Yorkshire Social Media Survey 2010

Yorkshire Social Media Survey November 2010

E:[email protected] T: 0113 225 2500 F: 0845 280 2368 M: 07970 28069Optimum Exposure is a trading name of Republic of Yorkshire Ltd, a company registered in England and Wales . Registered Number: 6813370.

Registered Office: Technology House, 237 Lidgett Lane, Leeds, LS17 6QR

Executive SummaryThe survey ran from 1st to 30th November 2010 and was answered by companies within theYorkshire Region. The aim of the survey was to understand how different sized companiesin Yorkshire are using social media in their business and what return on investment theysee from the campaigns.

The main difference is how SME versus Large companies are using social media in theirbusinesses. Smaller and medium businesses (1 – 49 employees) feel that social media hasbe responsible for creating or helping create sales or new business. LinkedIn is a moreimportant business tool to small businesses which is reflected in the fact that more of thekey people within a small business are promoting themselves on LinkedIn compared to amedium or large organisations. Whereas larger companies (50+ employees) are notpromoting as much on LinkedIn, nor are their key people actively using LinkedIn.

Companies are using tools such as blogs, Twitter and LinkedIn more than video content(YouTube). Which makes sense as there is more investment required to creating aprofessional video compared to setting up a blog.

Companies overall are using social media to boost their PR activity with 75% respondentssaid social media had been responsible for creating positive PR about the company and40% saying social media had helped mitigate any PR problems.

Companies are promoting their social media sites on their websites with 55% respondentsare linking their social profiles online on the home page of their website and 30% sayingthey have a dedicated page on their site for 'community' aspects, which sign-post people tothe various sites.

This research paints a picture that Yorkshire companies that are engaged with social mediaas a key business tool are finding social media helps create or contribute to finding newbusiness. Companies are also using social media to boost their PR activities and feel thatsocial media has helped mitigate PR problems.

Charlotte Britton, MD Optimum Exposure says 'Social Media is becoming a core part of themarketing mix. Companies that are adopting the technologies and techniques are creatinga competitive advantage for themselves as more people are using sites such as Twitter,LinkedIn and blogs. Companies need to understand the objectives and metrics for successbefore embarking on any activity, so they know what success looks like as the campaigngrows'



Headline Results • 82% of respondents said they used LinkedIn to promote their business with 67%

saying there key individuals were using LinkedIn to promote their business. 47% ofrespondents said they updated their LinkedIn profile weekly.

• 82% of respondent said they used Twitter a part of their business (to findcustomers, new business etc) with 57% respondents saying they updated theirTwitter account daily.

• 75% of respondents said they used a blog as part of their business strategy with 40%saying they updated their blog weekly.

• 50% of respondents are using YouTube as part of their business strategy with 30%saying they were unsure how often the company updates the account.

• An astounding 37% said they felt social media has been responsible for savingmoney in support or customer relations, with 25% saying that they felt it hadcertainly contributed towards it.

• 57% respondents said social media had been responsible for or contributing towardscreating new business and sales.

• 75% respondents said social media had been responsible for creating positive PRabout the company and 40% saying social media had helped mitigate any PRproblems.

• 55% respondents are linking their social profiles online on the home page of theirwebsite and 30% saying they have a dedicated page on their site for 'community'aspects, which sign post people to the various sites.

• 67% of respondents are using tracking within their company and their campaign but52% are not tracking the industry and anything which might impact their industryoverall.

• 80% of the respondents use social media personally as well as for business and 47%of them said that their employees don't use social media specifically for business.

• LinkedIn is more important business tool to small businesses which is reflected inthe fact that the more of the key people within a small business are promotingthemselves on LinkedIn compared to a medium or large organisation.

• All companies small, medium or large are committed to ensuring their Twitteraccount is updated on a daily basis.

• Smaller businesses are more committed to updating their blog on a weekly basis.The main reason being would be that smaller companies are usually ownermanaged and therefore their credibility is important to the success of thecampaigns, and that they will usually have a direct involvement within the blog.

• Smaller and medium business feel that social media has be responsible for creatingor helping create sales or new business.



Results of the Yorkshire Social Media Survey

Facebook Questions52% of respondents are using Facebook as part of their business strategy but only 37% ofcompanies are updating the information on Facebook Fan Page regularly.



LinkedIn Questions82% of respondents said they used LinkedIn to promote their business with 67% sayingthere key individuals were using LinkedIn to promote their business. 47% of respondentssaid they updated their LinkedIn profile weekly.



Twitter Questions82% of respondent said they used Twitter a part of their business (to find customers, newbusiness etc) with 57% respondents saying they updated their Twitter account daily.



Blog Questions75% of respondents said they used a blog as part of their business strategy with 40% sayingthey updated their blog weekly.



YouTube Questions50% of respondents are using YouTube as part of their business strategy with 30% sayingthey were unsure how often the company updates the account.



Return on Investment QuestionsAn astounding 37% said they felt social media has been responsible for saving money insupport or customer relations, with 25% saying that they felt it had certainly contributedtowards it.

57% respondents said social media had been responsible for or contributing towardscreating new business and sales.

75% respondents said social media had been responsible for creating positive PR about thecompany and 40% saying social media had helped mitigate any PR problems.



Linking Social Media Presence and Tracking55% respondents are linking their social profiles online on the home page of their websiteand 30% saying they have a dedicated page on their site for 'community' aspects, whichsign post people to the various sites.

Most of the blogs set up are on a separate domain (something like blog.domain.com)rather then being on the main website (domain.com/blog). Which means that the blogsare being set up separately rather than integrating into the rest of the website.

67% of respondents are using tracking within their company and their campaign but 52%are not tracking the industry and anything which might impact their industry overall.



Usage Questions80% of the respondents use social media personally as well as for business and 47% ofthem said that their employees don't use social media specifically for business.



Business QuestionsA range of companies completed the survey with SME and large organisations being the maincategories. With 47% of people who answered the survey being the business owner and 22% whowere the MD / CEO / Partner in a business.

Comparing Employee Numbers on Key QuestionsHave you used LinkedIn as part of your business (i.e. to find customers, research clients,online networking, groups etc)?

The smaller the business the more important LinkedIn is their overall business strategy interms of finding customers, researching customers and online networking



Have you used LinkedIn as part of your businessMedium Businesses (11 - 49 Employees)

YesNo

Have you used LinkedIn as part of your businessSmall Business (1 - 10 Employees)

YesNo

Have you used LinkedIn as part of your businessLarge Businesses: 50+ Employees

YesNo

Are your key people promoting your company through LinkedIn?

LinkedIn is more important business tool to small businesses which is reflected in the factthat the more of the key people within a small business are promoting themselves onLinkedIn compared to a medium or large organisation.



Are your key people promoting your company through LinkedIn?Medium Business: 11 - 49 Employees

YesNoUnsure

Are your key people promoting your company through LinkedIn?Large Business: 50+ Employees

YesNoUnsure

Are your key people promoting your company through LinkedIn?Small Business: 1 - 10 Employees

YesNoUnsure

How often do you post messages to your Twitter account?

All companies small, medium or large are committed to ensuring their Twitter account isupdated on a daily basis.



How often do you post messages to your Twitter account?Small Business: 1 - 10

DailyWeeklyMonthlyLess than MonthlyUnsure

How often do you post messages to your Twitter account?Medium: 11 - 49 Employees


How often do you post messages to your Twitter account?Large Business: 50+ Employees


How often do you add posts to your blog?

Smaller businesses are more committed to updating their blog on a weekly basis. Themain reason being would be that smaller companies are usually owner managed andtherefore their credibility is important to the success of the campaigns, and that they willusually have a direct involvement within the blog.



How often do you add posts to your blog?Small Business 1 - 10 Employees


How often do you add posts to your blog?Medium Business: 11 - 49 Employees


How often do you add posts to your blog?Large Business: 50+ Emloyees


Has social media been responsible saving you any money in support or customer relations?

Smaller companies say that social media has been responsible for saving money in supportor customer relations compared to large companies.




Small Business: 1 - 10 Employees

It ContributedNo Yes


Medium Company: 11 - 49 Employees

It ContributedNo YesUnsure


Large Business: 50+ Employees

It ContributedNo YesUnsure

Has social media been responsible for creating or helping to create anysales or new business?

Smaller and medium business feel that social media has be responsible for creating orhelping create sales or new business. From experience social media will have more of adirect impact on a small business compared to a large company.



Has social media been responsible for creating or helping to create any sales or new business?

Small Business: 1 - 10 Employees

YesNo Unsure


Medium Business: 11 - 49 Employees

YesNo Unsure


Large Business: 50+ Employees

YesNo Unsure

Methodology

The online survey was set up using Wufoo. Companies within Yorkshire were specificallytargeted for answering the survey The survey was sent out via :

• Twitter to @charlottebritto 900+ Followers using the #Yorkshire tag

• RT's by Yorkshire Companies on Twitter

• Email to over 200 business owners and senior business people in Yorkshire

• LinkedIn Message sent to over 100 contacts (which were different to the emailcontacts)

We had 40 responses from the survey which were a mixture of business sizes andpositions within the company.

It is recognised that the survey was distributed in an electronic format online, therefore theindividuals who will have answered this will be more fluent in online technology and hencewill be self selecting and will have biased the results.



Yorkshire Social Media Survey 2010

Technology

Transcript of Yorkshire Social Media Survey 2010