2. The Mindset Divide: Spotlight on Content2
THE MINDSET DIVIDE:
SPOTLIGHT ON CONTENT
In 2012 LinkedIn released The Mindset Divide, a groundbreaking study
that revealed the essential distinction between our personal and
professional selves. We looked at how our twin mindsets use different
social platforms for different purposes and how marketers need to vary
their tactics depending on whether they are targeting audiences in a
personal or professional context.
In 2014, with content marketing increasingly taking centre stage in
marketing strategies, it was time to go back for a closer look at how the
mindset divide influences how professionals engage with content. When
we did so, we discovered a transformation in the role that social media
plays in delivering that content.
When it comes to news, ideas and information that helps professionals do
their jobs better, audiences are now more likely to turn to social media
than they are to use newspapers and radio. And they are almost as likely
to get their content from social as they are to watch it on TV. Social media
has truly arrived as a professional content platform.
This matters hugely to both brand building and acquisition, because the
amount of time that audiences spend consuming what they consider
professional content is dramatically increasing. Content that engages the
professional mindset is seen as inherently more trustworthy, and when it’s
shared on social media its credibility and influence rapidly grows. Thanks
in large part to mobile, tablets and multi-screening, the professional
mindset is coming to dominate media consumption as a whole.

3. 3The Mindset Divide: Spotlight on Content
KEY FINDINGS
Professionals are gluttons for content, seeking it out
throughout the day from coffee to couch, and far more likely to
consume professional content at home than in the office.
First and foremost, professional content is about
knowledge. It includes news and current affairs but can also
stretch to restaurant reviews, sports and style: anything that can
enhance professionals’ identity, support their interactions or give
them an insight-derived edge.
And knowledge is too important to keep to working
hours. Professionals are 60 per cent more likely to access
professional content at home than they are in the office.
Social media has transformed professional content
consumption. It is powering a new professional content
ecosystem.
Mindset dictates trust and response, with professionals
giving different roles to content from different social platforms and
using different techniques to judge how trustworthy that content is.
Professionals respond to content differently on different
social platforms, with significant shifts in the importance
attached to reading, sharing and commenting.
Professional sharing boosts content’s value: across all social
media platforms, professional content is significantly more trusted
than other forms, and that trust increases further still when the
content is shared. LinkedIn users are far more likely to post their
own comments on content, adding greater social validation as it
travels across their networks.
LinkedIn is the natural home for professional content:
It’s the social network that professionals trust to connect them to
other professionals, and it’s increasingly the platform they trust to
improve themselves through content as well.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8

4. The Mindset Divide: Spotlight on Content4
ABOUT THIS STUDY
LinkedIn partnered with Millward Brown Digital to ask over 1,000
respondents about the content that they consider professionally valuable,
the sources that they choose to access it from, the level of trust that they
attach to it, and the times and contexts in which they choose to consume
it. We also studied the behavioural clickstream of 300,000 UK consumers
over a three-month period. The results paint a detailed picture of the role
of content in professional lives and suggest clear strategies for how
brands and businesses can use this passion for content to earn awareness,
trust and influence.
PROFESSIONALS ARE GLUTTONS
FOR CONTENT
Not so long ago, professional content was consumed at appointed times
and in pre-packaged forms: the News at Six or Ten, listening to the Today
Programme on the way to work, or taking some time with the morning
papers over breakfast. But today’s professionals are rarely happy to let
their content come to them. The professional mindset is to be the first in
the know; which has been translated into habitual checking of content
sources throughout the day. For 60% of professionals, 12 minutes of every
hour spent online is taken up consuming professional content. Seven out
of ten read, watch or listen to professional content online almost every
day, substantially more than get their professional content fix from
watching TV, listening to the radio or reading newspapers.
Online (and increasingly mobile) access to professional content supports a
compulsion to dig deeper into any subject that engages the professional
mindset. Well over half of professionals agree that “when I read, watch
and/or listen to professional content, I often find myself looking for more
professional content.” When the initial content arrives through TV, radio or
print, the natural next step is to dig deeper on digital platforms.
CONTENT CONSIDERED RELEVANT TO WORK OR PROFESSIONAL INTERESTS
“Professional
content helps me be
a better decision-maker”
36%
“I like to be the
first to receive and
share professional content
that others might find useful”
54%
“I trust the
credibility of
professional content more
than non-professional
content”
56%
“When I read,
watch and / or listen
to professional content, I
often find myself continuing
to look for more
professional content”
57%

5. 5The Mindset Divide: Spotlight on Content
FIRST AND FOREMOST,
PROFESSIONAL CONTENT IS
ABOUT KNOWLEDGE
When asked to define what professional content means to them, a third of
participants in our study identified, advice on professional development
and a third cited job opportunities in their industry. But for far, far more of
them, professional content isn’t reading about careers – it’s about being in
the know.
Over half of those in the survey described current events and financial
news as content relevant to their professional identity, and almost as many
pointed to the importance of more company specific news and industry
trends. Above all, it is this desire to be constantly connected to relevant
events and developments that defines the professional mindset’s
relationship to content. More than half of professionals agree that they
like to be the first to receive and share professional content that others
might find useful.
The compulsion to stay ahead of the game encompasses other forms of
knowledge as well. Close to a third devour articles and opinion pieces by
industry experts, with 36% agreeing that professional content helps to
make them a better decision-maker. And the study suggests that the net
for professional content can be cast wider as well: science, technology and
education are key subjects, with at least a quarter of professionals visiting
content sites in these areas every week, and there are some that find
relevant professional content amid coverage of sports, food and dining or
culture and the arts. Almost one in five hunt down information on
products and experiences that will enhance them as a professional.
Owning the latest gadgets, knowing the best restaurants and bonding
over match reviews can all provide some professionals with a valued edge.
Professional
content helps me be
a better decision-maker
36%
FACTORS IMPORTANT IN DETERMINING TRUSTED CONTENT
Includes facts / figures that are properly cited
Is delivered through a well-known and respected
publication, news / radio channel or website
Is well-written
Can be easily applied to your everyday life
Is authored / created by a well-respected
journalist or personality
Is shared or recommended by a family
member or friend
Is sponsored by a company or brand I trust
Has been “liked” or shared by many people
Has been read by many people
59%
55%
51%
37%
32%
22%
20%
13%
12%

6. The Mindset Divide: Spotlight on Content6
AND KNOWLEDGE IS TOO
IMPORTANT TO KEEP TO
WORKING HOURS
The vast majority of professional content consumption takes place outside
of working hours, at home. In fact, professionals are 60 per cent more
likely to access professional content at home than they are in the office.
More than three quarters consume professional content at home every
month, whereas just less than half do so at work. The high proportion of
content consumption taking place at home on tablets and smartphones
enables professionals to multi-screen, consuming professional content
online whilst the TV or radio news plays in the background.
AT HOME
79%
AT WORK
49%
AT SCHOOL
3%
DURING MY
DAILY COMMUTE
PROFESSIONALS SPEND
60%
MORE TIME CONSUMING PROFESSIONAL
CONTENT AT HOME THAN AT WORK
WHILE TRAVELING
(E.G. PLANE AIRPORT TRAIN)
13% 13%
PROFESSIONAL CONTENT CONSUMPTION BY LOCATION

7. 7The Mindset Divide: Spotlight on Content
SOCIAL MEDIA HAS TRANSFORMED
PROFESSIONAL CONTENT
CONSUMPTION
More likely to deliver daily content to professionals than radio,
newspapers or magazines and with only slightly less reach than TV, social
media sites are the fastest growing publishing platforms used by
professionals and absolutely fundamental to their content routines.
Despite only recently developing as a content distribution channel, social
media now delivers relevant content to 40% of professionals on an almost
daily basis. And 17% of professionals check in with content on social
media more frequently than that. This puts social media ahead of
professional content stalwarts like Radio 4’s Today Programme with its 7
million professional listeners, or the Financial Times with its global
readership of 2.2 million. And it makes social networks only slightly less
influential than mainstream TV news.
Integration with other online channels forms a key part of social media’s
influence within the professional content space and makes social channels
a natural destination for those looking to dig deeper into relevant subject
matter. The business sections of news websites account for 40% of the
source traffic and 35% of the destination traffic for social networks, as
professionals use content as a starting point for discussions, share insights
with others and respond to content-related updates on social media.
SOURCE / DESTINATION TRAFFIC TO
SOCIAL NETWORKS BY PROFESSIONAL
CONTENT CATEGORIES
FREQUENCY OF ACCESSING PROFESSIONAL CONTENT BY MEDIUM
Online
websites /
e-mail
TV
programming /
news
Social
media sites /
apps
Radio
Print
newspapers
Print
magazines
Online
podcasts
76%
59%
48%
45%
46%
39%
23%
6%34%35%
8%31%19%
8%23%17%
8%25%12%
7%27%11%
12%23%4%
6%14%3%
Once a day or more often 1-6 days a week 1-3 times a month
SOURCE DESTINATION
40% NEWS SITES: BUSINESS SECTION 35%
29% EDUCATION SITES 28%
23% TECHNOLOGY AND MEDIA
SITES AND MAGAZINES
20%
14% TECHNOLOGY AND MEDIA BLOGS 17%
8% BUSINESS AND FINANCE SITES
AND MAGAZINES
11%
7% BUSINESS AND FINANCE BLOGS 10%

8. The Mindset Divide: Spotlight on Content8
MINDSET DICTATES TRUST AND
RESPONSE
Professionals show very different levels of trust in content depending on
whether it is relevant to their professional or personal persona – and
whether it arrives through their personal or professional network. In
general, the types of content that are considered more professionally
relevant are also considered most credible: world news, business news,
technology and science are trusted far more than celebrity gossip or
entertainment coverage, for example. However, it’s also true that content
will be judged differently depending on which social network a
professional is using, and which mindset they are occupying at the time.
Whilst being shared by friends or family is the key driver of trust on
personal networks, content that arrives on professional networks is more
likely to be judged on its merits – and is held to the higher standards
traditionally associated with mainstream journalism. Prominent amongst
these merits are the use of properly cited facts and figures and the fact
that the content is well-written. Both characteristics feature amongst the
most important trust factors for daily users of LinkedIn, but are far less
important for those on Facebook or Twitter.
Partly as a result, professional network users are more open to content
from different sources, provided it meets their standards. A well-written
piece may not get very far on Facebook or Twitter if it isn’t sponsored by a
high-profile author or brand; it’s far more likely to be consumed,
considered and recommended on LinkedIn.
This open-minded approach to quality content on LinkedIn is a result of
professionals’ faith in the network itself. Almost three-quarters of
professionals describe LinkedIn as a trustworthy source of professional
content, exactly double the proportion that trust Facebook. As a result,
69% access professional content on LinkedIn, compared to 50% on
Facebook and 48% on Twitter.
0%
10%
20%
30%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50%
%THATCONSIDERTOPICPROFESSIONALCONTENT
% THAT ACCESS TOPIC ONLINE
Local, national and world
news / current events
Politics
Sports
Fashion / Beauty
Entertainment / TV News
Celebrity
Gossip
Health /
Ftiness
Food / Dining
Home /
Garden
Education
Technology
Travel and
Holidays
Lifestyle
/ Arts
Real estate /
Property
Business / Company /
Finance News Science
PERSONAL
NETWORKS
PROFESSIONAL
NETWORKS
More important
for Professional
than Personal:
More important
for Personal than
Professional:
Facts /
figures that are
properly cited
Well-written
Shared /
recommended
by family / friends
BASIS OF TRUST TRAFFIC TO SOCIAL
NETWORKS BY PROFESSIONAL
CONTENT CATEGORIES
SOCIAL NETWORK ASSOCIATION
AS “A TRUSTWORTHY SOURCE
OF PROFESSIONAL CONTENT”
PROFESSIONAL CONTENT TRUST
FACTORS
PROFESSIONAL TOPICS OF INTEREST
MORE IMPORTANT TRUST FACTORS
• SHARED / RECOMMENDED BY
FAMILY / FRIENDS
• EASILY APPLIED TO DAILY LIFE
• SPONSORED BY TRUSTED COMPANY
/ BRAND
• “LIKED” / SHARED BY MANY
• WELL-KNOWN / RESPECTED SOURCE
MORE IMPORTANT TRUST FACTORS
• AUTHORED BY WELL-RESPECTED
JOURNALIST / PERSONALITY
MORE IMPORTANT TRUST FACTORS
• FACTS / FIGURES THAT ARE
PROPERLY
CITED
• “LIKED” / SHARED BY MANY
• WELL-WRITTEN
• WELL-KNOWN / RESPECTED SOURCE
• AUTHORED BY WELL-RESPECTED
JOURNALIST / PERSONALITY
DAILY
TWITTER
USERS:
DAILY
FACEBOOK
USERS:
DAILY
LINKEDIN
USERS:
LESS IMPORTANT TRUST FACTORS
• SHARED / RECOMMENDED BY
FAMILY / FRIENDS
LESS IMPORTANT TRUST FACTORS
• AUTHORED BY WELL-RESPECTED
JOURNALIST / PERSONALITY
• FACTS / FIGURES THAT ARE
PROPERLY CITED
• WELL-WRITTEN
LESS IMPORTANT TRUST FACTORS
• WELL-WRITTEN
• FACTS / FIGURES THAT ARE
PROPERLY
CITED
• WELL-KNOWN / RESPECTED SOURCE
• EASILY APPLIED TO DAILY LIFE
72%
37%
30%

9. 9The Mindset Divide: Spotlight on Content
PROFESSIONALS RESPOND TO
CONTENT DIFFERENTLY ON
DIFFERENT SOCIAL PLATFORMS
As with trust, professionals’ response to content varies hugely depending
on which social media platform they are using, with significant shifts in
engagement and the importance attached to reading, sharing and
commenting on the content they receive.
Professional content on Facebook typically invites only superficial
engagement, with users more likely to “like” an item of content than they
to actually read it. On LinkedIn and Twitter, users consume first and share
later, yet a difference in emphasis remains. Twitter users prioritise speed of
action, retweeting content before commenting on it in depth; LinkedIn
users are far more likely to post their own comments, adding greater
social validation as the content travels across their networks.
PROFESSIONAL SHARING BOOSTS
CONTENT’S VALUE
Sharing is fundamental to social media’s influence within the professional
content ecosystem, and already trusted content acquires far greater
credibility the more often it is shared. With 41% of professionals sharing
specifically professional content, and the vast majority using social
networks to do so (58% versus 44% for email), content that persuades
them it needs to be passed on has a significant advantage when it comes
to acquiring reach and influence. On both LinkedIn and Twitter (although
far less than on Facebook) content that is liked or shared by many, or
arrives from a trusted source, acquires significantly greater credibility.
PROFESSIONAL CONTENT ACTION
AFTER RECEIVING
PROFESSIONAL
CONTENT ON
FACEBOOK…
1
2
3
4
5
6
“LIKE” THE POST
CLICK ON OR READ THE
PROFESSIONAL CONTENT
COMMENT ON THE POST
SHARE THE POST WITH AN
INDIVIDUAL
SHARE THE POST WITH MY
ENTIRE NETWORK
POST ABOUT PROFESSIONAL
CONTENT
AFTER RECEIVING
PROFESSIONAL
CONTENT ON
TWITTER…
CLICK ON OR READ LINK
FROM THE TWEET
RETWEET TWEETS
FAVOURITE TWEETS
REPLY TO TWEETS
TWEET ABOUT
PROFESSIONAL CONTENT
1
2
3
4
5
AFTER RECEIVING
PROFESSIONAL
CONTENT ON
LINKEDIN…
CLICK ON OR READ THE POST
COMMENT ON THE POST
“LIKE” THE POST
SHARE THE POST WITH AN
INDIVIDUAL
SHARE THE POST WITH MY
ENTIRE NETWORK
POST ABOUT PROFESSIONAL
CONTENT
1
2
3
4
5
6
69%
50%
48%
SHARING OF ONLINE
CONTENT BY
PROFESSIONALS
METHODS OF SHARING
PROFESSIONAL CONTENT
4% 19%
OTHER
PRINTING THE
ARTICLE TO SHARE
30%
E-MAILING LINKS
THROUGH THE WEBSITE
WHERE YOU FOUND
THE CONTENT
44%
E-MAILING LINKS
THROUGH YOUR OWN
PERSONAL E-MAIL
ACCOUNT
58%
SHARING THROUGH
A SOCIAL NETWORK
VIA WEBSITE OR POSTING
TO SOCIAL MEDIA SERVICE
41%
PROFESSIONAL
CONTENT

10. The Mindset Divide: Spotlight on Content10
THE PROFESSIONAL CONTENT
PLAYBOOK
For brands and businesses looking to reach and influence professionals,
social media platforms represent the single greatest content marketing
opportunity available. Their potential comes from their extensive and
integrated role within the professional content ecosystem, the openness
that professionals have for receiving content from different sources
through them, and their immense potential for multiplying the reach and
credibility of content through sharing.
However, if they are to make effective use of content on social media,
marketers must always be mindful of the different mindsets that their
audience occupies when using different networks. They must tailor their
approach both to the different ways in which content is valued and the
different roles that professionals assign to their various social platforms.
SOCIAL NETWORK ASSOCIATION WITH PROFESSIONAL CONTENT ATTRIBUTES AMONG
FREQUENT / OCCASIONAL PROFESSIONAL USERS
Place where I can get content
that is relevant to my
career / professional
interests
Platform where I
expect to find
professional content
Effective platform on which
to exchange professional
ideas and interests
Suitable place for me
to share professional
content
Allows me to connect
with professionals who
I otherwise would not know
LinkedIn Facebook Twitter
76%
47%
44%
71%
49% 46%
70%
48%
38%
69%
36%
31%
68%
44%
35%

11. 11The Mindset Divide: Spotlight on Content
WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR MY
CONTENT MARKETING?
Ensure your content gets a hearing. LinkedIn is social media’s
most trusted source of professional content – and the platform where your
content is most likely to be judged on its merits. Deliver it to journalistic
standards and your audience will give it the credit it deserves.
Use different social platforms for different roles.
Build engagement, start debate and generate social validation on LinkedIn.
Integrate it with Twitter and you can use this credibility to help content spread
even faster.
Ensure you are reaching professionals across multiple
devices. Professional content is consumed habitually throughout the day,
at home far more often than in the office. Content delivery platforms that
work across tablet and mobile greatly increase reach and influence.
Be timely – and anticipate the issues that matter. Being
first to know is a driving force in professionals’ relationship to content; being
ahead of the curve on emerging issues and opinions is even better. Sharing
content from trusted sources is a very effective means of building credibility –
but you need to be among the first to do so.
Encourage your audience to go deeper. Once professionals
start consuming content, they want more. Help them with links back to more
in-depth content on your website or company page.
Invite comments and invite shares. The credibility of
professional content hits the next level when it starts being shared extensively
on social media. Invite comments on LinkedIn and that credibility grows far
faster.
Consider different types of professional content. The
professional audience is broader than you think – and so is the content that
they value receiving. Source insights on what your key audience members
need – and what they are currently reading.
LINKEDIN IS THE NATURAL HOME
FOR PROFESSIONAL CONTENT
LinkedIn is by some distance the social media platform most closely
associated with professional content, and most trusted to deliver it. For
69% or professionals, it’s the “Platform where I expect to find professional
content” and for 68% it’s “the place where I can get content that’s
relevant to my career and professional interests. Significantly, it’s also the
environment in which professionals feel most comfortable sharing
professional content. When asked which social media platforms were a
suitable environment for exchanging such content, 71% named LinkedIn
compared to 49% for Facebook and 46% for Twitter.

12. http://lnkd.in/spotlight
#mindsetdivide