2019 Social Media Use in the Industrial Sector

2019
Social Media
Use in the
Industrial Sector
GlobalSpec.com/advertising

Introduction ............................................................................................................ 3
About the Survey Respondents ........................................................................ 4
Highlights from the Survey Results .............................................................. 5-6
Conclusions ............................................................................................................ 7
Recommendations ............................................................................................... 8
Survey Results ................................................................................................ 9-25
Social Media Platforms ................................................................... 9-10
Social Media Activity ....................................................................... 11-18
Blog Subscriptions ......................................................................... 19-20
Video Usage in the Workplace ................................................... 21-22
Industry-Related Podcasts ................................................................ 23
Resources for Researching Purchases .......................................... 24
Challenges in Using Social Media for Purchases ....................... 25
About IEEE GlobalSpec ................................................................................... 26
IEEE GLOBALSPEC
2019 SOCIAL MEDIA USE IN THE INDUSTRIAL SECTOR
Content
GlobalSpec.com/advertising | sales@IEEEGlobalSpec.com

IEEE GLOBALSPEC
Introduction
Not long ago, social media was considered uncharted waters for industrial marketers. Social
networks seemed like places for casual sharing and conversation, rather than places for business
to be conducted. Just a few short years later, our lives seem to revolve around these networks.
Nearly everyone has at least one social media account, and businesses are also expected to
have active accounts.
Despite the explosion of social media, the question still remains: How can a company best take
advantage of social media to meet their overall marketing goals and objectives? Many marketers
aren’t sure how their customers and prospects behave online, and how best to get their message
across.
To answer these questions, IEEE GlobalSpec recently conducted its annual “Social Media Use”
survey. The online survey asked engineers and technical professionals in the industrial sector
about their frequency of social media use, which social media platforms they prefer, and what
work-related activities they perform on social media.
This research report delivers and analyzes the survey results, providing valuable guidance and
recommendations to help you effectively use social media as part of your marketing strategy to
connect with your audience and meet your marketing objectives.

IEEE GLOBALSPEC
About the Survey Respondents
The 1,402 survey respondents are the industrial marketer’s target audience of engineers and
technical professionals.
PROFESSIONAL PROFILE
• Sixty-five percent are engineers or other technical professionals, with the largest group
being design engineers
• Seven percent work in research and development
• Fourteen percent work in management, marketing, sales or purchasing
• Seventy-eight percent specify, recommend or evaluate products and services to be
purchased, or they make purchases directly
DEMOGRAPHIC PROFILE
• Sixty percent are age 49 or over; 14 percent are age 18-34; and 20 percent are between
age 35-49.
• Eighty-four percent are male; 12 are percent female; and 4 percent declined to answer.

IEEE GLOBALSPEC
Highlights from the Survey Results
ALL RESPONDENTS
• The two most used social media platforms among this audience are LinkedIn (81 percent
use) and Facebook (80 percent).
• The most popular use of Facebook for work-related purposes is to read content or product
industry news. The most popular use of LinkedIn is to follow companies and groups.
• Thirty-nine percent of Facebook users follow one to five industry-related company pages;
36 percent of LinkedIn users do the same.
• Twenty-two percent of respondents regularly check social media throughout the day,
although 30 percent only go on social media when there’s something specific they want to
view. Twenty-six percent don’t use social media at all for work-related purposes.
• Forty-nine percent of respondents indicate that they have used social media to find product
reviews, 43 percent have used it to keep abreast of product news and technologies, and
40 percent have used it to find expertise.
• Thirty percent of respondents follow or subscribe to work-related blogs.
• Fifty-nine percent of engineering and technical professionals use YouTube or other video-
sharing websites for work-related purposes. This number has steadily climbed since 2013,
when it was just 48 percent.
• The two most popular types of work-related video content are how-to/tutorials (84 percent)
and training videos (72 percent).
• The most popular resources for researching a potential work-related purchase are general
search engines, online catalogs, supplier websites and word-of-mouth/peers/colleagues.
Industrial professionals state that these resources are more efficient than social media for
this purpose. These resources have remained relatively stable in their popularity since
2012.

IEEE GLOBALSPEC
Highlights from the Survey Results
MILLENNIAL RESPONDENTS (AGES 18-34)
• Compared to their older colleagues, millennials are 11 percent more likely to have a
Facebook account, nine percent more likely to have a Twitter account, and more than
twice as likely to have an Instagram account. In addition, millennials are more likely to
use their social media accounts for work-related purposes.
• Millennials are equally likely as their older colleagues to have a LinkedIn account, but
are much more likely to use that account for work-related activities.
• Thirty-six percent of millennials regularly check their social media accounts for work-
related purposes throughout the day, compared to 20 percent of those 35 and older.
Nearly half of millennial respondents report that they check social media throughout the
day for non-work related purposes, and an additional 29 percent check social media
once or twice a day for non-work related purposes, illustrating how deeply social media is
ingrained in a millennial engineer’s life.
• Millennials are more likely to use social media to find product reviews, expertise, and new
jobs and employers. They are also more likely to use social media to keep abreast of the
latest company/product news/technologies and to reach additional contacts/network.
• A greater percentage of millennials watch how-to videos/tutorials and training videos on
YouTube or other video sharing websites, as compared to older technical professionals.

IEEE GLOBALSPEC
Conclusions
• Social media holds a steady place in the engineer’s work life, although it is not their
primary digital destination for work-related purposes. Still, technical professionals are
absorbing information through social media channels. Fifty-one percent read content or
product/industry news on social media at least a few times a week, and 31 percent
research companies or suppliers. When it comes to social media outside of work, 54
percent of engineers check their accounts at least once a day. For millennials, that number
jumps to 78 percent. While they may not be expressly looking for work related content,
they may still be exposed to it as they scroll and browse.
• LinkedIn and Facebook remain the most popular social media platforms among technical
professionals, with 81 percent and 80 percent having accounts on those platforms,
respectively. YouTube, Twitter and Instagram also have some penetration among
the engineering audience. No other social media platform appears to be particularly
relevant to engineers.
• Across all platforms and for all work-related uses, millennials turn to social media more
often than their older colleagues and are more likely to check social media for work-
related purposes throughout the day. This makes sense, as this group grew up during the
digital age, and is more familiar and comfortable with digital technologies, including social
media.
• Video is growing in use and importance among technical professionals of all ages. Fifty-
nine percent use YouTube or other video sharing websites for work-related purposes, an
increase of 18 percent from two years ago. How-to videos/tutorials, training videos and
product demos are the most popular types of work-related content to watch.

IEEE GLOBALSPEC
Recommendations
• Use social media primarily as a branding and awareness tool. Social media is also an
important place to monitor brand perception by listening and responding to your customers
and prospects. Focus on developing your positioning and voice, and keeping your message
and mission clear and clean. One of the biggest complaints engineers have about social
media is that there is too much noise and not enough substance. Don’t add to that problem.
• Maintain a consistent presence on the social media channels you choose to utilize and
continually post fresh content for your audience. Technical professionals use social media
as a secondary information source, but if you’re not regularly posting new content, they
won’t take notice of your presence. Post news about products and technologies, share
reviews of your products and demonstrate your expertise—this is the type of content
engineers and technical professionals look for on social media.
• Pay particular attention to video as both a social media platform (YouTube and other
video-sharing websites) and as a content format. Your target audience has a clearly
demonstrated interest in how-to videos/tutorials, training videos and product demos.
Video can be inexpensive to produce, is easy to disseminate and offers useful tracking
metrics to measure its effectiveness. Consider working with media partners to develop and
market video if you lack in-house resources.
• Invest judiciously in only those social media platforms that can complement your
more established digital marketing efforts. While social media marketing is important for
manufacturers, keep in mind that it should be “in addition to” rather than “instead of” other
marketing. When it comes to researching a work-related purchase, engineers prefer other
resources over social media, such as general search engines, online catalogs, supplier
websites and their colleagues and peers.

IEEE GLOBALSPEC
Survey Results
SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS
LinkedIn and Facebook remain the two most popular social media platforms among engineers
and technical professionals. This has held true since IEEE GlobalSpec began conducting this
survey in 2012.
On which of the following social media platforms do you have an account?
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
InstagramTwitterFacebookLinkedIn
81% 80%
35% 34%

IEEE GLOBALSPEC
Survey Results
SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS
Half of technical professionals have a Google+ account, while 40 percent have an account on
YouTube. Keep in mind that it is not required to have an account on YouTube to view videos.
Additionally, Google owns YouTube, so most users with a Google account also have a YouTube
account, but may not be aware.
On which of the following social media platforms do you maintain an account
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
SlideShareSnapchatQuoraPinterestI don't have
accounts on
any of these
platforms
YouTube
40%
32%
22%
9% 8% 5%

IEEE GLOBALSPEC
Survey Findings
SOCIAL MEDIA ACTIVITY
Thirty percent of engineers go on social media only when there’s something specific they want to
look at. Among millennials, 36 percent regularly check social media throughout the day.
Non-work-related social media use varies among this audience, but only four percent of millennials
and 22 percent of those age 35+ don’t use social media at all.
Which statement best describes your social media usage when it comes to work?
0% 10% 20% 30%
I regularly check social media
throughout my day.
I only check social media
once or twice a day.
I don't use social media at all.
I only go on social media
when there's something
speciﬁc I want to look at.
30%
26%
22%
22%

IEEE GLOBALSPEC
Survey Findings
Popular uses of social media include following companies and groups, reading content or product/
industry news, researching suppliers, and posting or sharing articles, images or videos. LinkedIn
is the primary platform to search for contacts.
Which of the following work-related activities do you perform
on social media channels?
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60%
LinkedIn
Twitter
Instagram
Facebook
None of the above
Watch videos
Start discussions
Share your thoughts
about a product or supplier
Seek recommendations
on products and/or suppliers
Search for contacts
Research suppliers
Recommend products/suppliers
Read content
or product/industry news
Post or share videos
Post or share images
Post or share articles
Engage (e.g. like, retweet, +1
or comment) in discussions
Manage industry-related accounts
Follow companies and groups
Answer questions
14%
10%
14%
22%
34%
31%
38%
58%
8%
7%
12%
13%
13%
13%
19%
27%
26%
13%
24%
24%
21%
29%
18%
12%
16%
16%
15%
12%
37%
22%
32%
53%
12%
9%
9%
15%
20%
13%
16%
31%
20%
12%
14%
54%
15%
9%
11%
19%
12%
7%
11%
13%
7%
4%
12%
9%
26%
23%
18%
21%
35%
46%
12%
14%

IEEE GLOBALSPEC
Survey Findings
The most frequent work-related activity performed on social media is reading content or product/
industry news. This is followed by watching videos, researching suppliers and searching for
contacts. Engineers and technical professionals remain largely passive users of social media—
only a low percentage post or share articles, images or videos.
How often do you perform these work-related activities on social media?
Never Few times
a year
Few times
a month
Few times
a week
Almost
daily
Start a discussion
Share your thoughts about a product or supplier
Post or share a video
Research a supplier
Recommend products or suppliers
Post or share an article
Post or share an image
Seek a recommendation on products and/or suppliers
Participate (e.g. like, retweet, +1 or comment) in discussions
Answer a question
Follow a company or group
Search for a contact
Watch a video
Read content or product/industry news
Average Rating

IEEE GLOBALSPEC
Survey Findings
The top three uses of social media sites are to find product reviews, keep abreast of company/
product news/technologies and find expertise. Millennials perform all of those tasks at a greater
rate than their older colleagues. In addition, younger engineers use social media at a greater rate
to reach additional contacts and network.
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50%
I don't do any of these things
on social media and/or online forums
Reach additional contacts/network
Find new jobs/employers
Request technical support
Find new suppliers
Find peer reviews/recommendations
Contact a supplier or service provider
Find expertise
Keep abreast of latest company/
product news/technologies
Find product reviews
For which of the following have you used social media sites including blogs and forums?
49%
43%
40%
35%
35%
34%
31%
30%
29%
22%

IEEE GLOBALSPEC
Survey Findings
Technical professionals most commonly follow one to five company pages on social media. When
it comes to Facebook and LinkedIn, they’re more likely to follow six to ten company pages than
on other social media sites.
How many industry-related company pages
do you follow on these platforms?
How many industry-related company pages do you follow on Facebook?
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60%
More than 15
11-15
6-10
1-5
None
39%
37%
14%
5%
5%
How many industry-related company pages do you follow on Instagram?
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60%
More than 15
11-15
6-10
1-5
None 53%
29%
5%
4%
9%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60%
More than 15
11-15
6-10
1-5
None
How many industry-related company pages do you follow on Twitter?
42%
34%
5%
9%
10%
How many industry-related company pages do you follow on LinkedIn?
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60%
More than 15
11-15
6-10
1-5
None 24%
36%
19%
7%
14%
Facebook Instagram
Twitter LinkedIn

IEEE GLOBALSPEC
Survey Findings
Fifty percent of engineers with accounts on LinkedIn belong to one to five groups.
How many groups do you belong to on LinkedIn?
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
More than 1511–156–101–50
27%
50%
13% 4% 6%

IEEE GLOBALSPEC
Survey Findings
Engineers are passive social media users. Fifty-three percent never share or post news or
information about their company to their social networks. Twenty-three percent post or share a
few times a year.
How often do you share or post news or information about your
company to your social networks?
53%
23%
7%
9%
6%
53%
9%
7%
6%
23%
Never
Few times a year
Few times a month
Few times a week
Daily
I don’t use social media
2%

IEEE GLOBALSPEC
Survey Findings
Over half of engineers do check social media at least once a day, although it may not be for work-
related purposes. That number skyrockets to 78 percent of engineers aged 18-34, with nearly half
regularlycheckingsocialmediathroughouttheday.Thisunderscorestheneedforindustrialmarketers
to make sure their brand is present on social media channels. Engineers that follow you may not be
going to your brand’s page specifically, but if you post regularly, you’ll appear in front of them.
Which statement best describes your social media usage for non-work
related purposes?
53%
23%
7%
9%
6%
25%20%
26%
throughout my day.
I only go on social media when there's
something speciﬁc I want to look at.
29%
related purposes? (Age group 18-34)
53%
23%
7%
9%
6%
49%
4%
18%
throughout my day.
I only go on social media when
there's something speciﬁc I
want to look at.
29%
Age group 18-34
related purposes?
53%
23%
7%
9%
6%
25%20%
26%
throughout my day.
29%
related purposes?
53%
23%
7%
9%
6%
25%20%
26%
throughout my day.
29% Which statement best describes your social media usage for n
related purposes? (Age group 35+)
53%
23%
7%
9%
6%
21%
28%
I regularly check s
throughout my da
I only check socia
once or twice a da
I only go on social
there's something
want to look at.
I don't use social m
29%
22%
Age group 35+

IEEE GLOBALSPEC
Survey Findings
BLOG SUBSCRIPTIONS
Thirty-percent of technical professionals subscribe to or follow work-related blogs. This is a sharp
increase since 2016, when just 17 percent of respondents reported following work-related blogs.
This points to an audience hungry for content.
Do you subscribe to or follow work-related blogs?
Yes
No
30%
70%

IEEE GLOBALSPEC
Survey Findings
BLOG SUBSCRIPTIONS
Of engineers and technical professionals who subscribe to or follow work related blogs, 76
percent subscribe to or follow one to three work related blogs.
How many work-related company blogs do you subscribe to or follow?
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
More than 107–104–61–3
76%
14% 5% 5%

IEEE GLOBALSPEC
Survey Findings
VIDEO USAGE IN THE WORKPLACE
The use of video among engineers is increasing. Fifty-nine percent use YouTube or other video-
sharing websites for work-related purposes, up from 50 percent two years ago. Sixty-three percent
of millennials use such websites.
Do you use YouTube or other video sharing websites for work-related purposes?
No
52%
No
Yes
59%41%

IEEE GLOBALSPEC
Survey Findings
VIDEO USAGE IN THE WORKPLACE
Eighty-four percent of engineers who use video sharing websites watch how-to videos and tutorials,
72 percent watch training videos and 64 percent watch product demos. These percentages are
all higher among millennials. 90 percent watch how-to videos/tutorials, 83 percent watch training
videos and 71 percent watch product demos.
What types of work-related content do you watch on video sharing websites?
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90%
Customer testimonials
Interviews with product experts
Information on new
trends and technologies
Industry-focused
educational presentations
Product demos
Training videos
How-to videos/tutorials 84%
72%
64%
61%
60%
28%
21%

IEEE GLOBALSPEC
Survey Findings
INDUSTRY-RELATED PODCASTS
Only 17 percent of engineers and technical professionals listen to industry-related podcasts.
Do you listen to any industry-related podcasts?
No
52%
No
Yes
17%
83%

IEEE GLOBALSPEC
Survey Findings
RESOURCES FOR RESEARCHING PURCHASES
Although engineers and technical professionals use social media, other resources are more
important for researching a potential work-related purchase. The top resources are general
search engines, online catalogs, supplier websites and word-of-mouth/peers/colleagues. These
digital channels should receive the bulk of your marketing investment.
When researching a potential work-related purchase, how valuable do you ﬁnd
each of the following resources? (on a scale from 1 = Not at all to 7 = Very valuable)
0 1 2 3 4 5 6
Twitter
SlideShare
Facebook
Podcasts
Blogs
Other Business-to-Business (vertical) search engines
Online communities
Print advertising
Supplier ratings
Direct mail
Linkedin
Video
Webcasts/webinars
Engineering360.com (formerly GlobalSpec.com)
Case studies
White papers/research reports
Industry conferences/trade shows/in person seminars
Product review/recommendations
Industry trade publications
Word of mouth/peer/colleagues
Supplier websites
Online catalogs
General search engines (Google, Yahoo! etc.) 5.5
4.9
4.8
4.6
4.5
4.3
4.3
4.2
4.2
3.7
3.7
3.4
3.3
3.3
3.2
3.2
2.8
2.7
2.4
2.2
1.9
3.8
2.4
7

IEEE GLOBALSPEC
Survey Findings
CHALLENGES IN USING SOCIAL MEDIA FOR PURCHASES
Engineers and technical professionals cite a number of challenges in using social media for
work-related purchases. Forty-nine percent say other methods (search engines, online catalogs,
supplier websites, etc.) are more efficient; 39 percent state there is too much noise and not enough
substance; 34 percent say they can’t trust that the information they find is reliable.
What are the challenges in using social media for work-related purposes?
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50%
I have no challenges in
using social media for work.
My company policy prohibits
social media use at work.
I can't ﬁnd useful content.
I can’t trust that the
information I ﬁnd is reliable.
There is too much noise
and not enough substance.
Other methods (search
engines, supplier websites,
online catalogs, etc.)
are more efficient.
49%
39%
34%
19%
16%
25%

IEEE GLOBALSPEC
About IEEE GlobalSpec
IEEE GlobalSpec is a provider of data-driven industrial marketing solutions designed to help
companies promote their products and grow their businesses.
Our audience of engineers and technical professionals relies on the IEEE GlobalSpec family of
brands as trusted resources for content, community and engagement at all stages of the research,
design and purchasing process.
We deliver deep industry intelligence, customized marketing programs and measurable campaign
performance.
For more information about IEEE GlobalSpec, visit www.globalspec.com/advertising.

For more information about
IEEE GlobalSpec:
Visit: GlobalSpec.com/advertising Call:
800.261.2052
Email: sales@IEEEGlobalSpec.com
201 Fuller Road
Albany, NY 12203
GlobalSpec.com/advertising

2019 Social Media Use in the Industrial Sector

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