Stephanie Molnar, CEO of WorkPlace Media, says "When it comes to influencing brand perception and purchase decisions... social networking... has a long way to go."

A recent Harris poll also supported this assertion, says the report, showing that word of mouth is a much stronger influencer than social networking. When a group of adults were asked about their information-gathering process for the most recent purchase they made,

? 21% of Harris poll respondents cited "face-to-face with a person not associated with the company, such as a family member, business colleague or friend."
? 12% cited a phone call with someone similar
? 4% mentioned using "public online social-networking sites, such as Facebook, LinkedIn or MySpace"
? 4% mentioned "private social networking sites, such as customer communities".

According to additional findings from the WorkPlace Media survey, Facebook was the clear winner in terms of users:

? 89% of respondents reported having a Facebook account
? 40% MySpace
? 31% LinkedIn
? 18% Twitter.

When asked what appeals about social networking:
? 89% said it "allows me to stay connected to friends/family."

Of the 18% who reported acting upon a business or product recommendation from social networking sites, the leading categories were:

? Entertainment (53%)

? Dining Out (50%)
? Groceries (23%)
? Beauty Care/Cosmetics (21%)
? Apparel (20%)
? Electronics (15%)

? Pet Care (15%).