CP-Barometer attests to the increasing importance of social media

Around 45% of the companies surveyed currently use one of the social media platforms for their corporate publishing (CP), while 51% are only considering doing so. Half of the CP service providers surveyed have already implemented social media projects for clients. However, 90 percent of both clients and service providers agree that the importance of Twitter, Facebook and the like as a communication channel will grow. However, 85 percent of all respondents admitted that they lack a social media strategy. Furthermore, the players also see risks in social networks, blogs and microblogging services. Above all, companies fear the loss of control over their brands and topics. Among service providers, on the other hand, the fear of setting the wrong tone is particularly pronounced.
Companies and service providers see social media as a channel through which they can address new target groups cost-effectively and arouse emotions among users. Sales promotion or image cultivation, on the other hand, do not play a major role. Over 90 percent see the key to success in offering relevant and attractive content. Companies and service providers expect the greatest increase in importance for YouTube and Facebook. Twitter is viewed more positively by companies than by service providers.

Fig.: Future importance of various social media platforms (Question: In your opinion, how will the importance of these social media platforms for corporate publishing change in the future? Figures in %, top 2 boxes strongly increasing / increasing, n (companies) = 39-46, n (service providers) = 46-52).

The growing importance of social media in corporate publishing has consequences for budget allocation: nine out of ten respondents from companies and CP agencies predict rising or sharply rising expenditure on this form of communication. Three quarters of companies also assume that investments in online and mobile will grow in the future. Among service providers, over 85 percent believe this will be the case. In contrast, 45 percent of companies and 36 percent of service providers predict lower budgets for print media in 2010.

About the CP-Barometer
The industry barometer of the corporate publishing sector regularly provides information on current trends and developments in the German-speaking world. The online survey is conducted twice a year with a fixed group of participants from companies and CP service providers. The current edition is the third of its kind and was conducted in October by the European Institute for Corporate Publishing (EICP), Munich, and the Zurich-based market research agency Zehnvier on behalf of Forum Corporate Publishing. The Forum Corporate Publishing brings together around 100 CP providers from Germany, Austria and Switzerland.