A recent study by Toolbox.com has provided some validation to the sweat equity put in to social media campaigns for IT vendors of products and services.

The report contains a lot of interesting data, but I was most interested in the fact that more than 76% of decision makers and purchasers of IT products and services now EXPECT vendors to have a presence in online communities, listen to audiences, and engage in conversations. When navigating these communities, about 72% of those polled value the advice from somebody who has established credibility with a high ranking on an online community. These are your online influencers that need to be engaged in order to build mindshare and affinity for your brand.

Do you know who the influences are in your space? Do you how to engage with them? Marketing departments should no longer consider a robust social media program a “nice to have;” rather, it’s a critical component of any campaign.

Source: Toolbox.com http://emergingtech.ittoolbox.com/research/survey/toolboxcom-pja-social-media-index-wave-vii-24002

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