But when it comes to being swayed to spend their dollars on business technology, 84 of the surveyed decision makers were more likely to rely on word of mouth from peers and colleagues, while 45 percent said they were swayed by forums, online communities and social networks.I get that buyers are most motivated by word-of-mouth and people they trust. But isn't that the exact point of social technologies. The social web is a mechanism of communication – not a source of information. The buyers' peers and colleagues are still the source.
Maybe what they're saying is that they don't trust social web sites to paint a true picture of the people they're communicating with? Maybe they think it's a conspiracy amongst software vendors? I don't like the way that the data was presented here. Peers and Social Media are not alternative sources of information.
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I hear you, Matt but I do think there are some limitations to social media's influence at a certain executive level within corporations or companies. This part of the article was interesting:
ReplyDelete"The report suggests several reasons for marketers' disconnect, including lack of social media experience, rapid technology changes that have left them playing catch-up, some executives being reluctant to engage with new technology and a simple unawareness of how decision makers use social media."
Social media is a way of life for Gen Y and even Gen Xers, but from what I've seen there's a real disconnect when you move further up the age ladder (excluding those execs whose bread & butter is digital). They know social media is a trend worth riding but they're hesitant to put too much into it. Effort, money, trust. I don't think there's the same comfort level here as opposed to someone younger throwing out a question to a social network and taking their feedback into serious consideration.
This report - if run again in a few years - could potentially slant entirely the other way. It'll be fascinating to watch.