The document discusses how social media, particularly LinkedIn, can help technology companies build relationships with IT buyers and committees. It finds that IT committees are highly influenced by social media across different stages of their decision making process. They actively seek conversations with vendors on social platforms to learn about new solutions. However, vendors risk being sidelined if they just use social media for marketing without providing valuable, relevant content. The summary should establish that social media is important for technology companies to foster long-term relationships with IT committees and influencers to make it onto their shortlists for new projects and solutions.
The Social Bridge to the IT Committee Australian ResearchLinkedIn
To learn how social media can build relationships, foster trust, and drive business with the IT Committee, LinkedIn partnered with comScore, Starcom MediaVest Group, and Mashwork and found that traditional lead generation methods are no longer effective. View this new research from Australia.
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.
Sydney Tech Breakfast: Presenting the Social Bridge to the IT CommitteeLinkedIn
New Australian research from LinkedIn, Starcom MediaVest Group, and comScore about social and the technology vertical. As presented by Mike Weir, LinkedIn Global Head of Technology at the Tech Breakfast in Sydney on October 2nd.
Did you know that 4 out of 5 IT decision makers use social networks for business purposes? In fact, 73% of them have engaged with a vendor on social. Hear more about the pervasive impact of social on IT purchasing and what marketers must do to adapt, in this groundbreaking study by LinkedIn and Forrester.
The Social Bridge to the IT Committee Australian ResearchLinkedIn
To learn how social media can build relationships, foster trust, and drive business with the IT Committee, LinkedIn partnered with comScore, Starcom MediaVest Group, and Mashwork and found that traditional lead generation methods are no longer effective. View this new research from Australia.
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.
Sydney Tech Breakfast: Presenting the Social Bridge to the IT CommitteeLinkedIn
New Australian research from LinkedIn, Starcom MediaVest Group, and comScore about social and the technology vertical. As presented by Mike Weir, LinkedIn Global Head of Technology at the Tech Breakfast in Sydney on October 2nd.
Did you know that 4 out of 5 IT decision makers use social networks for business purposes? In fact, 73% of them have engaged with a vendor on social. Hear more about the pervasive impact of social on IT purchasing and what marketers must do to adapt, in this groundbreaking study by LinkedIn and Forrester.
Linkedin the Social Bridge to the IT CommitteeJill Sida
Social media is not just for connecting with peers. The IT Committee actively seeks insights and conversations with vendors on social media.
•2 in 3 are open to connecting with a new vendor.
•3 in 4 are ready to have a conversation with a new vendor on social media.
Trust drives brand perception, and the IT Committee trust LinkedIn more than other websites to receive information relevant to their IT decisions.
The IT Committee are >50% more likely to engage with their vendors on LinkedIn than on other social networks.
What Content Do Tech Professionals Prefer? [Infographic]LinkedIn
Dive into the personas of the technology audience and how to achieve content effectiveness with this cohort. Explore:
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- Who they share content with and look to for thought leadership
- The types of content are key to cultivating interest
- What media is most engaging and effective
IT decision makers are flocking to social networks to learn and validate information about their B2B purchases. And it's changing the game for marketers. New research from Forrester, Research Now, and LinkedIn reveals what you need to know to reach this influential audience in today's social landscape.
IT decision makers are flocking to social networks to learn and validate information about their B2B purchases. And it's changing the game for marketers. New research from Forrester, Research Now, and LinkedIn reveals what you need to know to reach this influential audience in today's social landscape. This deck represents a role up of the UK, France and Germany.
How Social Media Influences Institutional Investors LinkedIn
Learn from our distinguished panel of speakers from J.P. Morgan Asset Management, Greenwich Associates, and LinkedIn, as we discuss:
- New research into how social media is being leveraged during the institutional investing process.
- Implications for institutional investing and how asset managers are adapting to these trends.
- Best practices and key opportunities to differentiate your brand and influence institutional investors on social media.
Webinar Presentation: Influencing IT Decisions with SocialLinkedIn
B2B IT buyers are flocking to social networks to help inform purchase decisions and validate information from other sources. In fact, 85% now use social networks for business purposes. As an IT marketer, how do you adapt to this changing digital landscape?
This webinar from February 2013 presented results from a study commissioned by LinkedIn and conducted by Forrester Consulting Group and Research Now.
We also revealed:
• Why and how IT decision makers use social networks
• Which social platforms are most valuable
• How IT marketers like HP have leveraged social to influence decision makers
• Best practices for IT marketers to leverage social in their marketing mix
Compared to the average online adult, LinkedIn members spend more on electronics and are more likely to value quality over price. And the most enthusiastic tech consumers, the indulgent techies, are highly engaged on LinkedIn.
Find out how to reach this influential audience as we reveal our latest Consumer Electronics research with Ipsos.
You'll find answers to questions such as:
- What factors drive their electronics purchase decisions?
- How does their mindset differ on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter?
- What does it take to convince indulgent techies to switch brands?
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In this presentation we share the main findings from The Group's FTSE100 Social Media Index 2013, provide some reflection on how social media communications developed over 2012 and document a few questions corporate communicators are asking about social media in 2013.
These January 2013 findings are the latest in a research programme begun in 2009 and repeated every six months, into how FTSE100 companies use social media.
We delivered this presentation at a breakfast we held with a small group of FTSE100 corporate communicators on 15 February 2013.
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At AMARI we stay true to our religion and turn classic styles into unique stand out pieces by putting a playful twist on them. Let your imagination flow... we are stepping out of the box.
Linkedin the Social Bridge to the IT CommitteeJill Sida
Social media is not just for connecting with peers. The IT Committee actively seeks insights and conversations with vendors on social media.
•2 in 3 are open to connecting with a new vendor.
•3 in 4 are ready to have a conversation with a new vendor on social media.
Trust drives brand perception, and the IT Committee trust LinkedIn more than other websites to receive information relevant to their IT decisions.
The IT Committee are >50% more likely to engage with their vendors on LinkedIn than on other social networks.
What Content Do Tech Professionals Prefer? [Infographic]LinkedIn
Dive into the personas of the technology audience and how to achieve content effectiveness with this cohort. Explore:
- What content motivates technology professionals
- Who they share content with and look to for thought leadership
- The types of content are key to cultivating interest
- What media is most engaging and effective
IT decision makers are flocking to social networks to learn and validate information about their B2B purchases. And it's changing the game for marketers. New research from Forrester, Research Now, and LinkedIn reveals what you need to know to reach this influential audience in today's social landscape.
IT decision makers are flocking to social networks to learn and validate information about their B2B purchases. And it's changing the game for marketers. New research from Forrester, Research Now, and LinkedIn reveals what you need to know to reach this influential audience in today's social landscape. This deck represents a role up of the UK, France and Germany.
How Social Media Influences Institutional Investors LinkedIn
Learn from our distinguished panel of speakers from J.P. Morgan Asset Management, Greenwich Associates, and LinkedIn, as we discuss:
- New research into how social media is being leveraged during the institutional investing process.
- Implications for institutional investing and how asset managers are adapting to these trends.
- Best practices and key opportunities to differentiate your brand and influence institutional investors on social media.
Webinar Presentation: Influencing IT Decisions with SocialLinkedIn
B2B IT buyers are flocking to social networks to help inform purchase decisions and validate information from other sources. In fact, 85% now use social networks for business purposes. As an IT marketer, how do you adapt to this changing digital landscape?
This webinar from February 2013 presented results from a study commissioned by LinkedIn and conducted by Forrester Consulting Group and Research Now.
We also revealed:
• Why and how IT decision makers use social networks
• Which social platforms are most valuable
• How IT marketers like HP have leveraged social to influence decision makers
• Best practices for IT marketers to leverage social in their marketing mix
Compared to the average online adult, LinkedIn members spend more on electronics and are more likely to value quality over price. And the most enthusiastic tech consumers, the indulgent techies, are highly engaged on LinkedIn.
Find out how to reach this influential audience as we reveal our latest Consumer Electronics research with Ipsos.
You'll find answers to questions such as:
- What factors drive their electronics purchase decisions?
- How does their mindset differ on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter?
- What does it take to convince indulgent techies to switch brands?
Nurturing the IT Committee Lead: Is Marketing Helping or Hurting?LinkedIn
This sneak preview of the latest LinkedIn IT research was presented during our 2014 Tech Roadshow. Learn more about how tech brands should build trust and credibility with IT Committee members on LinkedIn.
In this presentation we share the main findings from The Group's FTSE100 Social Media Index 2013, provide some reflection on how social media communications developed over 2012 and document a few questions corporate communicators are asking about social media in 2013.
These January 2013 findings are the latest in a research programme begun in 2009 and repeated every six months, into how FTSE100 companies use social media.
We delivered this presentation at a breakfast we held with a small group of FTSE100 corporate communicators on 15 February 2013.
16 Employee Advocacy Statistics to Guide Your 2016 Marketing StrategyKredible
Download the ebook here: www.bit.ly/EmployeeAdvocacyGuide As marketers develop their game plans for 2016, we’re looking back on some of the statistics that reveal the most about the current state of sales, marketing, and consumer behavior.
These stats indicate that organizations will increasingly invest in their employees’ personal brands and employee advocacy programs as a cost-effective way to reach more people, generate more leads, and close more sales.
At AMARI we stay true to our religion and turn classic styles into unique stand out pieces by putting a playful twist on them. Let your imagination flow... we are stepping out of the box.
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The high end of quality - unique designs with custom made heel & platform in Italy. Handcrafted entirely from genuine leathers, which we pick from the best tanneries in the world.
comScore and LinkedIn unveil new research showing how social platforms provide a trusted resource for today’s IT purchasing.
Presented at TechConnect:13 by Jake Raroque, Research Consultant at LinkedIn and Roslyn Ku, Vice President at comScore
Tech By the Numbers: Understanding Tech BuyersLinkedIn
Read our Infographic “Tech by the Numbers: Your Guide to Understanding Tech Buyers on LinkedIn” for new insights on:
- What TDMs are interested in — and where they look for information
- What content TDMs engage with — and how
- What 2017 means for tech marketers — key tips and tactics for reaching TDMs
Digital Opportunity Analysis - Social Media + SEO + Content StrategyRooneyPartners
Effective digital engagement is essential to the health of your brand. The Digital Opportunity Analysis offered by RooneyPartners creates the foundation for a successful activation strategy. Our analytics-based approach to defining the digital opportunity enables you to better understand your current and potential audiences in social media, analyzes the conversations relevant to your brand, benchmarks your organization against competitors, and provides a path for optimizing your search engine performance. The Digital Opportunity Analysis delivers proof of concept for organizations seeking to activate or optimize a social media strategy, delivers the blueprint for a more effective digital content strategy, and identifies social media amplification and engagement activities that can drive reach, engagement, and conversion of key audiences.
Enterprise social data success factors, presented by Marshall SponderSocialMedia.org
In his presentation, WebMetricsGuru's Marshall Sponder shares a methodology brands can use to decide their internal readiness for a converged analytics implementation.
He explains how to use data from signals that include their online social presences, team structure, and executive buy-in.
In 2013 LinkedIn launched global research with comScore, The Social Bridge to the IT Committee, which identified an influential group of tech decision makers, called the IT Committee. This research looked at why the IT Committee are using social media to inform their purchasing decisions, and why marketers need to engage them on social.
This research showed how critical it is that we change as fast as possible or continue to hurt the growth potential of our companies. As well as the ability to retain clients.
This year we wanted to understand how IT marketers can best educate and engage the IT Committee through content that is truly valuable.
Webinar: From Hurting to Helping: How to Earn Quality IT Leads with Trust LinkedIn
Are your content marketing efforts truly building trust and credibility with the IT Committee -- the diverse group of decision makers who influence tech buying decisions? The type of content you share, who it comes from, and how you gate it impacts your lead generation efforts.
Join us as we present new research that shows how IT marketers can avoid common mistakes and build meaningful relationships with the IT Committee on social media. You'll learn how to:
- Develop the trust and credibility to earn quality leads
- Leverage the expertise within your company to provide valuable content
- Start the sales cycle on the IT Committee's schedule to avoid turning off leads before they convert
Social media is a vital element in the B2B marketing toolbox—especially considering the need to nurture prospects over long, complex sales cycles. Learn how you can develop meaningful relationships through social media—and ultimately convert followers to loyal customers.
Social@Ogilvy and OgilvyOne thought-leadership on unlocking engagement opportunities across the customer journey.
This research aims to answer a simple question. Do visible Social programmes undertake the fundamental Customer Engagement activities that drive sales, loyalty and advocacy?
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Why You Should Replace Windows 11 with Nitrux Linux 3.5.0 for enhanced perfor...SOFTTECHHUB
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3. Tech companies risk being on the
sidelines if they don’t educate and help
TECH
COMPANIES
3
Decrease in lead
potential
Implications
Less exposure to
client and prospect
projects
Limiting long-term
perception as a trusted
partner and thought
leader
4. Social media can help bridge the gap and build
relationships
4
TECH COMPANIES
5. Why is it so critical to foster
long-term relationships?
6. There is a scarcity of influential B2B tech buyers – tech
companies can’t afford to alienate them
5X more expensive to gain a new customer
than to retain an existing one 3
1 comScore PlanMetrix US June 2013
2 Forrester Research. Global Tech Market Outlook 2013 To 2014. January 2013.
3 TARP Worldwide
$820 billion
US IT spending2
15million
US Tech Decision Makers1
6
7. THE IT COMMITTEE
They work
cross functionally
43% Work outside of IT
They include individual
contributors and managers
50% are individual
contributors or managers
These scarce influencers include more than the IT
department and the Executive team
Source: commissioned study conducted by comScore in the US on behalf of LinkedIn, Q3 2013 7
8. LinkedIn partnered with comScore, Starcom MediaVest
Group, and Mashwork to understand today’s B2B IT
Committee
comScore: Q3 2013
SMG / Mashwork: 2012
LinkedIn data: Q2 2013
8
What are they thinking?
379 IT Committee members
What are they saying?
3,000 tech posts from public
LinkedIn Groups
What are they doing?
IT decision makers on LinkedIn
9. Key Findings
Source: commissioned study conducted by comScore in the US on behalf of LinkedIn, Q3 2013 9
Make the vendor shortlist by
fostering long-term
relationships, while serving short-
term needs via lead generation.
The vendor shortlist is more
exclusive and critical than you
think.
Social media is not just for
connecting with peers. The IT
Committee actively seeks insights
& conversations with vendors.
10. The IT Committee actively seeks
conversations with vendors on
social media
10
11. Nearly all of the IT Committee use social networks
Source: commissioned study conducted by comScore in the US on behalf of LinkedIn, Q3 2013 11
LinkedIn leads all social platforms
86%
2013
95%95%
2012
85%
Use social network monthly for business
12. The reason? Social media – LinkedIn especially – provides
them with trust, efficiency, relevance, and access
Source: Commissioned study conducted by Forrester Consulting in 8 countries on behalf of LinkedIn, Q3 2012 12
Access
A
Access a
broader network
49%
Relevance
R
Relevant context to
connect with vendors
37%
Efficiency
E
Quickly
find information
40%
Trust
T
Learn from
trustworthy peers
58%
13. TERA continues to drive even deeper utilization across the
entire IT decision process
Source: commissioned study conducted by comScore in the US on behalf of LinkedIn, Q3 2013 13
67%56% 58% 49% 61%
Implement
70%
Select
68%
Plan
74%
Scope
73%
Awareness
79%
Influence of social media at each stage of decision making
YoY
Increase
14. As tech decision makers use social to learn and
debate, they’re looking to vendors to participate
Source: commissioned study conducted by comScore in the US on behalf of LinkedIn, Q3 2013 14
68%
Open to connecting with
new vendors on social
Ready to have a conversation
with a vendor on social
76%
16. The IT Committee already have a good idea who they want to
work with
Source: commissioned study conducted by comScore in the US on behalf of LinkedIn, Q3 2013 16
vendors make their short listOnly 3
purchased from a vendor that made the short list92%
purchased from a new vendorOnly 1 in 6
17. How do you make the short list if
you are a new vendor?
18. Old ways of communicating don’t work and can turn off your
audience
Source: commissioned study conducted by comScore in the US on behalf of LinkedIn, Q3 2013 18
Top 5 reasons the IT Committee doesn’t connect with a
vendor on a social network
05
Talk too much about
themselves
02
Don’t believe would provide
any credible information
04
Don’t believe would provide any
info that is relevant to my job
01
Don’t want to receive a lot of
marketing materials
03
Not thought leaders in
the category
Source: commissioned study conducted by comScore in the US on behalf of LinkedIn, Q3 2013
20. AWARENESS SCOPE PLAN SELECT IMPLEMENT
The IT Committee are interested in a diverse range of topics
– earn more interest with multiple types of content
Source: commissioned study conducted by comScore in the US on behalf of LinkedIn, Q3 2013 20
Best practices, how-to’s, checklists
Product / solution demo / software trial
IT industry news / strategy info
Top types of information sought in each stage of IT
decision-making process:
Diagnostic / assessment tools
21. 3,217 IT Decision Makers engaged with
this article on LinkedIn in June
"Windows 8 is gold: Release date just
days away [link] #ITBW for
@computerworld by @richi $MSFT”
Junior Decision Maker, Twitter
"It's nice to hear that Asian companies are
starting to adopt e-learning. [Link] E-
learning going mobile in Asia | ZDNet”
Senior Decision Maker, LinkedIn Groups
21
Source: commissioned social intelligence research conducted by Mashwork on behalf of Starcom MediaVest Group and LinkedIn, Q1 – Q4 2012
Senior decision makers are 2X more likely to have shared
and engaged with product / industry news
22. Senior decision makers were 11.5X more engaged with
thought leadership content
22
Source: commissioned social intelligence research conducted by Mashwork on behalf of Starcom MediaVest Group and LinkedIn, Q1 – Q4 2012
1,345 IT Decision Makers engaged with
this post on LinkedIn in June
23. 23
Source: commissioned social intelligence research conducted by Mashwork on behalf of Starcom MediaVest Group and LinkedIn, Q1 – Q4 2012
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
25. Traditional lead generation needs to be blended with social
to earn leads
25
Sweet Spot
Social
Relationships
Valuable
Content
Traditional
lead generation
26. Context matters. Credibility and trust drive brand perception
and willingness to consider a vendor for the shortlist
45%
46%
47%
32%
33%
31%
23%
23%
21%
Source: commissioned study conducted by comScore in the US on behalf of LinkedIn, Q3 2013 26
% who trust LinkedIn more than other websites
Connecting more efficiently with vendors and relevant companies
Talking about my experience with IT vendors
Receiving information relevant to my IT decisions
LinkedIn Same Other websites
27. The IT Committee are more likely to engage with their
vendors on LinkedIn than on other social networks
27Source: commissioned study conducted by comScore in the US on behalf of LinkedIn, Q3 2013
Reading a post
from their vendor
Following their
vendor
50%
more often
than other
social
networks
LINKEDIN IS
USED
56%
more often
than other
social
networks
LINKEDIN
IS USED
28. Likelihood of getting a meeting with the IT Committee
increases as vendors engage with this audience on LinkedIn
28Source: commissioned study conducted by comScore in the US on behalf of LinkedIn, Q3 2013
# of types of engagement with vendor on LinkedIn before purchase
Pre-Purchase Vendor Engagement by
# of Types of Engagement on LinkedIn
29. Vendors who interact with the IT Committee at a high rate are
more likely to create promoters
29Source: commissioned study conducted by comScore in the US on behalf of LinkedIn, Q3 2013
Engagement on LinkedIn Prior To Purchase
Vendor Net Promoter Score
39
NONE
58
1 TYPES
62
2+ TYPES
30. Engage the IT Committee everywhere they learn
30
FEED
MOBILE
GROUPS
INMAIL
31. Earn leads and build relationships with content
31
SLIDESHARE CHANNEL
SPONSORED UPDATES
SLIDESHARE CONTENT ADS
PERSONALIZED INSIGHTS VIA API
32. Implications for IT Marketers
32
01
02
03
04
Target more than IT functions in your campaigns.
Ensure your content is authentic, valuable, timely, and
customized by decision stage and seniority.
Start earning leads via social in addition to buying leads.
Focus on building relationships to get on the short list.
Begin tracking how often and for what clients you make the short
list.05
Editor's Notes
Hi everyone, I’m Jake Raroque and joining me shortly from comScore will be Roslyn Ku and we are going to share some insights around how you can leverage content on social media to build relationships with IT buyers
We all know that the buyer is in control. They own the process more than they have ever have before. In fact, studies show that they are 60% through the decision making process before they reach out to a brand. And that is what we are here today to talk about. How can you get in front of and influence these buyers before they get to the point of wanting to engage with a technology vendor.http://www.executiveboard.com/exbd-resources/content/digital-evolution/pdf/Digital-Evolution-in-B2B-Marketing.pdf
Because if you don’t develop a relationship with the buyer earlier in the process, you risk being left on the sidelines.The implications for not engaging early include:less exposure to clients and prospectsa decrease in lead potential, andrisk of not being considered a true partner and thought leader
Now more than ever, tech marketers have an opportunity to use social media to bridge the gap and build relationships
So, why it is critical to foster long-term relationships?
There is a scarcity of those who influence B2B tech purchases. According to comScore, there are 15 MM people in the US who were involved in tech purchases for their company. And Forrester estimates they will influence $820 Billion dollars in the US this year. On the surface of it, this is still a sizable number of influencers, but think about how much marketing you are doing? How many people you are reaching with your campaigns today with all of the various messaging you put out there. Now think about this from the standpoint of your target audience and how easily they can get annoyed by poorly placed marketing.<BUILD> We know how much more expensive it is to gain a new customer versus retaining an existing one. If you are just churning and burning and not thinking about the long term engagement, you are alienating this important audience.
Traditionally, when people think about this audience, they typically describe them as being within the IT department or being very senior at their company. When surveyed this audience, the key criteria was that they were substantially involved during at least one phase of the decision making process for their company.What we found was that these influencers extend beyond just IT. In fact 43% work outside of IT in departments like Finance and SalesWe also saw that seniority went across the board. Half identified as being either an individual contributor or managerThese influencers form a Tech Committee
To better understand what this Tech Committee is thinking, we partnered with comScore to conduct a blinded survey this quarter on our behalf.. The survey takers did not have to use social media to participate and represent tech influencers across the US.To listen to what they are saying, we partnered with Starcom MediaVest Group and Mashwork. SMG is of course one of the top agencies in the world. Mashwork ,is a social media insights firm that listened to 3000 tech conversation in 2012 to understand the differences in content and conversations between senior and junior decision makers.Finally, we looked within LinkedIn’s own data to understand how they engage with content.
There are three key things that I’d like you all to walk away with.First, that social media is not just for connecting with peers. The IT Committee wants to hear from vendors on social.Second, you all recognize the importance of making the short list, but we are going to demonstrate just how exclusive and critical making that list is.Finally, we’ll talk to you about how you can make the short list by fostering long-term relationships while also serving your short term needs through lead gen.With that, I’ll hand it over to Roslyn Ku from comScore to start walking us through the findings.
To address the first key finding Jake mentioned, we saw that the IT Committee is actively seeking conversations with vendors on social.
Nearly all of the IT Committee uses social media for business purposes. It was already high last year, but with 95% telling us they it for business this year, social media is a de facto platform for the IT Committee. <BUILD> And LinkedIn leads all other social platforms with 86% of the IT Committee telling us they use LinkedIn for business.Q10. How frequently do you visit each of the following social networks for information specific to your work or business?
How did social become a de facto platform for the IT Committee? TERA. Trust, Efficiency, Relevancy and Access. When making purchase decisions, they turn to social media because they trust their peers, they can find information efficiently, social provides a relevant context to connect with vendors and they have access to a broader network. Social media has enabled peer validation at scale, and this is how they communicate, debate, and decide on IT purchases.To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statements about [the following networks], as they relate to your role in the IT decision-making process? - % agree
TERA drives utilization through the entire decision making process. Starting with discovering and generating awareness of products and solutions. Scoping business needs. Project planning. All the way through to selecting a vendor and implementing the technology, the influence of social media is high <BUILD> and it’s grown year-over-year.Q5. Which of the following information channels influence your discovery of technologies, products, and solutions to address your business needs? Q6. When you identify or scope business needs for an IT initiative, which of the following information channels influence your decision-making process? Q7. When you craft project plans or formal business requirements for an IT initiative, which of the following information channels influence your decision-making process? Q8. When you select vendors/third party service providers or authorize funding for an IT purchase, which of the following information channels influence your decision-making process? Q9. When you implement or roll out an IT initiative, which of the following information channels influence your decision-making process?
You’ve all heard the mantra that people want to have companies and brands to be in the conversation. Yesterday only some people wanted it, but today it’s an expectation. Those who haven’t gotten in the conversation are going to be left on the sidelines.Social isn’t just about connecting with peers. This hard to reach audience is open and receptive to hearing from vendors on social networks. Two-thirds said they are open to connecting with a new vendor social. Three-quarters said they are ready to have a conversation with a new vendor on social.Why are they open to talking to a perspective company on a social platform? Because inherently the engagement there is more about the person and less about the company. It’s about discussing and consuming content. It is very much about the value they are getting value because they can control who they engage with on social much more than on other platforms.Q26. Which of the following factors would prevent you from connecting with a potential vendor on any social network?
The second key findings was that the vendor short list is more exclusive and critical than you might think
Early in the process, the IT Committee has a good idea of who they want to work with, so having a strong relationship means you are more likely to be top of mind.This is important because <BUILD> they only consider 3 vendors on average and 92% purchased from a vendor that made the shortlist. They also stick with what they know. Only 1 in 6 purchased from a vendor they had never work with before.Q32. Had you previously purchased from <VENDOR>?Q30. Before you decided to work with <VENDOR>, how many companies made your short list for consideration? - MedianQ33. Was <VENDOR> one of the brands you had originally considered?
With so few willing to try a new vendor, it begs the question. How do you make the short list if you are a new vendor?
The IT Committee doesn’t want to be sold to. We asked them for reasons why they wouldn’t connect to a vendor on social and the number one reason they told us was that they didn’t want to receive a lot of marketing materials.<BUILD> As we look at the other reasons why they wouldn't connect with a vendor, it’s clear they are looking for an authentic conversation. They don’t believe the vendor would provide credible information. They aren’t considered thought leaders. They don’t believe the vendor would provide relevant information or they talk too much about themselves.Static editorial calendars or locking all valuable insights behind lead forms, these traditional ways of communicating may not work on social and could turn off this audience. Q26. Which of the following factors would prevent you from connecting with a potential vendor on any social network?
As you think about building relationships with this audience, it will be critical to engage them with content that is <BUILD> authentic, that is valuable and is timely.
We asked them what information they seek at each stage of their decision journey. Not just what they are looking for on social media. As you might expect, a diverse set of needs emerges where they tend to seek more macro level information early in the process and shift to information that is more specific later on.TRANSTION TO JAKE, BUT NOT CHANGING SLIDESOne of the big things that LinkedIn saw as we worked with Mashwork and SMG to dig deep into what are people talking about, was what they are engaging with and it’s not all strictly about tech . They have diverse interests and we are seeing a huge potential for companies to participate at a level that isn’t just about their brand. To talk about what your target audience cares about and how your brand plays into that.For example, let’s actually look at the type of content that is actually getting engagement.Q4. What type of information do you generally seek for each of the phases of IT decision-making that you are involved? Awareness - Discover technologies, products, and solutions to address your business needsScope - Identify or scope business needs for a new IT initiativePlan - Craft project plans and formal business requirements for the new initiativeSelect - Select vendors or third party service providers, authorize funding, and/or approve the purchaseImplement/Roll out - Implement the project, roll out the solution, and/or validate outcome
Early in the process they are interested in industry news. That doesn’t always mean product information. They want to keep up with trends. There is much more aspirational content, leadership content, functional role content that they are engaging with that they should be considering sharing as well. For example, if you are a Salesforce client you likely want to know when they are making acquisitions, when they are announcing new things. When this article was shared on LinkedIn <BUILD>, about 3200 IT Decision Makers engaged with it. That is they Liked, Clicked, Commented or Shared it.What we also learned was that Senior Decisions makers, by that I mean those whose title is Director or higher, <BUILD> that group is 2X more likely to have shared or engaged with product or industry news than those that are more junior. Those at a manger level or below.And when it came to the type of content, junior decision makers were more likely to focus at a product level (reference quote), while senior decision makers talked more at an industry level (reference quote).
Similarly, senior decision makers were 11.5X more likely to have engaged with thought leadership content.One of the ways that people are consuming thought leadership on LinkedIn is through our Influencer program. This particular post from the CEO of GE generated engagement from over 1300 IT Decision Makers(In total 15.5k views, 1,085 inShares, 182 Likes, 53 Comments)
Earlier Rosyln mentioned that as the IT Committee moves towards the end of their decision journey, their information needs shift to topics that help them with implementation. And junior decision makers are more likely to engage with this type of content. A member of a tech group posted this article about leveraging analytics.The IT Committee have busy, difficult jobs. A vendor who shares and engages them on multiple topics to meet their diverse needs, earns more interest and long term opportunities than the vendor who only talks about themselves!
The final key learning was about the importance of building relationships in order to make the short list.
Traditional lead generation like cold calling and blocking content with lead forms is and should continue to be an important way to generate leads. But social is a different animal. Social is about discussion. It’s about open information. You earn it through valuable content.That doesn’t mean you can’t gate content behind lead forms. You just need to be very smart about how you are capturing leads via social so that you are not inhibiting the value it provides. If you give the impression of providing a lot of information, but everything a gate around it, people are going to stop engaging with your brand. However if you are continuing a conversation with someone and occassionally ask for a lead, that’s fine. <BUILD> That’s the sweet spot and you have earned that lead by providing value. You are finding the points in time when they raise their hand and say, yes I want to talk to you further.Because it is a scarce audience, you want to develop a long term relationship so it’s easier to get them when they are ready to make that sales decision.
A trusted context matters. We asked them how much LinkedIn is trusted versus other websites. Not just other social networks, but all other websites. What we saw was that over 2X more trusted LinkedIn when it came togetting relevant information for their IT decisionstalking about their vendor experiencesconnecting with vendorsQ27. To what extent do you trust LinkedIn versus other websites in general?
And the trusted context of LinkedIn leads to engagement. Compared to other social networks, LinkedIn is used<BUILD> 56% more often to read a post from a vendor<BUILD> 50% more often to follow a vendorThis means higher a likelihood for broad reach and engagement leading ultimately to potential for more consideration
In our survey, we asked the IT Committee to tell us the ways in which they engaged with a vendor prior to purchase. Not the number of times, but the number of ways. As you can see along the bottom, we classified them into one of three groups. Either they did not engage with the vendor at all on LinkedIn, they had one type of engagement or 2+ typesWe also looked at the ways the engaged with the vendor directly. Meeting in person, getting a demo, attending a webinar or doing a live chat. What you see is a strong postive correlation between engagement on LinkedIn and direct vendor engagement. Let me say that another way. Your likelihood of getting a meeting with the IT Committee increases as you engage with them on LinkedIn.
Those vendors that interact with the IT Committee at a high rate are also more likely to create brand promoters. If you are not familiar with Net Promoter Score, it’s based off the question of how likely you are to recommend a brand, product, service. The metric allows companies to track promoters and detractors, producing a clear measure of an organization's performance through its customers' eyes. As it approaches 100, the more likely the brand has created loyal enthusiasts who keep buying from a company and urge their friends and colleagues to do the same.Now, using the same groupings where we look at those who didn’t engage with their vendor on LinkedIn, those who did 1 type of engagement or those who engaged in two or more ways, we see a fairly large increase in NPS.
You might be asking yourself, how do I use LinkedIn? Where should I be? There are four important places you need to be to get into these conversations. The newsfeed, groups, personalized communication via InMail and mobile.As David Thacker mentioned, we are always thinking about out how to get brands into the conversations to meet our members expectations.
Our product vision and strategy isn’t solely about monetizing the platform. It’s guided strongly by our core value of member’s first. We know they are on our platform, the types of engagement they are looking for and how they want to learn and gather insights via content. This is what helps us build products to help brands get into these conversation.To illustrate that, here are some examples of products that we have or have recently launched that help you to get into the newsfeed, that help you with groups, that help you create personalized experiences.
Now taking a step back and reflecting on what we just discussed, what are the big overarching takeaways that we are asking all of you to think about as you go into Q4 or for 2014 planning that have broader implication on your strategy.Target more than IT. 43% of the work outside of the IT department so utilize LinkedIn’s new IT Committee segment to broaden your reach.Second, the IT Committee has a diverse set of needs that differs by stage, seniority, etc. Effective content not only covers a wide range of topics, it is authentic, valuable and timely.Third, start earning leads via social in addition to the traditional lead generation approaches you are currently using.Fourth, focus on building those long term relationships to make the short listFinally, you can’t manage what you can’t measure so consider a new KPI. Begin tracking when you make the shortlist. Knowing that you are on the short list as well as seeing the IT Committee engage with you on LinkedIn are strong buying signals and you can allocate resources accordingly.