The latest research from the Society for New Communications Research (SNCR) shows that business professionals are increasingly drawn to thought leadership in online communities.
The research was conducted by SCNR fellows Don Bulmer (SAP), Vanessa DiMauro and Peter Auditore. Here are some of the key findings:
Here are some of the key findings:
– Access to thought leadership content is now the #1 reason why professionals surveyed visit networks and communities.
– Professionals are collaborating with each other via the thought leadership content they generate, curate or share. No longer is collaboration an experience between a limited number of people.
– While nearly all professionals surveyed (97%) use LinkedIn, the use of smaller (niche) professional networks are activity being used to find peers and content specifically related to the work that they do (by role, industry, geography, etc.).
– Professional communities are being used more frequently to inform business strategy and supporting new products and services (much more than in 2009).
– 80% of respondents are able to accelerate decision process and information/strategy development by participating in communities.
– “The Crescendo Effect” in social media environments has great impact on the buying decision. High quality content yields transparency and credibility.
The research also found that actions such as “like” or “retweet” create a culture of endorsement that has become central to business-based social media communities.
There is more information here.
And here is a Slideshare deck:
Tom Foremski is the Editor and Founder of the popular and top-ranked news site Silicon Valley Watcher, reporting on business and culture of innovation. He is a former journalist at the Financial Times and in 2004, became the first journalist from a leading newspaper to resign and become a full-time journalist blogger.
Tom has been reporting on Silicon Valley and the US tech industry since 1984 and has been named as one of the top 50 (#28) most influential bloggers in Silicon Valley. His current focus is on the convergence of media and technology — the making of a new era for Silicon Valley. He also writes a column at ZDNET.
