Top 5 Trends In B2B Social Media Usage

Top 5 Trends in B2B
Social Media Usage:
What Every Marketer
Should Know
White Paper

© 2010 Toolbox.com

Top 5 Trends in B2B Social Media Usage: What Every Marketer Should Know

The value of social media usage in the workplace has been a much debated topic in recent
years. Those who malign its usage in professional settings have visions of productivity
plummeting among employees making frequent visits to Facebook or MySpace during
the workday to chat with friends. Equally concerning are the very real security risks that
social media usage may pose through malware attacks or from employees inadvertently, or
purposely, revealing proprietary or sensitive company information. However, many of these
risks can be minimized through proper security measures and smart social media policies,
like those developed by Intel and IBM, that provide employees with clear guidelines on
acceptable social media usage.

Despite these potential pitfalls,
social media usage on the job Three Primary Values of Social Media for Professionals
has proven to be a practical
addition to the traditional
workflow. Communities like Connect
Enable members to link up
LinkedIn and Facebook and communicate directly
help professionals connect
and communicate with each
other directly. Through sites
like Twitter and SlideShare, Collaborate Share
professionals can distribute Enable members to generate Enable members to distribute
knowledge or best practice
information to their connections information through open
information and knowledge to
their connections or the
and the broader community. interaction with their connections
and the community
community

Best practice communities like
Toolbox.com help professionals
make better decisions by
collaborating with peers online.
Where previously they would
be forced to rely on their
own expertise, colleagues, research, or conferences, they can now extend that pool of
available knowledge beyond their office walls right from their computer. With a few clicks,
today’s professional can be deep inside an online community where they can tap into the
experience of like-minded peers to help set strategies or solve problems.

The good news for B2B marketers is that they have an important role to play in the social
media space: online communities are open for participation and welcome the information
and insights that their companies can add to the conversation. However, in order to be

Toolbox.com
Knowledge Sharing Communities 2

© 2010 Toolbox.com


successful, marketers must first understand the landscape and their customers’ place
within it.

This white paper will help to develop a better understanding of the current trends in
professional use of social media – who is using it, how it is used, and why. The research
presented is based on responses from IT, HR, and finance professionals who participated
in a survey series with Toolbox.com and PJA Advertising + Marketing. More than 3,000
professionals participated in each of the five waves of the survey. Armed with this
information, B2B marketers can make better decisions about how to integrate social media
and its related tools into current marketing strategies.

Trend #1: Reliance on Social Media for Better Workplace Decision Making Continues
to Grow

Social media has become an important tool in the workplace, and is relied on frequently
during the average week to make decisions and solve problems. In Wave V of the
Toolbox.com/PJA Social Media Index survey, conducted in January 2010, respondents
reported using social media 4.59 hours on average during the week. This consumption rate
has increased by more than 1 hour per week since the first wave of the survey conducted
two years ago.
Media Consumption Rates
Media Consumption Rates
The rate of social media usage June 2007 (W1) to January 2010(W1) to January 2010 (W5)
June 2007 (W5)
has also consistently outpaced 5.0 4.72
4.59
consumption of online editorial 4.5

content and online vendor 4.0
3.48
3.74
3.54
3.35
content throughout the survey 3.26 3.35
3.5
Hours per week

3.06 3.05
2.88 2.88 2.85 2.79
series. This trend does not 3.0 2.71

2.5
indicate the declining importance 2.0
of these content types, as both 1.5
W1 W2 W3 W4 W5 W1 W2 W3 W4 W5 W1 W2 W3 W4 W5

serve important roles in helping 1.0

professionals identify current 0.5

trends and conduct research. What 0.0
Social media/ user-generated content Online editorial media Online vendor content

it does indicate, however, is the (Toolbox.com,
Wikipedia, LinkedIn, etc.)
(InformationWeek, CNN,
WSJ.com, etc.)
(vendor-produced white
papers, webcasts, etc.)

growing reliance that professionals Source: Toolbox.com/PJA SocialPJA SocialIndex, Wave VV
Source: Toolbox.com/
Media Media Index, Wave

place on social media for specific
purposes like networking, sharing knowledge, staying current, and advancing their careers,
which will be examined in more detail in Trend #2.

Toolbox.com

© 2010 Toolbox.com


Finance and HR professionals report similar consumption trends, using social media in the
workplace at rates of 3.64 hours/week and 3.77 hours/week respectively. Similar to their
IT counterparts, both finance and HR respondents use social media more frequently than
online editorial and vendor content.

Media Consumption Rates Media Consumption Rates
Finance Audience HR Audience
Social media/user-generated content Social media/user-generated content
(Toolbox.com, Wikipedia, Twitter, 3.64 (Toolbox.com, Wikipedia, Twitter, 3.77
Facebook, LinkedIn, etc.) Facebook, LinkedIn, etc.)

Editorial media Editorial media
(Information Week, 3.25 (Information Week, 2.77
CNN, WSJ.com, etc.) CNN, WSJ.com, etc.)

Vendor content Vendor content
(vendor-produced white papers, 2.40 (vendor-produced white papers, 2.13
webcasts, etc.) webcasts, etc.)

0.0 1.0 2.0 3.0 4.0 0.0 1.0 2.0 3.0 4.0

Average Hours Average Hours

Source: Toolbox.com/PJA Social Media Index, Wave V Source: Toolbox.com/PJA Social Media Index, Wave V
351 Responses 925 Responses

Trend #2: The Value of Social Media to Professionals Has Expanded Beyond
Networking

IT professionals use social media Social Media for Professional Use
for a variety of reasons on the job, IT Audience
including: Sharing content with peers 54.7%
• Staying current (70.9%)
Networking with other professionals 68.6%
• Networking with other 70.9%
Staying current
professionals (68.6%) Searching for jobs 32.7%
• Advancing their career (58.1%) Advancing your career 58.1%
• Sharing content with peers (building skills and expertise)
Managing your reputation (demonstrating 24.5%
(54.7%) expertise/building personal brand)
Other (please specify) 6.2%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80%
While many of these same Source: Toolbox.com/PJA Social Media Index, Wave V
functions can be performed offline 3,088 Responses

or online through an editorial or
vendor resource, social media offers professionals several distinct opportunities. The
content they are consuming through social media is created by their peers. In this way,
they gain a unique perspective on the latest trends, one based on direct experience from

Toolbox.com

© 2010 Toolbox.com


like-minded professionals. It also provides a much larger knowledge base to tap into when
solving a problem or developing a strategy.

Social Media for Professional Use
Finance Audience
Sharing content with peers 46.2%


Staying current 72.6%

Searching for jobs 29.6%
Advancing your career
(building skills and expertise) 55.0%

Managing your reputation (demonstrating
21.9%
expertise/building personal brand)

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80%

Source: Toolbox.com/PJA Social Media Index, Wave V
351 Responses

Social Media for Professional Use
HR Audience
Sharing content with peers 57.2%


Staying current 78.2%

Searching for jobs 29.5%

Advancing your career 56.2%
(building skills and expertise)
Managing your reputation (demonstrating
24.6%
expertise/building personal brand)

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80%

925 Responses

Similar trends in social media usage are emerging among finance and HR professionals,
where staying current, networking and sharing content with peers, and career advancement
are the top uses of social media.

Trend #3: Best Practice Communities Have Emerged as Key Resources for Career
Advancement

The adage of “using the right tool for the job” applies to how professionals use social
media. Not every social media site offers the appropriate venue for achieving a specific

Toolbox.com

© 2010 Toolbox.com


goal in the workplace, just as not every tool – such as blogs, discussion groups, or profiles
– found within those social media sites will offer the appropriate way to communicate.

For career advancement, which Types of Social Media for Career Advancement
includes searching for new job IT Audience
opportunities, filling knowledge Best practice communities
(Toolbox.com, StackOverflow)
59.7%

gaps by networking with peers, Vendor-run communities (Oracle Technology 34.7%
and training, IT professionals Network, IBM Developerworks)

Professional networks (LinkedIn, Ryze) 54.1%
rely first on best practice
communities like Toolbox.com Social networks (Facebook, MySpace) 36.7%

and StackOverflow (59.7%), Microblogging (Twitter, Tumblr) 13.7%

followed by professional Sharing networks (SlideShare, Digg) 10.3%

networks like Linkedin and 20.3%
Blogs (Blogger, LiveJournal)
Ryze (54.1%). Conversely, for
I don't use social media 18.9%
building brand reputation online, for career advancement

professional networks outpace Other (please specify) 3.3%

best practice communities by 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60%

a margin of 51.3% to 45.9% Source: Toolbox.com/PJA Social Media Index, Wave V
3,088 Responses
respectively.
Social Media Impact on Career
According to survey IT Audience
respondents, social media’s Created new job opportunities for me 21.6%

most significant impact on career Increased my responsibilities 21.4%
in my current position
advancement was to help them
Resulted in a promotion 6.9%
increase the level of experience Resulted in new business/project 21.3%
in their current position (56.7%), opportunities
Increased my level of expertise 56.7%
followed closely by providing in my current position
Increased confidence with a support 38.4%
a support structure to increase structure through professional networking
Benchmarked my skills against peers 25.9%
confidence in decision making Participation in social media has
27.2%
(38.4%). not impacted my career


0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60%
Among HR professionals, best
practice communities (66.7%) 3,088 Responses

and professional networks
(66.9%) were used at nearly the same frequency for career advancement. Finance
professionals used best practice communities (55.3%) slightly more than professional

Toolbox.com

© 2010 Toolbox.com


networks (54.7%) for career advancement. Like their IT counterparts, both HR and finance
respondents reported that social media’s biggest impact on career advancement was to
help them increase their level of expertise in their current positions.

Trend #4: Professionals Are Looking for Companies to Participate in Social Media

In Wave IV of the Toolbox.com/PJA Social Media Index survey, IT professionals were asked
to share their attitudes on vendor
participation in online communities.
Vendor Participation in Social Media
According to the survey results, IT Audience
B2B marketers should consider Vendors must have a presence in
34.7%
themselves to be an integral part online communities

of the social media experience: It is important, but not essential, that vendors listen 42.0%
to their audience and engage in conversation
more than 76% of respondents
I am skeptical about vendor engagement
reported that it is essential or in online communities
19.7%

important for vendors to have a I would not want to be part of a community
3.5%
that had vendor participation
presence in online communities.
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50%

Source: Toolbox.com/PJA Social Media Index, Wave IV
These survey respondents also 2,798 Responses

reported on which social media
venues were the most appropriate
Relevant Social Media Venues for Vendors
for vendor participation. By an IT Audience
overwhelming majority (90.5%),
Professional networking
IT professionals saw best practice communities(LinkedIn)
57.6%

communities as the most relevant Social networking communities
16.9%
forum for B2B marketers to (Facebook, MySpace)

communicate with their customers, Topic-based/knowledge sharing
communities (Toolbox for IT) 90.5%

followed by professional networks
(57.6%), social networking Twitter 17.0%

communities like Twitter (17.0%), 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
and Facebook (16.9%). Source: Toolbox.com/PJA Social Media Index, Wave IV
2,798 Responses

Professionals turn to social media
in information-seeking mode, such as when they have a question that cannot be answered
with the resources available in the workplace. In these instances, vendor participation in

Toolbox.com

© 2010 Toolbox.com


social media becomes important and valuable; professionals will readily accept answers
from vendors as well as from their peers.

Trend #5: Professionals Place the Most Value on Transparency and Responsiveness
from Companies Participating in Social Media

Although B2B marketers are invited to participate in social media by their customers and
prospects, they do not have
carte blanche to carry out
Social Media Requirements for Vendors
that participation according IT Audience
to their own preferences. IT Transparency and openness about their 4.2
professionals have very specific involvement in the community
Interesting and relevant content that 4.0
requirements about what they is updated regularly
Responsiveness to member questions,
expect from marketers who tips, and troublshooting
4.2

choose to participate. Improvement of products/services based on
feedback and input from community members
4.1

Free samples / give-aways 2.7

When asked to rank the qualities Exclusive member-only content and events 2.4

that were most important to them 0.0 1.0 2.0 3.0 4.0 5.0

from vendors who participate Rank
Source: Toolbox.com/PJA Social Media Index, Wave IV
2,798 Responses
in social media on a scale from
1 (least important) to 5 (most
important), respondents cited the ability to provide transparency about their involvement
(4.2) and responsiveness to questions (4.2) as their top priorities. These requirements
were followed closely by the vendor’s ability to implement product improvements based
on feedback (4.1) and regular updates of relevant content (4.0). Free give-aways and
exclusive offers were less important (2.7 and 2.4 respectively).

Professionals are using social media with specific objectives in mind – from researching
purchasing decisions and staying current to advancing careers and finding answers
to questions. Since vendors can provide the insights and advice that professionals
seek through social media, they find themselves on an equal playing field within online
communities. By being transparent about participation, providing experience-based
answers to questions, background to support research, and news to help professionals stay
current, vendors will play a key role in the social media space.

Toolbox.com

© 2010 Toolbox.com


Conclusion: 5 Tips for B2B Marketers Based on Current Trends in Social Media
Usage

• Professionals are using social media in the workplace to do their jobs better. Find them
where they gather and listen to their conversations to learn how to communicate with
them on their terms. This approach will lead to more targeted exposure of promotions,
better quality leads, and better conversions.

• Marketers can support many of the priorities that prompt professionals to use social
media in the workplace. Providing these audiences with content or advice that supports
their specific needs can help build better relationships with target audience members.

• Marketers can further relationships with potential customers as they seek to advance
their careers within niche best practice communities. Since increasing knowledge and
expertise is paramount to these audiences, marketers should look for opportunities
to support these activities by sharing IP assets like white papers and webcasts, or by
offering advice and expertise in discussion forums.

• B2B marketers have an open invitation from their customers to participate with them
in social media settings, especially in best practice communities. Since professionals
are researching and gathering information to support purchasing decisions or to solve
problems in the workplace, they welcome information from marketers that provide
relevant solutions.

• Professionals have strong feelings about how marketers should communicate with
them in communities. By honoring these preferences – including transparency,
responsiveness, and regular updates and improvements – marketers can garner trust
with these audiences.

Toolbox.com

© 2010 Toolbox.com


About the Authors

Bill Conn, Brand Manager/Senior PR Specialist, Toolbox.com
• Toolbox.com Profile: http://it.toolbox.com/people/bconn1
• Twitter: http://twitter.com/bconn

George Krautzel, Co-Founder and President, Toolbox.com
• Toolbox.com Profile: http://it.toolbox.com/people/george_krautzel
• Twitter: http://twitter.com/GeorgeKrautzel

About Toolbox.com
Toolbox.com helps professionals do their jobs better by enabling them to easily share
knowledge with experienced peers. The online communities at Toolbox.com include
professional networking, blogs, discussion groups, wikis, and a vendor research directory
through which executives and professionals collaborate to solve problems, make decisions,
and increase workplace efficiency. Through the community, advertising partners can
engage prospects and customers either directly or by integrating their message through
a proprietary contextual matching engine. This combination of community and advertising
value has made Toolbox.com a leading destination for professionals and a leader in online
advertising. Toolbox.com is a division of Corporate Executive Board (NASDAQ: EXBD).

For more information, visit www.Toolbox.com.
Follow Toolbox.com on Twitter: http://twitter.com/toolboxdotcom

Toolbox.com

© 2010 Toolbox.com

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