According to Social Media for Associations Status Report 2014, organizations in Europe see more risks related to social media use than do their American counterparts, yet both believe their increased use of social media is beneficial. The 2014 survey results, published by Kellen Company, indicate that trade associations, professional societies, and other nonprofit organizations on both sides of the Atlantic have become bigger users of social media, but that is one of the few similarities between the two regions.
European associations named Twitter and LinkedIn as their preferred social media platforms, with 77% adoption rates for each channel, while in the U.S., Facebook ranked number one (91%), with LinkedIn a close second (88%). Far more U.S.-based associations use paid digital advertising for member recruitment (62%) than do those in Europe (31%). In the U.S., 69% stated that the resources their organization invests in social media is worthwhile. This number is equally high (63%) in Europe.
In the U.S., several organization leaders who were interviewed said their associations jumped into social media without a strategy, doing so solely because they wanted to have a larger digital footprint. In contrast, the majority of European associations develop a strategy for social media implementation before launching their initiatives. It's not surprising, therefore, to learn that European associations by and large, are concerned that social media communication has significant risk and may create more problems for an organization than it solves. Despite a lack of proof, American associations tend to believe that social media can be a silver bullet with the potential to cure an organization of its ills and create opportunities.
"Our research indicated that while many associations struggle with measuring both the quantitative and qualitative outcomes of social media programs, overall, associations believe their investment in social media has value," said Kellen CEO Peter Rush. "By analyzing the outcomes of social media programs, we know that the best R.O.I. comes from programs that are planned in coordination with the organization's larger strategic plan, not as an add-on to it."
Associations in the U.S. claim to be more mobile-friendly than their European counterparts, with American organizations reporting responsive design websites, conference apps, and publications apps. The use of paid digital advertising is another point of difference. Twice as many of the U.S. associations polled use paid digital media tactics than those in Europe. The top reasons American organizations cited for using paid digital includes attracting potential members, attracting website visitors and promoting conferences. Of the European associations that use paid digital vehicles, driving visitors to their websites was the number one purpose, followed by disseminating messaging and growing social media following.
The 34-page Social Media for Associations Status Report 2014 is available as a free, downloadable PDF at www.kellencompany.com/social_media_report.