To learn how IT marketers can use social media to build relationships, foster trust, and drive business with the IT Committee, LinkedIn partnered with comScore, Starcom MediaVest Group, and Mashwork.

1. The Social Bridge
to the IT Committee
How trusted content on social media
builds relationships with IT buyers
Canada
Commissioned study
conducted by:

2. Buyers are highly informed, savvy, and demanding
60%
Through decision
making process
First contact
with brand
Source: CEB, “The Digital Evolution in B2B Marketing”, 2012
2

3. Tech companies risk being on the
sidelines if they don’t educate and help
Implications
Less exposure to
client and prospect
projects
TECH
COMPANIES
Decrease in lead
potential
Limiting long-term
perception as a trusted
partner and thought
leader
3

4. Social media can help bridge the gap and build
relationships
TECH COMPANIES
4

5. Why is it so critical to foster
long-term relationships?

6. These scarce influencers include more than the IT
department and the Executive team
THE IT COMMITTEE
They work
cross functionally
48% Work outside of IT
Source: commissioned study conducted by comScore in Canada on behalf of LinkedIn, Q3 2013
They include individual
contributors and managers
58% are individual
contributors or managers
6

7. LinkedIn partnered with comScore, Starcom MediaVest Group,
and Mashwork to understand today’s B2B IT Committee
What are they thinking?
126 IT Committee members in
Canada
What are they saying?
3,000 tech posts from public
LinkedIn Groups
What are they doing?
IT decision makers on LinkedIn
comScore: Q3 2013
SMG / Mashwork: 2012
LinkedIn data: Q2 2013
7

8. Key Findings
Social media is not just for
connecting with peers. The IT
Committee actively seeks insights
& conversations with vendors.
The vendor shortlist is more
exclusive and critical than you
think.
Make the vendor shortlist by
fostering long-term relationships,
while serving short-term needs via
lead generation.
Source: commissioned study conducted by comScore in Canada on behalf of LinkedIn, Q3 2013
8

9. The IT Committee actively seeks
conversations with vendors on
social media
9

10. Nearly all of the IT Committee use social networks
Use social network monthly for business
89%
95%
91%
2012
2013
LinkedIn leads all social platforms
77%
Source: commissioned study conducted by comScore in Canada on behalf of LinkedIn, Q3 2013
10

11. The reason? Social media – LinkedIn especially – provides
them with trust, efficiency, relevance, and access
T
E
R
A
Trust
Efficiency
Relevance
Access
56%
Learn from
trustworthy peers
36%
36%
43%
Quickly
find information
Relevant context to
connect with vendors
Access a
broader network
Source: Commissioned study conducted by Forrester Consulting in Canada on behalf of LinkedIn, Q3 2012
11

12. TERA continues to drive even deeper utilization across the
entire IT decision process
Influence of social media at each stage of decision making
79%
65%
68%
63%
64%
Implement
Awareness
YoY
Increase
Scope
Plan
Select
26%
34%
51%
24%
Source: commissioned study conducted by comScore in Canada on behalf of LinkedIn, Q3 2013
48%
12

13. As tech decision makers use social to learn and debate,
they’re looking to vendors to participate
68%
79%
Open to connecting with
vendors on social
Ready to have a conversation
with a vendor on social
Source: commissioned study conducted by comScore in Canada on behalf of LinkedIn, Q3 2013
13

14. The vendor shortlist is
more exclusive and critical
than you think
14

15. The IT Committee already have a good idea who they want to
work with
Only 3
vendors make their short list
96% purchased from a vendor that made the short list
Only 1 in 10 purchased from a new vendor
Source: commissioned study conducted by comScore in Canada on behalf of LinkedIn, Q3 2013
15

16. How do you make the short list if
you are a new vendor?

17. Old ways of communicating don’t work and can turn off your
audience
Top 5 reasons the IT Committee doesn’t connect with a
vendor on a social network
01
03
02
Don’t want to receive a lot of
marketing materials
Don’t believe would provide any
info that is relevant to my job
Don’t believe would provide
any credible information
05
04
Talk too much about
themselves
Not thought leaders in
the category
Source: commissioned study conducted by comScore inin Canada on behalf of LinkedIn, Q3 2013
Source: commissioned study conducted by comScore Canada on behalf of LinkedIn, Q3 2013
17

18. Building relationships with the right content is critical to
being considered
18

19. The IT Committee are interested in a diverse range of topics
– earn more interest with multiple types of content
Top types of information sought in each stage of IT
decision-making process:
AWARENESS
SCOPE
PLAN
SELECT
IMPLEMENT
IT industry news / strategy info
Diagnostic / assessment tools
Product / solution demo /
software trial
Source: commissioned study conducted by comScore in Canada on behalf of LinkedIn, Q3 2013
19

20. Senior decision makers are 2X more likely to have shared
and engaged with product / industry news
"Windows 8 is gold: Release date just
days away [link] #ITBW for
@computerworld by @richi $MSFT”
"It's nice to hear that Asian companies are
starting to adopt e-learning. [Link] Elearning going mobile in Asia | ZDNet”
Junior Decision Maker, Twitter
Senior Decision Maker, LinkedIn Groups
3,217
IT Decision Makers engaged with
this article on LinkedIn in June
Source: commissioned social intelligence research conducted by Mashwork on behalf of Starcom MediaVest Group and LinkedIn, Q1 – Q4 2012
20

21. Senior decision makers were 11.5X more engaged with
thought leadership content
1,345
IT Decision Makers engaged with
this post on LinkedIn in June
Source: commissioned social intelligence research conducted by Mashwork on behalf of Starcom MediaVest Group and LinkedIn, Q1 – Q4 2012
21

22. Junior decision makers were 39% more engaged with best
practice content
"An interesting and insightful article elaborating on the
innovative applications of analytics to enhance VAS
revenues.... [Link]"
Junior Decision Maker, LinkedIn Group
Source: commissioned social intelligence research conducted by Mashwork on behalf of Starcom MediaVest Group and LinkedIn, Q1 – Q4 2012
22

23. Build relationships to make
the short list
23

24. Traditional lead generation needs to be blended with social
to earn leads
Sweet Spot
Traditional
lead generation
Social
Relationships
Valuable
Content
24

25. Context matters. Credibility and trust drive brand perception
and willingness to consider a vendor for the shortlist
% who trust LinkedIn more than other websites
LinkedIn
Same
Other websites
Connecting more efficiently with vendors and relevant companies
35%
41%
25%
Talking about my experience with IT vendors
38%
43%
19%
Receiving information relevant to my IT decisions
35%
Source: commissioned study conducted by comScore in Canada on behalf of LinkedIn, Q3 2013
41%
24%
25

26. The IT Committee are more likely to engage with their
vendors on LinkedIn than on other social networks
Following their
vendor
LINKEDIN IS
USED
69%
more often
than other
social
networks
Source: commissioned study conducted by comScore in Canada on behalf of LinkedIn, Q3 2013
26

27. Likelihood of getting a meeting with the IT Committee
increases as vendors engage with this audience on LinkedIn
Pre-Purchaseperson
VendorReceived a demo
Engagement by
Met with the vendor in
# Attended a webinar from vendor Did a liveon LinkedIn
of Types of Engagement chat with vendor
80%
60%
40%
20%
0%
NONE
2+ TYPES
# of types of engagement with vendor on LinkedIn before purchase
Source: commissioned study conducted by comScore in Canada on behalf of LinkedIn, Q3 2013
27

28. Vendors who interact with the IT Committee at a high rate are
more likely to create promoters
Engagement on LinkedIn Prior To Purchase
Vendor Net Promoter Score
NONE
36
Source: commissioned study conducted by comScore in Canada on behalf of LinkedIn, Q3 2013
2+ TYPES
67
28

29. Engage the IT Committee everywhere they learn
FEED
GROUPS
INMAIL
MOBILE
29

30. Earn leads and build relationships with content
SLIDESHARE CHANNEL
SLIDESHARE CONTENT ADS
PERSONALIZED INSIGHTS VIA API
SPONSORED UPDATES
30

31. Implications for IT Marketers
01
Target more than IT functions in your campaigns.
02
Ensure your content is authentic, valuable, timely, and
customized by decision stage and seniority.
03
Start earning leads via social in addition to buying leads.
04
05
Focus on building relationships to get on the short list.
Begin tracking how often and for what clients you make the short
list.
31