Sixty-three percent of DC plan sponsors in the United States are using social media to provide a regular source of information to their members, according to Cogent Research’s Retirement Planscape 2013 study.
While many providers continue to dedicate more time and money to more traditional forms of communication and outreach, such as email or direct contact with an advisor or firm representative, plan sponsors are more often linking to plan providers through websites or blogs (39%), LinkedIn (24%) and Facebook (22%) to share or seek news and opinions related to 401(k) plans and providers.
“The prevalence of social media activity among DC plan sponsors is much higher than we anticipated,” says Linda York, practice director of syndicated research at Cogent Research. “These results indicate that a social media strategy, if it hasn’t already, should be an integral component of any provider’s overall communication plan.”
The use of social media for 401(k) information was highest among mid-size plan sponsors, which represent plans with total assets of between $20 million and $100 million. Within this segment, 77% of plan sponsors utilize some form of social media for 401(k) informational purposes, with nearly half (47%) reporting regular use of provider websites or blogs. LinkedIn is the second most popular channel among mid-size plan sponsors, cited by 39% of respondents.
Cogent’s study found that the use of social media among 401(k) sponsors was lower among plans with higher asset levels, with just half of plan sponsors representing plans with greater than $100 million utilizing social media for information related to 401(k) providers.
“The difference in social media usage by plan size points to the need for targeted communication strategies for each segment,” says York. “The larger, more established plans require a different level and type of outreach, often requiring more personal and direct communication.”