Social Media and The Communication Profession

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
EACD
Survey Results
Page 2 Are Europe's Communicators ready for Social Media?
With the increasing popularity of Social 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 way
communication 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.
EACD
Survey Results
Page 3
1 Executive Summary
How Europe‘s Professional Communicators
perceive the Advent of Social Media
EACD
Survey Results
Page 4
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 Social
Media in the workplace, thus creating a certain pressure to engage in the Social
Web.
EACD
Survey Results
Page 5
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.
EACD
Survey Results
Page 6
2 Ten Facts about

Social Media
How the profession is changing through Social
Media and what to do about it
EACD
Survey Results
Page 7
Social Media have become an essential

success factor within the European marketing
and communications landscape
EACD
Survey Results
Page 8
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 least

tried 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 Media
applications, especially the potential of location based services and review sites
for the communication profession has still to be explored.
EACD
Survey Results Social Media at Work:
Page 9
Facebook, Youtube and Twitter are the Frontrunners

EACD
Survey Results
Page 10
Every step they take…

Social Media have become part of
virtually every task in communications
EACD
Survey Results
Page 11
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 and
contributing to the conversation with audiences via Facebook or YouTube.
EACD
Survey Results
Page 12 Usage of Social Media in Marketing and Communications

EACD
Survey Results
Page 13
EACD
Survey Results
Page 14
Social Media Enthusiasts

A new type of professional typology is
emerging among Europe’s communicators
EACD
Survey Results
Page 15
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.
EACD
Survey Results Social Media Enthusiasts
Page 16
Age (average in years) 39.2
female 48%
Profile
male 52%
Job experience (average in years) 11.5
Publicly traded company 24%
Privately held company 30%

Organization
Government-owned/ Political organisation 17%
Non profit organisation/ Association 29%
Chief Communication Officer 40%
Head of Sub-Unit 22%
Position Senior Team Member 31%
Junior Team Member 5%
Others 2%
EACD
Survey Results
Page 17
What about the Rest?

Not all communication professionals are as
versed and involved in the new information
environment as are the Social Media Enthusiasts.
Among the remaining 75% of participants, there
are three more usage patterns
EACD
Survey Results
Page 18
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 high
number 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.

EACD
Survey Results Classification of Social Media Users
Page 19
* 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.
EACD
Selective Specialize Broad
Survey Results
Enthusiasts
Users Users Users
Page 20
Age (average in years) 41.1 38.4 40.6 39.2
female 53% 55% 47% 48%

Profile
male 47% 45% 53% 52%
Job experience (average in years) 11.8 11.1 12.7 11.5
Publicly traded company 28% 20% 28% 24%
Privately held company 36% 27% 33% 30%

Organization
Political organisation 22% 22% 17% 17%
Non profit organisation 14.% 31% 22% 29%
Chief Communication Officer 38% 34% 41% 40%
Head of Sub-Unit 25% 30% 27% 22%
Position Senior Team Member 31% 29% 25% 31%
Junior Team Member 5% 4% 5% 5%
Others 2% 4% 1% 2%
EACD
Survey Results
Page 21
Job Satisfaction
Extensive Social Media Users are more
satisfied with their Jobs
EACD
Survey Results
Page 22
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 their
work 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 real
time to their audiences. This is a great responsibility, but it can be also very rewarding.
EACD
Survey Results
Page 23
high
low
EACD
Survey Results
Page 24
NGOs: The new kids on the block

NGOs use Social Media more often and
with greater virtuosity than any other
organization type
EACD
Survey Results
Page 25
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.
EACD
Survey Results
Page 26 NGO's Purpose of Use

EACD
Survey Results
Page 27
Social Media Pressure

Social Media are a Prerequisite
in the Communications Field
– regardless of Position or Age
EACD
Survey Results
Page 28
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.
EACD
Survey Results
Page 29
high
low
EACD
Survey Results
Page 30
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.
EACD
Survey Results
Page 31
Most companies react in an adhoc fashion to events unfolding in the Social

Media.
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.
EACD
Survey Results
Page 32
EACD
Survey Results
Page 33
The sooner, the better

The longer communications professionals
work with Social Media, the less they feel
afraid or insecure towards their use
EACD
Survey Results
Page 34
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 with
Social 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.
EACD
Survey Results
Page 35
high
low
less than half a more than 4
year years
EACD
Survey Results
Page 36
Coping with Overload

Feelings of Overload are a main Inhibitor for
successful communications in Social Media
EACD
Survey Results
Page 37
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 of overload 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.
EACD
Survey Results
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)
EACD
Survey Results Differences of main drivers of Social Media usage
Page 39
depending on level of overload
What others think

about Social Media
Social Media is usefull

(in the job)
Social Media is easy to

use (in the job)
Social Media is fun
average estimation
EACD
Survey Results
Page 40
3 Going Forward
Ten things you could do to become more
Social Media savvy
EACD
Survey Results
Page 41
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 enjoy

experimenting with new ways of interaction.
Social Media are exciting!
EACD
Survey Results
Page 42
Inspire non-users, they will have to face Social

Media 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.
EACD
Survey Results
Page 43
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 corporate
office, this can come as a great responsibility, but it
can also be very rewarding.
Embrace the social in your work. Most tasks a

communications 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
Survey Results
Page 44
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
Survey Results
Page 45
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 a
structured 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
Survey Results
Page 46
4 Appendix
2010‘s survey results in more detail
EACD
Survey Results
Page 47
Demographics
Experience, Salary and Job Satisfaction, as well
as regional Typologies
EACD
Survey Results
Page 48
Gender
You are …
EACD
Survey Results
Page 49
Job Satisfaction
Please rate the following statements on Social Media.
EACD
Survey Results
Page 50
Age
How old are you?
EACD
Survey Results
Page 51
Academic Degree
What is the highest degree you hold?
EACD
Survey Results
Page 52
Field of Study
What is your field of study?
EACD
Survey Results
Page 53
Work Experience
For how many years have you worked full-time in communications?
EACD
Survey Results
Page 54
Position
What is your position within the communication departement?
EACD
Survey Results
Page 55
Salary
In which of the following bands does your salary fall?
EACD
Survey Results
Page 56
Classification of Employer
How would you classify your employer?
26%
19%
EACD
Survey Results
Page 57
Employees
How many employees does your employer have in total?
EACD
Survey Results
Page 58
Communication Team
How many employees work in the communication department of your organisation?
EACD
Survey Results
Page 59 Eastern Europe – The Average Communicator
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 €
Selective Users
Social Media User type (most freuqently)
Broad Users
EACD
Survey Results
Page 60 South-Eastern Europe – The Average Communicator
Position (most freuqently) Chief Communication Officer
Salary (most freuqently) Less than 30'000 €
Social Media User type (most freuqently) Broad Users

EACD
Survey Results
Page 61 Southern Europe – The Average Communicator
Salary (most freuqently) 100'001 - 150'000 €
Social Media User type (most freuqently) Social Media Enthusiasts

EACD
Survey Results
Page 62 Central Europe – The Average Communicator
Employer (most freuqently) Publicly traded company

EACD
Survey Results
Page 63 Western Europe – The Average Communicator
Employer (most freuqently) Non profit organisation/ Association

EACD
Survey Results
Page 64 Northern Europe – The Average Communicator
Government-owned/
Employer (most freuqently)
Political organisation

EACD
Survey Results
Page 65
Social Media in the Details

Usage, Experience and Skills
EACD
Survey Results
Page 66
Private Usage of Social Media Applications
Which Social Media applications do you use (private usage)?
EACD
Survey Results
Page 67
Professional Usage of Social Media Applications
Which Social Media applications do you use (professional usage)?
EACD
Survey Results
Page 68
Begin of using Social Media
When did you begin using Social Media?
EACD
Survey Results
Page 69
Access to the Internet at Work
How do you access the Internet at work?
EACD
Survey Results
Page 70
Contexts of updating Social Media Knowledge
Have you updated your knowledge on Social Media in one of the following contexts before?
EACD
Survey Results
Page 71
Social Media Skills
Please rate the following statements.
EACD
Survey Results
Page 72
Perceived Usefulness of Social Media
Please rate the following statements on Social Media in your work environment.
EACD
Survey Results
Page 73
Social Media Self-Efficacy
EACD
Survey Results
Page 74
Perception of External Control of Social Media
EACD
Survey Results
Page 75
Social Media Anxiety
EACD
Survey Results
Page 76
Subjective Norm of using Social Media
EACD
Survey Results
Page 77
Voluntariness of using Social Media
EACD
Survey Results
Page 78
Image of using Social Media
EACD
Survey Results
Page 79
Output Quality of Social Media
EACD
Survey Results
Page 80
Job Relevance of Social Media
EACD
Survey Results
Page 81
Result Demonstrability of Social Media
EACD
Survey Results My organisation is planning on becoming (more)
Page 82
actively involved in Social Media.

EACD
Survey Results
Page 83
Social Media Playfulness
How would you characterise yourself when you use Social Media applications?
EACD
Survey Results
Page 84
Perceived Ease of Use of Social Media
EACD
Survey Results
Page 85
Perceived Enjoyment of using Social Media
EACD
Survey Results
Page 86
The Darker Side of Social Media

Coping with Overload, Complexity and Insecurity
EACD
Survey Results
Page 87
Coping with Overload
EACD
Survey Results
Page 88
Coping with Invasion
EACD
Survey Results
Page 89
Coping with Complexity
EACD
Survey Results
Page 90
Coping with Insecurity
EACD
Survey Results
Page 91
Coping with Uncertainty
EACD
Survey Results
Page 92
Thank you for your

Attention
Institute for Media and Communications Management
University of St. Gallen
Blumenbergplatz 9
CH-9000 St. Gallen
for inquiries please contact: christian.fieseler@unisg.ch
EACD
Survey Results
Page 93
about us:
The University of St. Gallen’s =mcminstitute is a leading international,
interdisciplinary research, teaching and advisory organization for media
and communications management as well as media and culture. We
enable 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
today’s and tomorrow’s 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.
EACD
Survey Results
Page 94
about the EACD:

The European Association of Communication Directors (EACD) was
founded in November 2006 in Brussels, and currently has over 1,600
members. It is the leading international network for in-house
communication professionals from all fields across Europe. The EACD
establishes common quality standards, advances professional qualification
and fosters diversity within the field by organising international events and
meetings. The non-partisan association facilitates peer-to-peer exchange,
lobbies for the profession, and provides useful services and information
media. www.eacd-online.eu

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Social Media and the

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

Page 2 Are Europe's Communicators ready for Social Media?

1383 professionals from 30 different European countries participated in a joint

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

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

2 Ten Facts about

Social Media have become an essential

Consider that a staggering 97.4 % of communications professionals have at least

Facebook, Youtube and Twitter are the Frontrunners

Every step they take…

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

Page 12 Usage of Social Media in Marketing and Communications

Social Media Enthusiasts

Age (average in years) 39.2

Job experience (average in years) 11.5

Publicly traded company 24%

Privately held company 30%

Non profit organisation/ Association 29%

Chief Communication Officer 40%

Head of Sub-Unit 22%

Position Senior Team Member 31%

Junior Team Member 5%

What about the Rest?

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

* up to 4 applications are used.

Age (average in years) 41.1 38.4 40.6 39.2

female 53% 55% 47% 48%

Job experience (average in years) 11.8 11.1 12.7 11.5

Publicly traded company 28% 20% 28% 24%

Privately held company 36% 27% 33% 30%

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

Chief Communication Officer 38% 34% 41% 40%

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

Position Senior Team Member 31% 29% 25% 31%

Junior Team Member 5% 4% 5% 5%

NGOs: The new kids on the block

Page 26 NGO's Purpose of Use

Social Media Pressure

Most companies react in an adhoc fashion to events unfolding in the Social

Almost a third of participants state that they have established a

The sooner, the better

Coping with Overload

Social Media bring considerable changes to the everyday work of communications

In this changing work environment, communications professionals face increasing

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

Page 38 Main drivers of Social Media usage

effect is estimated above average effect is estimated below average

** highly significant relationship (1% level)

depending on level of overload

What others think

Social Media is usefull

Social Media is easy to

Social Media is fun

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

Be enthusiastic, try out new channels and enjoy

Inspire non-users, they will have to face Social

Tackle overload and Social Media related stress by

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

Embrace the social in your work. Most tasks a

Learn from the Frontrunners and consistently

Consciously and straightforwardly develop goal-

Experiment at home, explore Social Media in the