009 study (55% of respondents in 2010 they participate in 3-5 networks)
68% of professionals surveyed report that they are satisfied with the communities that they have chosen to join.
Question: How many ONLINE professional networks do you
participate in (e.g. Industry-specific communities, Linked-In,
professional discussion forums, online customer support groups,
etc.)?
Question: Generally, how satisfied are you with your experienceusing online
professional networks?
6
Note: Those who indicated that they do not participate in any online professional networks were excluded from the study
n= 114

Mobile Devices To Access Professional Networks are On The Rise: 59% of Respondents Use them To Access Professional Networks
Essentially all respondents access social networks on a PC or Mac and about 6 in 10 respondents in 2010 access a professional network using a mobile device
2010 showed a significant increase in the use of mobile devices to access online networks (15%) increase. 59% of respondents access online networks via mobile devices (vs. 44% in 2009).
7
n= 114

And Apple Is The Preferred Mobile Device
Apple is dominate as the mobile device of choice that people use to access online networks (67%) followed RIM/Blackberry (37%) and Android devices (15%)
Quick Facts about Mobile
At the time the study was conducted, the iPad was in the market only 6 months
In 2009 there were 180 iPhone apps for social networking, in 2010 there were 736 social networking apps for iPhone/iPad
8
n= 67

The Majority Of Professionals Use Online Networks Daily To Inform Their Work
80% of respondents access social networks one or more times a day with change in use increasing for 88% of respondents over the last three years
More than four in ten visit professional networks many times each day
9
Question: On average, how often do you visit the networks or communities you belong to?
Question: How has this changed over the last three years?
n= 110

Many Professionals Use A Combination Of “Big Three” Networks Plus Smaller, Selective Online Communities
Almost all respondents participate in large public networks or communities
Two thirds participate in open social media networks such as Twitter or Yelp
About half participate in midsize or specialized communities
10
n= 114

And They Prefer To Engage Deeply With Peers In A Few Networks
Most respondents were split evenly between preferring to deeply experience a limited number of networks and joining many networks but only participating heavily in a few
11
n= 101

Professionals Value Online Communities To Connect and Compete
Networks have evolved to become trusted environments for relationship management and decision support
Most respondents find value in establishing or increasing their professional network and in increasing competitive brand monitoring and positioning
Significantly more professionals value professional networks for monitoring competitive brands over their own company brand
Top Three Benefits Of Online Community Participation
12
n= 114

Thought Leadership Content Is Central In The Use of Professional Networks As Business Decision-Making Platforms
Gaining access to thought leadership is the top reason that respondents visit online networks and communities (keeping track of peers ranked #1 in purpose for 2009)
80% of respondents are able to accelerate decision process and information/strategy development by participating in communities via access to thought leadership
People collaborate for need not for speed as reduce travel costs is the least popular reason in 2009 & 2010
13
n= 98

Search Engines Are Used More Frequently Than Company Web Sites to Inform Business Decision-making
The overwhelming majority of respondents (87%) conduct research via search engines to inform decision-making
The value of a company website as a destination for supporting/informing a decision has dropped by half from 2009 but still ranks #2 (43%)
Online professional networks and communities are now equal in importance to the corporate website to support decision-making
Top Three Online Steps Typically Taken To Inform Your Decision-making
Community and website share relative rankings
14
n= 98

Sources Of Influence Are More Concentrated Online: Professionals Are Consuming More And Creating Less Content
About eight in ten respondents listen to or read information on their professional networks, and this is the top activity for two thirds of respondents
15
n= 98

High Levels Of Trust Exists For Information Received via Professional Networks
Three quarters of respondents rely either lightly or heavily on professional networks to support business decisions. This is consistent with 2009.
Reliance has increased for essentially all respondents over the past three years, and increased significantly for about four in ten respondents
Reliance On Professional Networks
Change in Reliance On Professional Networks
2009
2010
16
Question: How much do you rely on professional networks for information/advice/insight to support business decisions?
Question: How has this changed over the last three years?
n= 95

People And Content Found Within Online Communities Are Widely Used To Identify Business Trends And In Support Of A Professional Decision
Eight in ten respondents use online social networks to identify trends and key topics for further exploration
Just over a quarter use them to help reach a professional decision
When Faced With A Professional Decision, Survey Respondents Are Likely To…
17
n= 95

Online Collaboration Is Considered A Meaningful Professional Activity
Respondents clearly see the value in online collaboration
They most appreciate the ability to reach out and connect with others and to gain fresh insight, ideas, and actionable information
18
Question: Which statements best capture your experiences collaborating with others in an online environment? (select all that apply)

Most Companies Have Internal Collaboration Tools But Only About Half Are Reported To Be Effective
About seven in ten respondents indicate that their company has collaboration tools in place, half of those indicate that they are used effectively
Fifteen percent of respondents indicate that, while their company does not sponsor social media tools, they are used informally to collaborate
19
n= 91

Company Intranets Of The Future Will Strive To Connect People (Forums) With The Work They Do (Content)
In a global workforce, context is more important than ever. Consequently, the intranet of the future will be focused on context of information.
More than four in ten respondents expect that in one to two years their company will be using social media for more content sharing and company-wide communications and for forums and discussions
20
n= 95
Question: In what ways do you see your company’s use of internal social media tools increasing over the next 1-2 years? (select the top three)

While Professionals Value Collaboration, Their Companies Seek To Invest In Social Media Marketing Programs
More than half of respondents foresee more marketing programs and content distribution in the next one to two years
Very few foresee no change in social media usage
21
Question: In what ways do you see your company’s external use of social media changing over the next 1-2 years? (select up to 3)
n= 95

Satisfaction with Company’s Internal Technologies for Collaboration for Business Purposes Is Increasing
Just over one in ten respondents are extremely satisfied with their company’s internal technologies for collaboration for business purposes
Overall satisfaction with their company’s internal technologies for collaboration has increased over the past year
22
Question: How satisfied are you with your company’s internal technologies for collaboration for business
purposes?
n= 91

Summary
Professionals are now using their social media peer groups and online communities as reliable in-puts into their decision-making
2009-10 was about exploring and experimenting with online relationships whereas 2010-11 is about capitalizing on them.
Thought leadership is the professional currency of the future
Professionals and organizations are now being defined by the quality of the content they exchange, curate and create.
However, few content creation channels have stood the test of time as there is less content being created as professionals have learned to curate only the best
New rules for collaboration in social media environments emerge
Endorsement is at the center of collaboration in social media communities
The endorsement (via read, share, like, retweet) drives influence that enables better decision making
And, anytime anywhere access to our professional peer groups is a growing necessity
Mobile access to online communities and professional networks is the new norm
Therefore, relationships are more fluid and on-demand as professional now have the online networking skills to reach the experts they need, when they need them.
3/3/2011
23

Demographics
24

Gender and Age
Slightly more than half of the respondents were male
A wide range of age groups were represented, with about two thirds of respondents falling between the ages of 36 to 55
25
Question: What is your gender?
Question: What is your current age?
n= 92

Professional Role
Close to two in ten respondents reported that they are the CEO in their organization
26
n= 114
Question: Which of the following categories best describes your professional role in your organization?

Primary Business
One third of respondents described their organization’s primary type of business as “Business Services”
Another quarter reported that their primary type of business was computer products
27
Question: Please indicate your organization’s primary type of business
n= 114

Number of Employees
About half of respondents indicated that they work for an organization with less than 100 full time employees
At the other extreme, more than a quarter work for organizations with 10,000 or more employees
28
n= 114
Question: Approximately how many full time employees does your organization have worldwide including all divisions and locations?

Responsibility
Close to half of respondents reported that they are the final decision-maker
More than four in ten reported that they participate in the decision-making process, while one in ten do research in support of the decision-maker
Note: Those who indicated that they had no decision-making responsibility were excluded from the study
n= 114
29
Question: Which of the following best describes your responsibilities in making decisions on products and services in your company or organizational unit?

Size of Budget Managed and Influenced
A third of respondents influence budgets of $1 Million or more, while just over one in ten directly manage budgets of that size
30
n= 105
Question: What is the average size of the budget that you 1) Manage and 2) Influence?

http://www.techgig.com	11
http://community.reedelsevier.com	10
http://rachel-reynolds-blog.blogspot.com	6
http://aprendersociales.blogspot.com	1
http://paper.li	1
http://twitter.com	1
http://koleksisoalan.blogspot.com	1
http://onsaleking.weebly.com	1
http://www.jesba.com	1
http://rachel-reynolds-blog.blogspot.co.nz	1

The New Symbiosis of Professional Networks 2010

by Society for New Communications Research (SNCR) on Mar 16, 2011

Accessibility

Categories

Upload Details

Usage Rights

10 Embeds 34

Statistics

The New Symbiosis of Professional Networks 2010 Presentation Transcript