CIOs Turn to Social Media as a Purchasing Tool

By now, we all know that organizations are taking full advantage of social media to closely connect with customers and to promote their products and services. But new research presented by LinkedIn reveals that social networks have emerged as a top purchase-evaluation tool among CIOs and IT decision makers. The vast majority of these tech professionals connect to IT vendors on social media sites, and a significant number say that social media plays a role in every stage of the acquisition process. With IT spending expected to reach more than $3.5 billion this year, the stakes are high. So these influential buyers are seeking to arm themselves with as much useful--and current--information as possible, while engaging with peers and vendors who can help them make the right choice. An estimated 400 IT decision-makers in a diverse range of industries throughout North America participated in the research, which was commissioned by LinkedIn and conducted by Forrester Consulting. For more about the survey, click here.