Burson-Marsteller 2011 Global Social Media Check-up

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The Global Social Media Check-up 2011#BMGlobalSocial

B U R S O N – M A R S T E L L E R E V I D E N C E – B A S E D C O M M U N I C A T I O N S 2

Twitter

Methodology

Fortune Global 100 Companies’ Use of:

Twitter & Microblogs

Facebook & Social Networks

YouTube & Video Sharing

Corporate Blogs

Implications

Contents

Facebook


Methodology

• The study’s sample consisted of the companies on the 2010 Fortune Global 100 list. The sample breaks down as follows:

− 32 U.S. companies

− 47 European companies

− 18 Asia-Pacific companies

− 3 Latin American companies (Because of the small sample size, data from the three Latin American companies are included

in the overall results, but this data is not broken out in the detailed analysis.)

• The study looked at the Fortune Global 100’s activities on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube , corporate blogs and other local microblogs and social networks around the globe.

• The results of this study are compared to last year’s Burson-Marsteller “Global Social Media Check-up 2010,” which analyzed the social media presence of companies on the 2009 Fortune Global 100 list. Results from the Global Social Media Check-up 2011 study are charted in blue; results from last year’s global study are charted in gray.

• While there was a slight shift from last year in the companies on the Fortune Global 100 list, this did not have a significant impact on results.

• Data was collected between November 2010 and January 2011.

• “Active” accounts were defined as those with at least one post in the past 3 months.

• Outliers have been noted.

• Data was collected by Burson-Marsteller’s global research team.


Global Companies Using At Least One Social Media Platform

There was a 6% increase in Fortune Global 100 companies participating on at least one social media platform, driven primarily by the 34% increase in Asian companies with social media accounts.

The Majority of Fortune Global 100 Companies Use At Least One Social Media Platform


One-Quarter of Global Companies are Active on All Platforms

There was a 25% increase in the number of companies using all four social media platforms studied. This growth was driven by increases in Asian companies (32% increase) and in the U.S. companies (21% increase).

Global Companies Using All Four Platforms


There was an 18% increase in Fortune Global 100 companies using Twitter, followed by a 14% growth in YouTube channels and a 13% growth in companies using Facebook pages. Twitter is emerging as the predominant social media platform used by corporations, although corporate Facebook pages have more “likes” than Twitter accounts have “followers.”

Twitter Had Greatest Growth of the Four Social Media Platforms

Percent of Fortune Global 100 Companies With…


Regional/local offices and functional divisions added corporate accounts to share their specific communications with targeted stakeholders, which drove the increase in accounts per company.

The Number of Accounts Per Company on Each Social Media Platform Also Increased

Number of Accounts Per Company on Each Social Network


Tweet !

Tweet ! Tweet !


The Percent of Companies With Twitter Accounts Grew 18%

The largest growth was in Asian corporate Twitter accounts (68% year-over-year increase). The proportion of U.S. companies with Twitter accounts remained flat.

83%of European corporations

have Twitter accounts

Percent of Companies with Twitter or Other Microblog* Accounts

* For the purposes of this study, “Twitter” refers to the actual platform or other similar microblogging platforms.


The average number of Twitter accounts per company increased from 4.2 accounts to 5.8 accounts.

Average Number of Twitter Accounts Per Corporation on Twitter

The Companies Participating in Twitter Also Increased Their Number of Accounts

In DetailThe number of accounts per company increased in the U.S. because of the large increase in IBM Twitter accounts (from 43 accounts in 2010 to 76 accounts in 2011) and Walmart (11 accounts 39 accounts). The same increase was demonstrated by many Asian companies (i.e., LG: 12 accounts 18 accounts, Sony: 5 accounts 16 accounts, and Nissan: 2 accounts 11 accounts.)

38%increase in the number of

accounts per companyon Twitter


Percent of Accounts Using @ Mentions

The Use of the “@” Mention Increased Dramatically

Seventy-six percent more companies use the “@” mention to reference or direct tweets at other Twitter accounts. This suggests a much higher level of engagement by corporations, as they use Twitter to converse with others and not just push out their own messages. The highest growth was among European companies, with a 148% increase using the “@” mention.

67%of accounts usethe @ mention


Corporate Outreach on Twitter

The @Samsungservice account is used primarily for customer service.

Almost every tweet begins with an @ mention respondingto customers in need of

technical support.

GE’s @ecomagination account is used mostly for news and company

updates, but it also responds to stakeholders’ comments and questions

via @ mentions.


Percent of Accounts Retweeting

Retweeting Also a Tool for Interacting on Twitter

Fortune Global 100 companies were much more active retweeters in the past year (78% increase). Again, this growth in retweeting was led by European companies(117% increase) and Asian companies (121%).

50%of European corporate

accounts retweet62%

of Asian corporateaccounts retweet


Number of Twitter Followers Increased Radically Across All Regions

Average Number of Followers Per Account

In DetailThe high average number of followers in Asia could be because many Asian corporations are in the electronics, entertainment and auto industries, which tend to lend themselves to more active social media participation due to active customer bases and the need for customer service.

The average number of followers per corporate account increased by 241% in the last year. This growth in popularity was lead by Asian companies, which averaged an increase of 328%.

5,076average followers

per account


Companies Follow More Accounts

Average Number of Accounts that Each Corporate Account Follows

As the number of global Twitter accounts grew over the last year, the average number of accounts each corporate account follows rose by 154% globally. European corporate accounts showed the most growth (341%), while Asian corporate accounts on average follow the most accounts (2,635).

154%increase in number ofaccounts each account

follows


Most Twitter Accounts are Used to Keep Stakeholders Informed

Percent of Accounts with Posts About Promotions/Deals/Contests

Percent of Accounts with Posts About General News/Announcements/Updates

The majority of accounts focus on providing company news, updates and announcements to stakeholders. More than one-quarter (28%) of corporate accounts are tweeting to consumers about deals or contests specifically related to their products and/or services.


News and Promotions via Twitter

@CreditAgricole uses its Twitter accounts for contests and offers, as seen above, as well as for “T’Chats”

that allow them to interact with other Twitter users.

@BoeingCorporate uses Twitter for a variety of purposes, but most importantly for news and updates.


Forty percent of corporate Twitter accounts engage stakeholders on customer service issues. Only one in 10 corporate accounts includes tweets with career information or job listings.

Twitter Accounts are Also Used for Customer Service and Career Information

Percent of Accounts with Career Information and/Or Jobs Posts in their Tweets

Percent of Accounts with Customer Service Tweets


@INGDIRECT mixes news and updates with customer service. The account often uses a casual,

humorous tone to better connect with other Twitter users.

The @LGD_recruit account posts news about job openings, career advice and

also seeks to answer the questions of prospective applicants.

Corporations Use Twitter to Connect with Stakeholders


The number of companies being talked about on Twitter increased by 90% over the last year (driven by a 118% increase in Asian companies and a 106% increase in European companies). The sharp rise indicates that a company is being referenced by stakeholders’ tweets even if it is not on Twitter.

Eight Out of Ten Companies are Talked About on Twitter

Percent of Companies Talked About on Twitter

80%of companies are talked

about on Twitter


The Percent of Corporations on Facebook Increased by 13 Percent

Corporations with Facebook (or Similar Social Network) Pages

Asian companies demonstrated the largest percent increase (25%) in Facebook use, driving a majority of the global growth.

In DetailOut of the companies who were on the Fortune Global 100 both years, there was an 18% increase in corporate Facebook pages.

13%increase in

corporations onFacebook

61%of corporationshave Facebook

pages


U.S. companies showed a particularly large increase in number of Facebook pages per company (179%), while the average number of pages per company in Asia increased by only 18%.

The Average Number of Facebook Pages Per Company Doubled

Number of Facebook Pages Per Company on Facebook

In DetailThe large increase in the U.S. average Facebook pages per company is largely due to outliers Hewlett-Packard and Ford, with 51 and 23 corporate Facebook pages respectively.

Asian companies average5.8 pages per company

on Facebook

Europe averages2.8 pages per

company on Facebook


Corporate Facebook Pages Demonstrated Large Gains in “Likes”

Average Number of “Likes” Per Page

The number of “likes” per Facebook page increased by 115% globally. Asian companies had the largest increase (406%), while European companies showed relatively no change over last year’s average.

115%increase inFacebook likes

406%increase in Facebook

likes on Asiancompanies’ pages


Companies More Actively Maintaining Facebook Pages

Percent of Pages with Posts in Last Week

Eighty-four percent of Facebook pages had posts made by the companies within the last week, demonstrating that the majority of pages are actively updated.

84%of pages have posts

in last week

40%increase inpages updated

in last week


Companies Interact with Stakeholders via Facebook

Facebook fan pages allow administrators to select whether they would like for their visitors to be allowed to post on the page’s wall. Globally, about three-quarters (74%) of pages allow for these posts. The U.S. companies led the way in Facebook interactivity, as 89% of pages allow posts from “likers” (fans), and 72% of pages respond to “likers’” wall posts.

Percent of Pages that Responded to “Likers” (Fans’) Wall Posts

Percent of Pages that Allowed “Liker” (Fans) Wall Posts


BNP Paribas has a Facebook page that is dedicated to a recruitment game that

targets college students.

Honda’s Facebook page has posts from the company itself that get many “likes” and comments. What really sets it apart,

however, is the posts it receives daily from the company’s fans.

Companies Use Facebook to Connect in Innovative Ways


The Percent of Companies with YouTube Channels

Percent of Companies with YouTube Channels

While Asian companies increased their presence on YouTube by 26%, there was a slight decrease in the percent of U.S. companies using YouTube.


In DetailThe U.S. increase in YouTube channels per company was driven by IBM with 21 channels, GE with 12 channels andFord with 10 channels.

Companies on YouTube Average 2.7 Channels Each

The average number of YouTube channels per company on the video-sharing site grew mostly because of the 192% increase among U.S. companies.

Average Number of YouTube Channels Per Company on YouTube


While each channel averages hundreds of thousands of views, Europe’s channels lag behind those of Asia and the U.S.

Asian Companies Average the Greatest Number of Views on YouTube

Average Number of Upload Views per YouTube Channel

In DetailAsian companies include Sony, Toyota, Hyundai and others in the electronics, auto and entertainment industries that have a highly visual marketing component. It’s not a surprise, then, that these YouTube channels have more views than others.


Walmart branded its YouTube channel so it looks like a part of the company’s home page. Its videos are

separated into categories that are meant to enhanceand simplify viewers’ experiences.

Companies Develop YouTube Pages that Reflect Their Unique Brands

Toyota’s YouTube channel also has a branded page and video categories. In particular, the “How-Tos & Demos” and

“Reviews & Specs” sections provide customer service that could be useful to viewers.


RSS


The percent of corporations with blogs increased by a negligible amount. Asian companies saw a 12% decrease in corporations with blogs, as many blogs became inactive. The U.S. companies saw the greatest increase (29%). European companies remained consistent, with slightly over one-quarter (28%) maintaining blogs.

There Was No Dramatic Gain in Corporate Blog Use Globally

Percent of Companies with Blogs


In DetailThe large increase in the U.S. average is due to Hewlett-Packard’s 83 blogs and IBM’s 86 blogs.

While the number of companies with blogs was steady, those who blog increased their use of the platform. The growth in the average number of blogs per company was driven by the 63% increase in the number of blogs hosted by U.S. companies.

Increase in Number of Blogs Among Companies with Blogs

Number of Corporate Blogs Per Company that Blogs


Companies With Blogs Make Creative Use of the Platform

China Mobile’s blog highlights the company’s thought leadership and research development. Posts are written by various individual members of the China Mobile Research

Institute. Over time, the blog has attracted loyal readers who are interested in its niche themes.

IBM is unique in that it has a database containing over 80 blogs penned by employees (“IBMers”). The blogs

range in their scope and chosen topic, but they provide an informal way for employees to interact with stakeholders.


Implications

Blogs


Companies Are Starting To Leverage Social Media as an Interactive Platform

While the number of American and European companies participating in social media remained fairly flat over the past year, companies’interactivity on social media increased dramatically across all regions.

Companies are starting to get the sense of how to leverage social media to manage their brands and engage with stakeholders.

Organizations are dedicating resources to better monitor and manage social media, and they are learning from other companies’ successful strategies.

However, the Fortune Global 100 still have a long way to go. Too many companies are broadcasting news content and not listening to what stakeholders are saying about them online.


The number of accounts in each social medium grew, as regional/local offices and functional divisions added corporate accounts to target their audiences.

Companies will continue to have multiple social media accounts, so having a hub that lists the many accounts and channels can help direct stakeholders to the account that best meets their interests. However, companies should integrate their social media efforts to avoid disparate messaging and keep brand consistency.

The Increase in Number of Social Media Accounts Per Company Allows Companies to Target Different Stakeholder Groups


Twitter is the most widely used corporate social media platform. However, corporate Facebook pages have exponentially more likes (an average of 87,979) than Twitter accounts have followers (5,076).

Twitter and Facebook websites have very different purposes. Twitter is growing quickly and is an excellent venue for companies to interact with stakeholders in real time. Facebook is effective for building communities among stakeholders.

Companies must think strategically about their business and communication goals and use the right social medium for the appropriate purpose.

Twitter is the Most Widely Used Corporate Social Media Platform, But Facebook Leads With “Likes” (Followers)

The Fortune Global 100 Use Me

the Most!


Stakeholders Demonstrate Increased Interest in Hearing from Companies

The interaction between companies and their stakeholders on social media is driven as much by consumers as it is by the companies.

Not only has corporate activity increased on social media, but the number of followers and “likes” increased substantially on corporate social media accounts.

When companies deliver relevant content and listen and interact with stakeholders in a meaningful way, social media can be mutually beneficial for companies and customers.


Asian corporations were slower to join social media because of a perception that consumers only wanted to interact with peers—and not companies—on social networks.

However, the sheer growth in the number of users of these platforms, particularly in audiences abroad, is changing this perception. Asian companies are using social media tools to reach Western stakeholders through Twitter and Facebook and to reach local audiences on sites such as Cyworld, Mixi and Sina.

Asian companies are particularly comfortable with Twitter as they tend to be most focused on building short-term market share, using the tools for building awareness and reaching large numbers of people, as opposed to developing long term stakeholder engagement and loyalty.

Asian companies will continue to grow their presence on social media because of the vast opportunity to connect with stakeholders both at home and abroad, as well as a keen ability to identify and emulate best social media practices.

Social Media Growth in Asia is Driven by Interest in Reaching Audiences Both at Home and Abroad


Charlie Pownall

Lead Digital Strategist , Asia-Pacific

T 65 6671 3272

[email protected]

www.twitter.com/cpownall

Cely Carmo

Lead Digital Strategist, Latin America

T 55 11 3094 2256

[email protected]

http://meadiciona.com/bmdigitalbrasil

Dallas Lawrence

Managing Director of Digital Public Affairs

Proof Integrated Communications

T 202 530 4615

[email protected]

www.twitter.com/dallaslawrence

Daniel Jörg

EMEA Digital Practice Lead

T 41 31 356 7362

[email protected]

www.twitter.com/danieljoerg

Contacts

mailto:[email protected]

http://www.twitter.com/cpownall

mailto:cely.carmo@bmcom

http://meadiciona.com/bmdigitalbrasil


http://www.twitter.com/dallaslawrence


http://twitter.com/danieljoerg

Burson-Marsteller 2011 Global Social Media Check-up

Technology

Transcript of Burson-Marsteller 2011 Global Social Media Check-up