16 March 2011
We have recently conducted an in-depth piece of research
which explores the use of social media in the FTSE100.
The research which was undertaken between December
2010 and February 2011 seeks to understand where, on the journey
from corporate monologue to dialogue, the FTSE100 are and whether
they are succeeding or failing to maximise the social media
opportunity.
The web-based survey consisting of 50 qualitative and
quantitative questions focused on the 'Big 4' social networking
sites: Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and LinkedIn. In addition
corporate blogs, campaign microsites and any other social media
elements on the corporate websites were also mapped out.
What channels are the FTSE100 using out of the social
media 'Big 4'? What are they using them for? What is the size of
their following and who is sharing their stories by blogging? How
well are the social media channels branded? Who has integrated
social media into their overall corporate communications i.e. the
corporate website?
Key Findings - over half of the FTSE100
failing to use social media.
Of the FTSE100 companies 60% show no
sign of social media on the corporate website despite almost all of
them having some form of social media presence.
- 54% have corporate Twitter profiles.
- Only 29% have a main corporate page on the world's
biggest social network - Facebook.
- 31% companies have a corporate YouTube channel.
LinkedIn is being used as a standard tool with 98% of
the FTSE100 having a LinkedIn page.
- Only 14% blog.
Adhoc and inconsistent.
Of the FTSE100 who do have a presence on the most popular
social networks, the majority of them are using them in an ad-hoc
fashion and are failing to either grasp or realize the full
potential:
- Only 23 of the 54 companies who have Twitter profiles are
regularly posting 'tweets' with 22 using the channel to only
broadcast corporate information.
- On Facebook just 16 provide content on a weekly basis
with just 10 attempting to engage and be responsive.
Authenticity and association to the
corporate brand also tends to fall short. For example, a mere 9 out
of the 31 corporate YouTube channels were well branded while only
14 out of the 29 Facebook pages being linked to or from the
corporate website.
Richard Coope, Head of Digital at Radley Yeldar
comments:
"The survey begs the question as to whether companies are
really committed to open and trusted dialogue? Many companies are
still failing to capitalise on the opportunity. The research
strongly indicates that amongst the companies surveyed there is a
level of caution when it comes to social media due to the
uncontrollable nature of the medium. I would suggest that social
media, by and large, is treated as the villain rather than the
hero".
The Top 20.
Whilst the FTSE100 are taking tentative steps into the
social media arena there are a number of companies who are leading
the way.
The following is the top 10:
- Reckitt Benckiser
- Centrica
- ARM Holdings
- SAB Miller
- Royal Dutch Shell
- Whitbread
- Aviva
- BP
- Pearson
- Vodafone Group