Social media use for corporate communications varies worldwide

How well, or poorly, companies use social media within a corporate communications strategy varies considerably between organisations and countries, according to a study from UK firm Investis. The research tracked how well companies are embracing social media as a tool to communicate with the public, along with the variety of avenues this communication is taking….

How well, or poorly, companies use social media within a corporate communications strategy varies considerably between organisations and countries, according to a study from UK firm Investis.

The research tracked how well companies are embracing social media as a tool to communicate with the public, along with the variety of avenues this communication is taking. To determine how different organisations are approaching new digital media channels, the company researched the online presence of 500 of the largest companies across both the UK and US.

The research revealed that US firms are consistently outranking those in the UK, across a range of platforms. On Twitter, for example, the average American corporate account has sent over 2,000 tweets, compared to only around 700 for British companies.

Similar trends were also recorded for other channels. On LinkedIn, for example, US companies recorded an average of 15 posts a month, while those in the UK only recorded an average of three.

This same pattern reoccurred across every medium surveyed – including Facebook and YouTube.

While there was a geographic element to how active a company was online, another important factor was the nature of the industry and the level of risk associated with a sector. For example, oil and gas companies – especially those involved in environmental accidents – were among the most active online as part of their reputational risk management strategies.

Overall, social media has become a common feature of corporate communications, with 94 per cent of businesses included in the survey reporting that they have some level of social media presence.

While this study drew on overseas examples, there is clearly an important lesson for Australian firms and communication experts. As social media becomes a bigger part of communication efforts, the need to match overseas best practice is only going to become more important.

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