Social Media Business Impact: Connecting Actions to Results

Social Media, the buzzword of this generation, has taken over agendas of many marketing organizations. But is any investment in Social Media a good investment?

This cross-industry online benchmarking study identifies how companies use Social Media tools in their business environment, the opportunities and risks associated with Social Media applications as well as requirements for managing their use. Specifically, the research examines Social Media's impact on customer satisfaction ratings, brand management, sales and marketing metrics, recruiting levels or other business goals.

Some businesses pursue Social Media initiatives proactively to positively impact business outcomes, while others only monitor company-specific content posted on Social Media sites.

Industries Profiled:
Pharmaceutical; Utilities; Medical Device; Health Care; Financial Services; Professional Services; Consulting; Manufacturing; Biotech; Consumer Products; Diagnostic


Companies Profiled:
Janssen Cilag Pharmaceutical; Grupo Uriach; Merck Serono; MidAmerican Energy Company; Emirates Group Emerson Electric; St. Lucia Electricity Services Ltd; Draeger; Dentsply International; MSD; EMSI; Johnson & Johnson; TMP Direct; American Electric Power; Shieldstream; Peco Energy; Talyst; Bayer; Jackson Energy Authority; GlaxoSmithKline; IMS Health; Takeda Pharmaceuticals; n-tara interactive

Study Snapshot

Best Practices, LLC used field surveys to complete this study on behalf of a Research and Advisory Services partner. In all, 24 companies from mainly the utility, health care and pharmaceutical industries contributed to this study.

Key topics include:

• Companies’ Maturity Applying Social Media
• Key Social Media Tools/Applications
• Impact of Social Media Efforts on Business Objectives
• Policies for Using Social Media in the Workplace
• Effectiveness Measures
• Training for Social Media Professionals

Sample Key Findings

About half of benchmarked companies already have more mature Social Media strategies. Overall Social Media will play a bigger role in companies’ marketing strategies during the next year(s).

• Twitter is more important for proactive Social Media companies. Google is equally used at profiled companies.
• Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook mean the greatest benefit for corporations actively engaged in Social Media efforts.
• Companies report Social Media has the greatest impact on product branding and building the corporate image, followed by customer communication and education.

If you purchase Best Practice Database document(s), you will have 30 days from the date of purchase to apply some or all of the cost of the document(s) toward the cost of a Full Access Individual, Pharma, Group or University Membership. Write us at DatabaseTeam@bestpracticesllc.com or call David Guinn at 919-767-9179 if you have any questions.