> Are your peers using social media marketing techniques? > What specifically are they doing? > How are they performing against key success metrics? B2B Marketing’s latest benchmarking report, based on a survey of 274 client-side B2B marketers conducted by Circle Research, maps out the B2B social media landscape. In doing so it provides a definitive peer based point of comparison for marketers. Here we share highlights from agency respondents to the survey NOT included in the report. Highlights from the client-side view can be found here - <a>The B2B Research Blog</a>

1. Benchmarking Agency Social Media Activity11th August 2011

3. Findings based on 251 interviews with B2B marketing agency professionals conducted in June/July 2011

4. The survey was conducted by B2B research specialists Circle Research on behalf of B2B Marketing magazinewww.circle-research.com/blog

5. To what extent does your organisation have a social media strategy? Base: All agency respondents (251) www.circle-research.com/blog

6. Which of the following did your organisation use to develop its approach to social media? Comparison of different social media tools Competitor research Internal and agency brainstorming Research into target audience behaviour Gut feel Research into target audience attitudes Research to identify key opinion formers Other I don’t know Base: All agency respondents with a social media strategy (197) www.circle-research.com/blog

7. Below is a list of potential reasons to use social media as a marketing tool. Which three would you say are the most important objectives for your organisation? Total 58% 47% 41% 40% 29% 27% 23% 12% 8% 4% 3% 0% 6% Base: All agency respondents (251) www.circle-research.com/blog

8. When planning your social media activity, do you consider how it will impact on SEO? Base: All agency respondents (251) www.circle-research.com/blog

9. In your experience, to what extent is social media effective in targeting these audiences? Media contacts Senior management Middle management External analysts C-suite execs NET: 21% 55% 36% 64% 79% Base: Agency respondents who target: C-suite execs (107); senior management (184); middle management (158); media contacts (102); external analysts (50). Net score calculated by subtracting negative from positive scores www.circle-research.com/blog

10. Do you have a specific budget for social media? Base: All agency respondents (251) www.circle-research.com/blog

11. Budget vs. time allocated to social media Base: All agency respondents who responded to the question (216/233) www.circle-research.com/blog

12. As a percentage of total marketing spend, do you expect your spend on social media to increase or decrease over the next 12 months? Base: All agency respondents who knew whether their organisation had a specific budget (240) www.circle-research.com/blog

13. Do you expect the amount of time your organisation spends on social media to increase or decrease over the next 12 months? Decrease slightly; 0% Decrease significantly; 0% Base: All agency respondents who knew how much time they dedicated to social media (233) www.circle-research.com/blog

14. Which of the following social media techniques are you currently using? Company activity on social networks Proprietary online community Company blog Online PR Base: All agency respondents (251) www.circle-research.com/blog

15. What’s the extent of your organisation’s presence on the following social networks? Industry specific community Base: All agency respondents whose organisations currently use social networks (238) www.circle-research.com/blog

16. In your opinion, which three social networks are most useful to your organisation at present and which three do you think will be most useful in 12 months time? Industry specific community I don’t know Base: All agency respondents whose organisations currently use social networks (238) www.circle-research.com/blog

17. On average, how many times a month does your organisation or designated individual/s representing your organisation tweet? 50% Mean = 62 Tweets per month Base: All agency respondents with a Twitter account (182). Excludes don’t knows www.circle-research.com/blog

18. On average, how many times a month does your organisation or designated individual/s representing your organisation blog per month? 50% Mean = 8 Blogs per month Base: All agency respondents with company blogs (157). Excludes don’t knows www.circle-research.com/blog

19. On average, how many times a year does your organisation or designated individual/s representing your organisation post videos on its YouTube account 50% Mean = 14 YouTube videos per month Base: All agency respondents with YouTube accounts (114). Excludes don’t knows www.circle-research.com/blog

20. Which social networks have you bought promotional services (such as advertising) from in the past 12 months? Industry specific community None Base: All agency respondents whose organisations currently use social networks (238) www.circle-research.com/blog

21. Below are some measurements of social media engagement. Please indicate how many people follow your organisation’s Twitter account Mean = 1550 50% Twitter followers Base: All agency respondents with a company Twitter account (167). Excludes don’t knows www.circle-research.com/blog

22. Below are some measurements of social media engagement. Please indicate how many people subscribe to your company blog Mean = 922 50% Blog subscribers Base: All agency respondents with a company blog (52). Excludes don’t knows www.circle-research.com/blog

23. Do you currently use social media to generate leads? Base: All agency respondents (251) www.circle-research.com/blog