Why have 1 in 5 buyers been put off a supplier by information found through social media? This presentation gives a special focus on the critical issue of trust that came up in our decision-maker research on social media.

1. B2B social media:a question of trust DECISION-MAKER RESEARCH FOCUS

3. 100 senior managers and directors across public and private sectors, segmented by:

4. Role (Line of business Vs IT)

5. Organisation size (1000-5000, 5000-10000, 10000-20000 employees)

6. Age (18-25, 26-40, 41-55,56+)

7. This presentation focuses on the issue of trust and social media, the overall research headlines are available here: http://www.slideshare.net/paulreverett/b2b-social-media-research-into-its-role-in-the-ict-buying-process

10. Quality, not quantity of output is important. Social media or not, time-poor buyers aren’t impressed by ill-considered, misleading communications. Plan and prioritise to ensure that social media output is coherent and fits with a wider engagement strategy.

11. Trust is a very valuable commodity – the most likely reason why a buyer will be put off using a supplier.

13. How important is it for suppliers to have a social media presence?

14. 2. Over a fifth of buyers have been disappointed or put off a supplier by information found in social media

15. Have you ever been disappointed or put off an existing or potential supplier by information found in a social media environment?

17. “There was no technical team to support my questions, waste of time”

18. “The information provided was incorrect and misleading”

19. “I found fake product information”

20. “While purchasing software, found misleading information and wasn't convinced about buying from the same supplier”

21. “Comments regarding a printer company to not buy the products by a user”

23. How important are other customer recommendations and ratings found on social media to your decision-making process?

24. 4. Nearly a third of decision-makers trust supplier content on social media, but around a quarter don’t.

25. How strongly do you trust social media that is connected to suppliers?

26. 5. One in five it buyers would be put off by an uninvited social media approach. Outside the it function, this rises to over a third.

27. Would potential or current suppliers be disadvantaged if they tried to approach you, without invitation, via social media of any sort?

28. For a run-through of the full findings (over 20 different question areas and variations by size of organisation/age/job function), and our resulting 90-day social media action plan, please contact: Paul Everett Director of Marketing Strategy peverett@themarketingpractice.com