In one article I wrote entitled “Networking Strategies That Produce Great Results Using the Social Web,” in my research I came across an interesting survey I thought I’d share with my SocialMarketingExpert.org readers.

Within the post “Where IT pros do their social networking” at NetworkWorld.com

I was amazed when I spotted this graphic to the left where it states

“More IT pros visit social media sites
Only 16% of IT pros said they didn’t visit social networking, social media or social bookmarking sites. That means 84% of our readers use these sites, which is up significantly from 68% last year.

As you can see 63% of IT pros use LinkedIn, while 44% use Facebook. Both figures are up significantly from a year ago, when 41% used LinkedIn and 20% used Facebook.

4% of IT pros said they are using social networking sites more frequently than they did a year ago.

Why the popularity? According to TechRepublic

For many IT pros, LinkedIn has become the de facto tool for professional networking. It’s a convenient way to stay connected to current colleagues, people who you’ve worked with in the past, and peers who work in similar jobs or with the same technologies that you do. This effectively creates an inventory that can be used across various jobs, personal interests, and affiliations. LinkedIn isn’t only a tool for individuals, however; organizations have also found ways to use the popular connections site.
http://blogs.techrepublic.com.com/networking/?p=1471

The article goes on to say the benefits are Groups, Events, Company Profiles, Jobs, and the fact its free to join.