The survey found that the Teachers' and State Employees' Retirement System had the majority of responses at 69.6%. Younger members are more interested in online communications like the website than printed newsletters. Most members use social media networks like Facebook and are interested in receiving retirement information through blogs and social media. The recommendations are to establish short and long term goals to effectively use social media for communicating retirement information and building relationships with members.

2. Study PurposeDesigned to collect information on member knowledge of and communication experiences with the Retirement System.

3. What communication mediums are effective for newer members of the System?Taking ActionThe RSD Communications team surveyed members of all five Retirement Systems over a two week period in April. This survey was administered online through our survey tool, Empliant.Members were notified of the availability of the survey through two e-mail notices.

4. Survey ResponseThe Teachers’ and State Employees’ Retirement System compromised majority of the responses by 69.6%.

5. Consolidated Judicial Retirement System had the least amount of representatives with .1% responding to the survey.

6. 1.6% said they did not know which System they were a member of.Use of RSD TechnologiesQ: How often to you access the Retirement Systems Web page?Q: How often to you access ORBIT? When members were asked about current technologies that RSD utilizes such as the Web site and ORBIT majority responded that they use them seldom, a few times per year.This may be due to the age demographics and years of service.

7. RSD CommunicationsQ: I find NC Retirement Systems’ Newsletters effective.Q: I find the Retirement Systems’ Web site effective.StronglyAgreeI don’tknowStrongly DisagreeAgreeDisagreeWhen members were asked about current RSD communications such as newsletters and the Web site they expressed more interest in the Web site than printed publications. This proves that members of the younger generation participate and find viral communications more effective than traditional communication.

8. Views on BloggingQ: Would you be interested in reading a blog about how other state employees are using their retirement benefits?Results show that majority of members (n=663) are interested in reading a blog about retirement benefits. And only 2.9% don’t know how a blog works.

9. Member Use of Social MediaThe vast majority of respondents reported that they use Social Media networks (n=964), only 1.4% don’t know how to use Social Media.

10. Social Media Networks45.7% Members expressed an astounding use of the Facebook community with YouTube not following far behind with $13.1% using this network.

11. Retirement & Social MediaSocial Media is defined by Wikipedia as “an umbrella term that defines the various activities that integrate technology, social interaction, and the construction of words, pictures, videos, and audio.”Other Retirement Systems Utilizing Social Media Tools:

12. Why Social Media?Time spent on social networks is growing at 3Xthe overall Internet rate, accounting for about10% of all Internet time.Nielson, Global Faces and Networked Places, 2009

13. What We LearnedBased on the results from this communication survey we can conclude that younger members of the Retirement System are heavily involved in Social Media Networking and are interested in receiving retirement information through various online outlets.37.5% of respondents agree that they would be willing to access more information online and receive fewer printed communication materials in the future.

14. Recommendations The great thing about integrating social media into our communication plan is its ability to build on RSD’s recent development of metrics for the processes at RSD as well as benchmarking with other Retirement Systems. Social media will allow us to set goals and benchmarks that are easily measurable for a desired time variable (daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, or annually.) Besides this, the benefits of social media are endless:TransparencyAwarenessBuild trust Promote websiteInexpensiveExtend conferences, workshops, webinarsBuild relationshipsBe part of an ongoing conversation*To effectively participate in the benefits that social media can offer we must first establish short and long term goals.

15. Short-term Goals

16. Long-term Goals