We know that social media are all the rage in communication portfolios, but here are some statistics to back it up for all the doubters out there. A study by the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth's Center for Marketing Research surveyed Inc. magazine's Inc. 500 list for 2006 and found that:
- 33% of respondents' companies use message/bulletin boards;
- 27% use social networking;
- 24% use online video;
- 19% use blogging;
- 17% use wikis; and
- 11% use podcasting.
In terms of the importance of social media to overall business/marketing strategies:
- 26% say it's very important;
- 40% say it's somewhat important;
- 19% sat it's somewhat unimportant; and
- 13% say it's very unimportant.