A majority of companies now have at least one IR or corporate communications social media account directly attached to their websites, according to an Investis report, with most choosing to integrate Twitter into their corporate content.
As part of a study of more than 1,200 companies across the globe, Investis reports that 54 percent of firms have at least one social media account that carries some IR or corporate content linked directly to their website.
A year ago, this figure stood at 34 percent and rose to reach 45 percent six months ago. Such growth, the report suggests, indicates the integration of social media into corporate websites has ‘reached and surpassed a tipping point’.
The 1,200 companies examined include many in national indices around the world, such as the FTSE 100 and the S&P 100.
American respondents lead the way in social media, with 88 percent of S&P 100 firms reporting that their corporate website is linked to at least one account. Companies in the German DAX 30 also maintain strong links, but their use of LinkedIn is far below the global average as most of the country’s market has adopted the Hamburg-based platform Xing instead.
Source: Investis IQ Social Media Survey Q3 2013
At the same time, some companies are failing to link their corporate and social media presences. Ten companies in the S&P 100 make no mention of their Twitter accounts on their websites, while nine Australian firms on the Australian Securities Exchange and six in the DAX 30 also fail to make the link.
The report advises that ‘companies should check their social media accounts are being referenced and linked to from their corporate websites’ in order to achieve the best levels of engagement.
Twitter remains the most commonly used platform for IR and corporate communications, chiefly thanks to its ability to disseminate information in real time, followed by YouTube and its increased role in earnings calls and releases. LinkedIn, meanwhile, is growing in popularity for many firms as it allows companies to speak to an innately professional audience.
Google+, Flickr and SlideShare remain mostly unused, aside from some regional expectations, while Facebook is only somewhat useful for IR and corporate activities, the report adds.
‘Our research corroborates what we have been saying for some time: that companies should act now to consolidate and co-ordinate their corporate presence on Twitter, YouTube and LinkedIn,’ the document continues. ‘This does not mean committing to tweet every day, or even every week, [but rather] ensuring your overall social media presence is secure and consistent.’
