Report: Social networks aren't working at work

The report surveyed office workers with Internet connections and found that, while 55% are social networks only 43% of those users access social nets at work. In addition, nearly 80% say they spend less than 30 minutes each day social networking.

Although the report supports the fact that social networks are growing rapidly and have a huge reach, the fact that workers aren't logging on at work could impact how brands use social sites. With an 8 hour chunk of each day and the news that these workers are spending less than an hour with social nets, marketers may want to trim or heavily target the ad spend going into social networks.

Added to that, an overwhelming 96% of respondents said social network efforts did not change their impression of a product brand; only about 11% of these workers are following the social feeds of a brand.

"When it comes to influencing brand perception and purchase decisions, the data shows
that social networking still has a long way to go," said Stephanie Molnar, CEO of
WorkPlace Media, a marketing solutions firm that specializes in targeting people in their
cubicles. "Most of our meaningful recommendations continue to be old-fashioned, word
of mouth recommendations from friends, co-workers, and/or family."

The report also found these results:

• Facebook is winning the social war with 89% of workers reporting having a Facebook account
• Most consumers are creating social profiles to stay in touch with friends/relatives
• Consumers were most likely to follow a social brand recommendation if it appealed to eating out (50%) or groceries (23%)

Tags: Facebook, social marketing, social networking, social networks, Workplace Media