Two thirds of the FTSE 100 prefer to use Twitter over Facebook, a new survey suggests.
According to the research by Three_D, the social media division of PR agency Threepipe Communications, 67 members of the FTSE 100 are actively engaging with social media.
Sixty three have set up a Twitter account and tweet regularly, with two of them (Aviva and Rio Tinto) having gone as far as to have tweeted their annual results in the last year. Only 33 of the FTSE 100 have their own Facebook page.
Three_D’s study also suggests that just 11 of the companies in the FTSE 100 use their social media channels as a helpline or for customer service, while six use them to raise brand awareness through their corporate and social responsibility activities.
Among other findings, the research also highlights that some sectors are engaging more effectively with social media than others with banking, insurance and retail being the most active. On the other hand, manufacturing, mining and real estate are practically invisible.
Commenting on the research’s results, Beth Carroll, head of social media at Three_D, said, “It’s interesting to see that companies favour Twitter over Facebook, given the latter is much bigger on a global scale. Overall, the research suggests that a majority of FTSE firms recognise the importance of engaging their stakeholders in a dialogue via mediums such as Twitter, and responding to their comments directly.”
