Market Connections Inc. Releases 2011 Social Media in the Public Sector Study
 
Chantilly, Va. - October 18, 2011 - Obstacles to federal employees' use of social media for work purposes are declining: According to a new social media survey, 19 percent of agencies ban access to some or all social media sites, including Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn, down sharply from 2010, when 55 percent of agencies banned access.
 
This is just one finding of the second annual Social Media in the Public Sector Study presented by leading government market research firm Market Connections Inc., in conjunction with Strategic Communications Group, a public relations firm specializing in social media strategies. Highlights of the study were presented to a standing-room-only breakfast event this morning at the Tysons Corner Marriott in Vienna, Va.
 
"I think the wave that we all thought was coming has arrived," said Lisa Dezzutti, president of Market Connections. "The growing use of mobile devices appears to be reinforcing the use of social media. While home use is still the highest, at 92 percent, 74 percent are accessing social media at work, and 70 percent are using mobile devices."
 
The survey was conducted in September 2011 and drew almost 900 participants, including federal civilian and defense agencies, state and local agencies and government contractors.
 
"The attendance this morning and the findings of the survey show how vital it is for government agencies to use social media wisely," said Marc Hausman, president and CEO of Strategic. "Companies looking to serve government customers need to understand how to deliver value to their social media audiences and achieve return on their marketing investment. This study is a good foundation for identifying how to do so."
 
Social media in general saw significant increases in both public sector and contractor use. LinkedIn and Twitter showed the biggest gain among social media sites being used by federal respondents - Linked in grew from 32 percent using it in 2010 to 70 percent this year, while Twitter increased from 30 percent last year to 55 percent this year. Facebook and YouTube continue to grow in popularity as well; last year, 72 percent of federal respondents said they use Facebook, growing to 86 percent this year, while YouTube increased from 61 percent last year to 80 percent this year.
 
Government-specific social media sites also saw impressive growth in use, the most popular of which is GovLoop - 35 percent of agencies (up from 11 percent last year) and 55 percent of contractors say they use it. GovTwit is being used by 30 percent of both government and contractor respondents. Three new government sites - GovWin, TFCN (The Federal Contractor Network), and GSAInteract - are off to an impressive start; approximately 30 percent of government respondents are using them, and between 30 and 40 percent of contractors.
 
Another sign of increased acceptance of social media sites: In this year's study, 37 percent of federal government respondents said they are permitted to use social media as representatives of their agency, versus just 9 percentlast year. Conversely, only 13 percent said this year they are not allowed to use social media as representatives of their organization, a significant drop from the 46% who said last year they could not.
 
About Market Connections
 
Celebrating its 15th anniversary this year, Market Connections provides comprehensive BtoB and BtoG market research services, enabling organizations to make informed, intelligent decisions that drive significant and measurable business improvements. The firm offers deep domain expertise in numerous markets, including federal, state, and local governments; information technology and telecommunications; education; healthcare; and associations and non-profits. For more information on the study or to download a copy of today's presentation, please visit: www.marketconnectionsinc.com/socialmedia.
 
 
About Strategic Communications Group
 
Strategic Communications Group, Inc. (Strategic), with offices in Silver Spring, Md., and Tysons Corner, Va., is the only social media marketing consultancy of its size with an extensive track record helping the world's largest and fastest growing technology, software, telecommunications and healthcare organizations achieve measurable return from participation in social networks and online communities. The agency's client roster includes respected brands like British Telecom (BT), Cisco Systems, Computer Sciences Corporation, EMC, Microsoft, Monster, NeuStar, Pitney Bowes, Polycom, among others.
 
What differentiates Strategic is its sales-oriented approach to social media engagement, and proven ability to leverage all of its industry connections and market relationships to identify sales, partnership, employee recruitment and financial/M&A opportunities for its clients. For more information about the agency, visit www.gotostrategic.com.
 
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