Report outlines social networking hurdles

Cleveland, Ohio A new study released by WorkPlace Media has outlined some of the biggest hurdles facing major brands as they attempt to harness the worlds of Facebook, Twitter and MySpace to create an impact with consumers.

In the study, which polled office Internet users, 55% maintained at least one social networking account (Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc.). However, of those respondents only 43% reported accessing their social networking accounts at work, and even for those with access, 78% reported spending less than 30 minutes per day on their site(s).

Furthermore, the overall impact of a brand’s presence on social networking sites was shown to be minimal in terms of impact and perception.

A whopping 96% of respondents said their opinion of a product brand did not change if that brand had no presence on a social networking site, only 11% of social networking users reported following any major brand through a social networking site, and just 12% of respondents said their opinion of a brand changes if that brand maintains a social networking presence. 

“When it comes to influencing brand perception and purchase decisions, the data shows that social networking still has a long way to go.” said Stephanie Molnar, CEO of WorkPlace Media, a marketing solutions firm that specializes in targeting people in their cubicles. “Most of our meaningful recommendations continue to be old-fashioned, word-of-mouth recommendations from friends, co-workers, and/or family.”

The WorkPlace Media survey found that Facebook was the top winner in terms of users, with about 89% of respondents reported having a Facebook account. About 40% said they have a MySpace account, 31% on LinkedIn, and 18% using Twitter.

Of the 18% who reported acting upon a business or product recommendation social networking sites, the leading categories were: Entertainment (53%), dining out (50%), groceries (23%), beauty care/cosmetics (21%), apparel (20%), electronics (15%), and pet care (15%).