Worst Kept Secret - Execs Say Social is Critical

Social business software company Jive Software released results from a study which revealed that social business is "increasingly perceived as a strategic executive imperative in the enterprise" to which you should say - no kidding.

The Jive Social Business Index 2011 however does reveal some more meaningful information. For example: 

- 53% believe they must adopt a more social business approach
- 62% cite the potential to achieve "better customer loyalty and service levels"
- 57 percent anticipate "increased revenue or sales" as a result of implementation

Perhaps the most interesting bit of data was that the degree that online communities play in the decision making process. The survey revealed that online communities are an important source of information for making purchase decisions, especially for millennials. Fifty-four percent of millennials said that they are more likely to rely on and make purchase decisions from information shared via personal contacts in online communities versus 33 percent more likely to use information from "official" company sources.