Mike MacLeod

91% of Tech Decision Makers Use Social Media

// February 24th, 2009 // Journal

Forrester has recently released a report titled “The Social Technographics of Business Buyers.”  Here are some highlights of the results:

91% of these technology decision-makers are Spectators.

Your buyers are reading blogs, watching user generated video, and participating in other social media. 69% of them said they were using this media for business purposes.

55% of these decision-makers are Joiners

Your buyers are members of facebook, LinkedIn, and other social networks. They are on Twitter too.  Don’t make the mistake of thinking that the only people on such networks are college kids and stay at home moms.

43% are Creators and 58% are Critics.

Your buyers are making their own blogs. They are uploading videos and articles.  If they are not creating their own, they are sharing and commenting on others.  How many of those articles are about you? How many are about your competitors?

Are you too late?

Marketers continue to do a better job using social media to reach out to consumers. Similarly, researchers are starting to find ways to use this media to learn about consumers.  But not much is going on in B2B.

If you’re a B2B marketer and you’re not using social technologies in your marketing, you’re late. But most of your competitors are probably late too. Take advantage of this. Go find out where your buyers are hanging out online and join them. Talk to them. Learn from them. Share with them.

The full report is available for purchase here.