IT Purchasing Goes SocialThe Pervasive Influence of Social Platforms on IT Buying

Commissioned study conducted by:

UK, France and Germany

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Key drivers of channel use are trust, efficiency, relevance, and access

Social networks influence the entire decision-making process

ITDMs are active users of social networks, especially for business

Key Findings

…and use social networks throughout the ENTIRE decision making process

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48% 43% 42% 34%39%

Awareness Scope Plan Select Implement

Stages of decision making

65%Increase in

past 2 years

Source: Q3 2012 commissioned study conducted by Forrester Consulting on behalf of LinkedIn. UK, France and Germany

86%Increase in

past 2 years

Why do ITDMs turn to social networks?

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TTrust

learn from trustworthy

peers (51%)

EEfficiency

quickly find information

(43%)

RRelevance

relevant to my needs(48% )

AAccess

access a broader network

(46%)

Source: Q3 2012 commissioned study conducted by Forrester Consulting on behalf of LinkedIn. UK, France and Germany

LinkedIn is the preferred choice for IT decision makers

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LinkedIn Personal Social Networks

Microblogs

85%

34%41%

Among ITDMs who use at least one for business

Social networks used for business in the past year*:

* Source: LinkedIn/Research Now study of ITDMs in UK, France, and Germany, Q3 2012

3X more connected

40% more likely to use LinkedIn Today

4X more likely to follow tech companies on LinkedIn

ITDMs are especially active in leveraging features and tools on LinkedIn, compared to the average professional

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Compared to the average user, ITDMs on LinkedIn are:

ITDMs: members in IT function, Manager+ UK, France and Germany Q3 2012

Source: Internal data, August 2012

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Key Take-Aways

Develop a trusted presence on the most relevant channels

Communicate during the entire purchase process

Target influencers who can spread your message

Provide insights that are relevant to the context

Listen to when, where, and how ITDMs want to engage