Good news: It looks like we're more mature than Charlotte Simmons going in.

UPDATE (1/22/2010): Now Available - “Trends in HR Marketing: HR Buyer’s Behavior – What to Expect in 2010” Download Now, no registration required.

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I'm reading a Tom Wolfe's I am Charlotte Simmons about a young high school graduate from a poverty-stricken rural town whose intelligence and hard work at school have been rewarded with a full scholarship to a prestigious college. Book learnin' isn't her problem, but it's her first semester and mercy does she have a lot of social learnin' to do, which she does with her own unique strength and mindful presence.

Besides reminding me of the bacchanalian college lifestyle students can lead, especially those in the Greek system (of which I am a TKE), it also reminds me of the mass adoption naivete of many good folk of unique strength and mindful presence exploring social media.

Wait, what? That's a segue leap my mind takes. You should let it buy you lunch someday.

Social media can be an informative relationship-buidling marketing endeavor, or it can be a big beer-bong fest with bass a-thumpin' and drums a-bumpin'.

Usually somewhere in between polarizing at the former based on my experience. Even in the HR marketplace where HR buyers frequent social media more and more -- for example in our latest survey report launching this week, LinkedIn ranked an overwhelming first (72%), followed by Facebook (51%), SHRM Connect (35%), HR.com (31%), and Twitter (20%).

And participation only continues to grow.

What about the HR suppliers? Our previous research shows that they're experimenting more in social media (and I see them everyday out there), but aren't we all still Charlotte Simmons's fumbling our way through the first semester?

I conducted an impromptu survey last week and asked HR suppliers what social media activities are they -- you -- participating in? How are you reaching your buyers and influencers via social media? Are you measuring your results? If so, how and what are those metrics?

Here are some of the preliminary highlights of those who responded:

• 93% of HR supplier respondents are participating in social media.
• Of the 7% who aren't, 60% say it's because they don't see the business value.
• Over 50% of social media participants are CEO's, business owners and executive management.
• What folks are doing with social media is evenly distributed across a variety of reasons, but the top reason with 82% is sharing content and news, which was true from CEO's to HR to marketing to customer service reps.
• 55% of HR supplier respondents who say they measure social media results include both web-based traffic and lead-conversion (sales) metrics.
• What did HR suppliers increase the most with social media marketing? Online visibility by an overwhelming 67%.

Not so fumbling after all. In fact, even though I'm sure most of the respondents are those already fully engaged in social media, I'm happy to report that social media is being integrated into the arsenal of HR supplier marketing and PR activities -- as it should be.

For those of you who haven't responded, you still can. I'll be putting a marketing summary brief together in the next few weeks to release into the social media wild.

Good news: It looks like we're more mature than Charlotte Simmons going in.

Are you interested in sharing your specific social media successes with HRmarketer and be highlighted in a case study and other future presentations or reports? If so, please DM me at @KevinWGrossman or email me at kgrossman@hrmarketer.com.

Post by Kevin W. Grossman (join me on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn - and now join HRmarketer on Twitter!)