social media and the communication profession

8/7/2019 Social Media and the Communication Profession

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Social Media and the

Communication Profession

A survey by the European Association of Communication Directors (EACD) and the

Institute of Media and Communications Management at the University of St. Gallen,as of January 31st, 2011


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EACD

Survey Results

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Are Europe's Communicators ready for Social Media?

With the increasing popularity ofSocial Media such as Facebook, Twitter, Youtube,

LinkedIn and the like, the communication profession is facing new and exciting

opportunities to communicate as well as new challenges that have to be met.

1383 professionals from 30 different European countries participated in a joint

survey of the European Association of Communication Directors and the University

of St. Gallen that looked into the way Social Media affect and change the waycommunication professionals conduct their daily work and how they react to and

cope with it.

The results presented on the following pages show the main challenges in the field

and develop approaches to help and support practitioners throughout Europe in

their effective use of Social Media.


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Executive Summary1How Europes Professional Communicatorsperceive the Advent of Social Media


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Social Media are an issue for the communications profession. Almost all

communicators have had at least some experience in working with Social Media

applications and platforms.

Social Media are increasingly involved in every task of the profession - be it agenda

setting, media monitoring or building strong relationships with stakeholders.

A quarter of practitioners is very versed and exceptionally engaged in the Social

Media. Those "Social Media Enthusiasts" hardly take a step that is not in one way

or another being retraced in the Social Web.

Many practitioners find Social Media useful and increasingly relevant to their jobs.

But still it is often superiors who actively encourage and drive the use of SocialMedia in the workplace, thus creating a certain pressure to engage in the Social

Web.


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Social Media are perceived with skepticism mainly by those who are not actively

engaging in them. Practitioners who have taken the leap and actively engage in the

Social Web are not only more confident and less afraid of the new applications and

platforms, they are generally more satisfied with their jobs.

Despite their widespread usage, Social Media are only just gaining ground in the

communications profession. Most organizations have neither crisis nor contingency

plans in place. Also, more than half of all professionals still display signs of overload

and stress when dealing with Social Media.

Many practitioners feel overloaded and stressed by adding Social Media to their

work profile. Actually developing a sense of enjoyment working with Social Media

applications and platforms seems to be the best coping strategy for this.

Social Media in European communications units are in a trial-phase and many

organizations are still experimenting. That's why now is a good time to take the leap

and actively engage in the Social Web.


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Ten Facts aboutSocial Media2How the profession is changing through SocialMedia and what to do about it


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Social Media have become an essential

success factor within the European marketing

and communications landscape


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Social Media have altered processes of information retrieval and diffusion in the

communications field for good and they are here to stay.

Consider that a staggering 97.4 % of communications professionals have at leasttried using Social Media in their work place. Only 2.6% of participants claim not

to use Social Media at all during their work time. And even so, 84% of non-users

employ Social Media applications in the private context.

The most popular Social Media instruments are Social Network Sites such as

Facebook and Content Networks such as Youtube. Microblogging Services such

as Twitter belong to the frontrunners, too.

Apart from the frontrunners, there are also less intensely used Social Mediaapplications, especially the potential oflocation based services and review sites

for the communication profession has still to be explored.


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Social Media at Work:

Facebook, Youtube and Twitter are the Frontrunners


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Every step they take

Social Media have become part of

virtually every task in communications


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From media monitoring to agenda setting and lobbying, virtually every task

associated with communications can be carried out with the aid of Social Media.

A majority of users maintain an active presence in the Social Media, be it in the

form of an own Blog or a Twitter account or by actively engaging in andcontributing to the conversation with audiences via Facebook or YouTube.


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Page 12 Usage of Social Media in Marketing and Communications


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Social Media Enthusiasts

A new type of professional typology is

emerging among Europes communicators


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Social Media Enthusiasts not only use more applications than any other user

group, they also employ them more intensely and more frequently in their jobs.

25% of all communications practitioners belong to this category.

Even though Social Media Enthusiasts are on average rather young, they are

likely to hold higher ranking positions in the field 40% of them work as Chief

Communications Officers.

Most Social Media Enthusiasts work in either privately held companies or NGOs.


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Social Media Enthusiasts

Profile

Age (average in years) 39.2

female 48%

male 52%

Job experience (average in years) 11.5

Organization

Publicly traded company 24%

Privately held company 30%

Government-owned/ Political organisation 17%

Non profit organisation/ Association 29%

Position

Chief Communication Officer 40%

Head of Sub-Unit 22%

Senior Team Member 31%

Junior Team Member 5%

Others 2%


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What about the Rest?

Not all communication professionals are as

versed and involved in the new informationenvironment as are the Social Media Enthusiasts.

Among the remaining 75% of participants, there

are three more usage patterns


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The Selective Users (27.6%) make moderate use of Social Media. Their use is

limited to few selected applications, namely Social Networks, Content Networks

and Blogs, which they use in a medium intensity.

The Highly Specialized Users (11%) only focus on very few applications and use

them extensively.

The largest user group are the Broad Users (33%), who employ a very highnumber of Social Media applications in their jobs, even though they are not

using them very intensely.

The Non-Users are with 2.5% in grave danger of being extinct.


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* up to 4 applications are used.

** more than 4 applications are used.

*** based on a four-point-Likert scale where the very low or low intensity was selected.**** based on a four-point-Likert scale where the high or very high intensity was selected.

Classification of Social Media Users


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Selective

Users

Specialize

Users

Broad

UsersEnthusiasts

Profile

Age (average in years) 41.1 38.4 40.6 39.2

female 53% 55% 47% 48%

male 47% 45% 53% 52%

Job experience (average in years) 11.8 11.1 12.7 11.5

Organization

Publicly traded company 28% 20% 28% 24%

Privately held company 36% 27% 33% 30%

Political organisation 22% 22% 17% 17%

Non profit organisation 14.% 31% 22% 29%

Position

Chief Communication Officer 38% 34% 41% 40%

Head of Sub-Unit 25% 30% 27% 22%

Senior Team Member 31% 29% 25% 31%

Junior Team Member 5% 4% 5% 5%

Others 2% 4% 1% 2%


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Job Satisfaction

Extensive Social Media Users are more

satisfied with their Jobs


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Communication professionals who use Social Media intensely and frequently in the

workplace derive more satisfaction from their jobs.

Not only do individuals who come into close contact with Social Media perceive theirwork as being more enjoyable and fun, they also feel more proud of their jobs and

they like the content and nature of their work better than people who do not or only

infrequently employ Social Media in their work.

In many businesses, Social Media bring the "social" back into the workplace. Social

Media enable knowledge workers to be more personally involved and get in touch

with people again.

In the Social Media age, communicators are required to talk directly and often in realtime to their audiences. This is a great responsibility, but it can be also very rewarding.


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low

high


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NGOs: The new kids on the block

NGOs use Social Media more often and

with greater virtuosity than any other

organization type


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NGO's are in many ways communications new kids on the block: Their use of

Social Media in a wide range of tasks is above average in all cases.

Often communicators working at NGO's are young and cannot profit from

exceptionally high salaries. They discover Social Media as an effective and

resource saving means to reach audiences and promote specific causes.

Not surprisingly, among the NGOs, there are virtually no non-users and more

Social Media Enthusiasts than in any other organization type. NGOs play a

pioneering role in the communications field.


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Page 26 NGO's Purpose of Use


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Social Media Pressure

Social Media are a Prerequisite

in the Communications Field

regardless of Position or Age


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Virtually all communications professionals work with Social Media. Certain Social

Media skills have become a prerequisite in the field. Even older participants,

who make relatively modest use of the new platforms and applications at home,are required to use Social Media in the work place.

This pressure to use Social Media comes to a large extent from within the

organization and from the individual itself.

Professionals use Social Media mainly because they believe that taking part in

the conversation on the Social Web will enhance their job performance and

because people who are important to them such as their superiors think they

should engage in the Social Media.


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Organizational Readiness

Only few Organizations have a Social Media

Crisis and Contingency Plans in place.And only few Organizations display a

structured approach to Social Media.


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Most companies react in an adhoc fashion to events unfolding in the SocialMedia.

Almost a third of participants state that they have established a

communications plan specifically tailored to the Social Media context

But only very few have actual crisis or contingency plans in place.


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The sooner, the better

The longer communications professionals

work with Social Media, the less they feel

afraid or insecure towards their use


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Still, when it comes to "jump in" and talk to Social Media audiences, insecurity

and anxiety are still a major issue among communications professionals.

The Social Media crowd is in many ways a challenging audience to win over and

the immediacy of the communication in the Social Web often leads to hesitancy

among communications professionals.

There is only but one way to overcome these doubts and insecurities: Jump in

rather sooner than later. The longer communications professionals work withSocial Media, the more confident they feel about them.

Since the profession has only just made its first steps in the new information

environment and is still in a trial phase, it is a good time to experiment and

engage actively in the conversation now, thus developing and aggregating

valuable competencies for the future.


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less than half a

year

more than 4

years

low

high


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Coping with Overload

Feelings of Overload are a main Inhibitor forsuccessful communications in Social Media


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Social Media bring considerable changes to the everyday work of communications

professionals. The amount of possibly useful information waiting to be processed

is growing at an astonishing rate. The conversation on Social Media never rests

24 hours a day, blogs are being updated, tweets posted and groups formed on

Social Networking Sites.

In this changing work environment, communications professionals face increasing

pressure and feelings ofoverload are often the consequence.

53.4 % of participants experience feelings of overload when working with Social

Media. They feel that, due to Social Media, they have to work more and faster.

Sometimes they are faced with too much information to meaningfully process. To

individuals who feel overloaded, it is especially important that the work is fun.


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Page 38 Main drivers of Social Media usage

effect is estimated above average effect is estimated below average

Differences in estimations of standardized coefficients between groups with low and high overload.

** highly significant relationship (1% level)

* significant relationship (5% level)


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What others thinkabout Social Media

Social Media is usefull

(in the job)

Social Media is easy to

use (in the job)

Social Media is fun

Differences of main drivers of Social Media usage

depending on level of overload

average estimation


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Going Forward3Ten things you could do to become moreSocial Media savvy


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Start today and join the conversation - you'll be in

good company. Many of your clients, colleagues,shareholders and competitors will be there, waiting

for you.

Be enthusiastic, try out new channels and enjoyexperimenting with new ways of interaction.

Social Media are exciting!


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Inspire non-users, they will have to face SocialMedia eventually. There are many ways to start your

Social Media quest and very often, the first step is

in the head.

Tackle overload and Social Media related stress by

developing and encouraging a sense of enjoyment

when working with Social Media. Blogs, Video

Sharing, Social Networking Sites and the like are fun

to work with.


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Get out of the cubicle, don't be afraid to talk to the

audience in real time. Since statements in the Social

Web cannot always be signed off by the corporateoffice, this can come as a great responsibility, but it

can also be very rewarding.

Embrace the social in your work. Most tasks acommunications practitioner faces during the day

can be carried out or reinforced in the Social Web.

Social Media don't necessarily replace press releases

and press conferences, but they are very effective

ways to complement them.

EACD


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Learn from the Frontrunners and consistently

monitor versed Social Media communicators. Social

Media are only just overcoming their trial-stage and

organizations are allowed to make mistakes. Still it is

a good idea not to repeat other's mistakes but

rather learn from them.

Consciously and straightforwardly develop goal-

oriented competencies in the Social Media. This will

give you a head start.

EACD


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Experiment at home, explore Social Media in the

private context and get a feeling for the

conversation tone and rhythm in the Social Media.

This will be a great help when dealing with Blogs,Twitter, Youtube and the like at work, too.

Be ready as spontaneous and informal the

conversation on Social Media appears, have astructured approach at hand. Developing not only

a coherent Social Media strategy, but also

contingency and crisis plans help strengthen and

unify your organization's presence in the Social

Web.

EACD


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Appendix42010s survey results in more detail

EACD


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Demographics

Experience, Salary and Job Satisfaction, as wellas regional Typologies

EACD

Gender


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GenderYou are

EACD

S R lt

Job Satisfaction


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Job SatisfactionPlease rate the following statements on Social Media.

EACD

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Age


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AgeHow old are you?

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Academic Degree


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Academic DegreeWhat is the highest degree you hold?

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Field of Study


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Field of StudyWhat is your field of study?

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Work Experience


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y

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Work ExperienceFor how many years have you worked full-time in communications?

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Position


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PositionWhat is your position within the communication departement?

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Salary


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SalaryIn which of the following bands does your salary fall?

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Classification of Employer


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Classification of EmployerHow would you classify your employer?

19%

26%

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Employees


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p yHow many employees does your employer have in total?

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Communication Team


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How many employees work in the communication department of your organisation?

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Eastern Europe The Average Communicator


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Item Value

Number of participants 16



Academic degree (most freuqently) Master

Position (most freuqently) Head of Sub-Unit

Employer (most freuqently) Privately held company

Salary (most freuqently) Less than 30'000

Social Media User type (most freuqently)Selective Users

Broad Users

Eastern Europe The Average Communicator

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South-Eastern Europe The Average Communicator


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Position (most freuqently) Chief Communication Officer


Salary (most freuqently) Less than 30'000

Social Media User type (most freuqently) Broad Users

South Eastern Europe The Average Communicator

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Southern Europe The Average Communicator


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Salary (most freuqently) 100'001 - 150'000

Social Media User type (most freuqently) Social Media Enthusiasts

Southern Europe The Average Communicator

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Central Europe The Average Communicator


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Employer (most freuqently) Publicly traded company



Central Europe The Average Communicator

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Western Europe The Average Communicator


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Employer (most freuqently) Non profit organisation/ Association



Western urope The Average Communicator


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Social Media in the Details

Usage, Experience and Skills

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Private Usage of Social Media ApplicationsWhi h S i l M di li ti d ( i t )?


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Which Social Media applications do you use (private usage)?

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Professional Usage of Social Media ApplicationsWhich Social Media applications do you use (professional usage)?


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Which Social Media applications do you use (professional usage)?

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Begin of using Social MediaWhen did you begin using Social Media?


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When did you begin using Social Media?

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Access to the Internet at WorkHow do you access the Internet at work?


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How do you access the Internet at work?

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Contexts of updating Social Media KnowledgeHave you updated your knowledge on Social Media in one of the following contexts before?


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Have you updated your knowledge on Social Media in one of the following contexts before?

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Social Media SkillsPlease rate the following statements.


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Please rate the following statements.

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Perceived Usefulness of Social MediaPlease rate the following statements on Social Media in your work environment.


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g y

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Social Media Self-EfficacyPlease rate the following statements on Social Media in your work environment.


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Perception of External Control of Social MediaPlease rate the following statements on Social Media in your work environment.


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Social Media AnxietyPlease rate the following statements on Social Media in your work environment.


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Subjective Norm of using Social MediaPlease rate the following statements on Social Media in your work environment.


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Voluntariness of using Social MediaPlease rate the following statements on Social Media in your work environment.


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Image of using Social MediaPlease rate the following statements on Social Media in your work environment.


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Output Quality of Social MediaPlease rate the following statements on Social Media in your work environment.


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Job Relevance of Social MediaPlease rate the following statements on Social Media in your work environment.


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Result Demonstrability of Social MediaPlease rate the following statements on Social Media in your work environment.


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My organisation is planning on becoming (more)

actively involved in Social Media.


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Social Media PlayfulnessHow would you characterise yourself when you use Social Media applications?


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Perceived Ease of Use of Social MediaPlease rate the following statements on Social Media in your work environment.


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Perceived Enjoyment of using Social MediaPlease rate the following statements on Social Media in your work environment.


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The Darker Side of Social Media

Coping with Overload, Complexity and Insecurity

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Coping with OverloadPlease rate the following statements on Social Media.


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Coping with InvasionPlease rate the following statements on Social Media.


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Coping with ComplexityPlease rate the following statements on Social Media.


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Coping with InsecurityPlease rate the following statements on Social Media.


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Coping with UncertaintyPlease rate the following statements on Social Media.


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Thank you for yourAttentionInstitute for Media and Communications ManagementUniversity of St. GallenBlumenbergplatz 9CH-9000 St. Gallenfor inquiries please contact: [email protected]

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about us:

The University of St. Gallens =mcminstitute is a leading international,

interdisciplinary research, teaching and advisory organization for media

and communications management as well as media and culture. Weenable students, researchers, and decision makers to meet the challenges

of the digital age by exploring strategic management questions from a

communication perspective. Our analyses and recommendations clarify

todays and tomorrows communication challenges. Our ambition is to

enable high-quality communication through research, teaching and

strategic advice.

for the University of St. Gallen:

Eliane Bucher, M.A. HSG

Christian Fieseler, Prof. Dr.

Miriam Meckel, Prof. Dr.

Anne Suphan, M.A.


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social media and the communication profession

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