Social media in russian business communication: Analysis and development prospects

Abstract

This article examines patterns of social media usage by Russian companies. For the purposes of analysis we investigated 25 companies which consistently occupy the top positions in ratings of the Russian Agency Expert RA, and 25 companies from the bottom of the ratings. In addition, in 2014, a number of interviews with experts were conducted. The study revealed that the top-ranked companies more actively used all sorts of social media, in comparison with the companies with the lowest ratings. The dynamics of the use of new media technologies by leading Russian companies from 2011 to 2014 are defined by the further increase of use of new media resources in different areas of business. Traditional media is no longer considered an effective development instrument (the exception is TV advertising).