The Use of Social Media by European Investment Professionals
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Most respondents were analysts or had mixed functions. 45% saw social media as at least partly important for company information, but all other sources were seen as more important. While websites of business media became more important over years for 71%, social media grew in importance for 16%. 38% found message boards at least partly useful for investment decisions. If writing posts, professionals preferred message boards over social media and blogs. The importance of information from social media was seen as lower than from traditional sources by 86%. The most used social media platforms were Xing with 49% and LinkedIn with 31%.
The Use of Social Media by European Investment Professionals
- 1. Social Media Survey 2011_ The Use of Social Media by European Investment Professionals Deutsche Vereinigung für Finanzanalyse und Asset Management
- 2. Social Media Survey 2011 _ Survey Background DVFA – Society of Investment Professionals in Germany and Deutsche EuroShop – The Shopping Center Company invited 1,587 European* investment professionals by email to take part in an online survey running from 9 March to 11 April 2011. 74 respondents finished the complete survey with 18 questions. This corresponds with a response rate of 4.7%. Switzerland 7% United Country split of the respondents: Germany 78% Kingdom 7% France 3% Luxemburg 3% Austria 1% Denmark 1% *= investment professionals in the following countries were invited: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Iceland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxemburg, The Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland, Spain and the United Kingdom 2
- 3. Social Media Survey 2011 _ 1. Statistic Data: I am ... Most respondents are analysts (36%), followed by a group with mixed functions (34%) and investors (29%). Bond Analyst 1% Equity Buy Side Analyst 14% Institutional Investor/ Equity Asset Manager Sell Side Analyst 28% 21% Other* 34% Asset Owner/Pension fund Manager 1% *= Advisor, Auditor, Broker, Consultant, Corporate Finance Key Account Manager, ECM expert, Economist, Equity research, Equity Sales,ESG Analyst, Investmentbanker, Market Maker, Portfoliomanager, Relationship Management, Retired, Sales Asset Management, Syndicate + Portfolio Management, TA Controlling, Trader 3 rounding differences may occur
- 4. Social Media Survey 2011 _ 2. Do you read postings on the following for company or business information? 45% see Social Media as at least partly important, all other sources are seen as more important. 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% Business media (nat'l, int'l, trade press) - in print Business media (nat'l, int'l, trade press) - online Social Media Social Media (blogs, message boards, socialnetworking sites) Analyst research Analyst research (sell-side & industry analyst research for buy-side/ industry analyst research for sell-side) Real time subscription information services Primary market research Information direct from companies very important important rather important partly important not that important not important at all don't know 4
- 5. Social Media Survey 2011 _ 3. Which information sources have become more important to you in your job over the past years? For 71% websites of business media became more important information sources, social media for 16%. 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% Real time subscription services 55% Traditional business media in print 18% Traditional business media online 71% Blogs, messageboards and chat rooms 15% Social networking sites 16% 5
- 6. Social Media Survey 2011 _ 4. Please rate the following information sources according to whether they provide information which is useful for your investment decisions or recommendations. 38% see message boards as at least partly important, blogs and social media are seen as less important. 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% Blogs Social networking sites Message boards very important important rather important partly important not that important not important at all don't know 6
- 7. Social Media Survey 2011 _ 5. Do you post business or investment information in any of the following ways? If investment professionals write posts they prefer message boards to social media and blogs. 93% 100% 88% 85% 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 15% 20% 11% 5% 10% 0% Blogs Social networking sites Message boards Yes No Don't know 7
- 8. Social Media Survey 2011 _ 6. Have you ever read any information posted on a blog or social networking site that has prompted you to investigate an issue further for your work? 31% of the respondents were prompted by blogs to make further investigations on an issue. 77% 73% 80% 66% 70% 60% 50% 40% 31% 22% 23% 30% 20% 10% 0% Blogs Social networking sites Message boards Yes No Don't know 8
- 9. Social Media Survey 2011 _ 7. How do you consider the importance of information posted on social media in relation to other information sources (e.g. press releases, presentations etc.)? 86% consider the importance of traditional sources higher than the importance of social media. 86% 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 12% 20% 3% 10% 0% Lower importance Higher importance Same importance 9 rounding differences may occur
- 10. Social Media Survey 2011 _ 8. Which of the following social media platforms do you use (for professional reasons)? 49% of the respondents use the business network platform Xing, 31% LinkedIn, 34% none of the mentioned. 0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45% 50% Xing LinkedIn YouTube Twitter Facebook SlideShare FlickR Other None of the above 10
- 11. Social Media Survey 2011 _ 9. On which of the following social media platforms would you like companies to communicate through? Most of the respondents (62%) do not expect companies to communicate through social media. 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% Xing Facebook YouTube Twitter LinkedIn SlideShare FlickR Other None of the above 11
- 12. Social Media Survey 2011 _ 10. What types or items of company communication should be offered on social media platforms? 49% of the respondents see social media as channels for information distribution and dialogue. 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% Information (such as IR news, news, voting rights Information (such as IR voting rights notifications, consensus, events, market environment) notifications, consensus, events, market environment) Dialogue with the company Dialogue with the CEO/CFO Dialogue with other shareholders or analysts Other None of the above 12
- 13. Social Media Survey 2011 _ 11. If companies (CEOs, CFOs, IROs) were to use social media platforms to engage with the investment community, how likely would you use these channels? For a slim majority (51%) the use of social media could be triggered if companies use it to engage. 49% 50% 45% 37% 40% 35% 30% 25% 14% 20% 15% 10% 5% 0% Very likely Likely Unlikely 13
- 14. Social Media Survey 2011 _ 12. Do you think that New Media such as blogs and social networking sites will play an increasingly important role in investment decisions in the future? 53% of the respondents see the importance of social media for investment decisions to increase. 45% 50% 45% 40% 34% 35% 30% 25% 20% 12% 15% 8% 10% 5% 0% Yes, definitely Yes, probably No, probably not No, definitely not 14 rounding differences may occur
- 15. Social Media Survey 2011 _ 13. What are reasons why you have not used information from a social networking site in your job in the past year or so? 52% of the respondents are sceptical about the reliability of the information on social media platforms. 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% Information not reliable Lack of relevance of information I do have sufficient information on hand Do not find information valuable Company doesn't allow access to networking site Haven't signed up to social networking sites yet 15
- 16. Social Media Survey 2011 _ 14. What hardware do you use? Desktops are the preferred hardware solutions (84%), 56% use Blackberry as smartphone. 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% Desktop 84% Notebook 71% 56% Which Smartphone technology? Smart phone 60% 56% 50% iPad 14% 40% 30% 30% 20% 7% 7% 10% 0% Android Blackberry iPhone other 16
- 17. Social Media Survey 2011 _ 15. What operating systems and software do you use? Windows is installed on 96% of the systems the respondents use. 96% 100% 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 4% 20% 10% 0% Windows Mac 17
- 18. Social Media Survey 2011 _ 16. Which browser do you use? Most of the respondents use the Internet Explorer (73%) and/or Firefox (52%) as browser. 80% 73% 70% 60% 52% 50% 40% 30% 20% 14% 12% 8% 10% 1% 0% Internet Firefox Safari Chrome Opera Other Explorer 18
- 19. Social Media Survey 2011 _ 17. What is your most frequently used communications medium? If the respondents don‘t meet in person, they prefer the dialogue via email (79%) and phone (21%). 79% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 21% 20% 10% 0% 0% 0% Email Phone Instant messenger Social Media 19
- 20. Social Media Survey 2011 _ 18. How much time do you spend online per day? 74% of the respondents spend more than 2 hours online per day. 74% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 15% 20% 10% 10% 0% 1% 0% 0 < 30 minutes 30-60 minutes 1-2 hours > 2 hours 20
- 21. Social Media Survey 2011 _ Executive Summary } The majority of the respondents is sceptical about the importance and reliability of the information on social media platforms, but nevertheless they expect the importance of social media for information distribution and dialogue to increase. } Surprisingly message boards still play an important role. } Xing and LinkedIn are the favoured social networking sites, especially for the maintenance of contacts. } Only a slim majority (51%) would follow if companies start to use social media to engage with the investment community, even if 62% don’t expect companies to do so. } For mobile purposes Blackberry and iPhone dominate over Android, others meaningless. } If the respondents don‘t meet in person, they prefer the dialogue via email (79%) and they spend more than 2 hours online per day. 21
- 22. Social Media Survey 2011 _ Contact } Patrick Kiss } Ralf Frank Deutsche EuroShop AG DVFA GmbH Oderfelder Straße 23 Mainzer Landstraße 47a 20149 Hamburg 60329 Frankfurt am Main Fon: +49 (0) 40 41 35 79-20 Fon: +49 (0) 69 26 48 48-0 email: [email protected] email: [email protected] www.deutsche-euroshop.de www.dvfa.de 22