The FTSE100 are failing to commit to social media, and may be missing out on the opportunities offered by new communications channels.

New research exploring use of social media among FTSE100 companies by the corporate communications agency Radley Yeldar has shown that the UK’s top listed businesses aren’t taking full advantage of social media channels.

Only 29% of the FTSE100 have corporate pages on the world’s largest social network, Facebook; and while 54 organisations have corporate Twitter accounts, only 23 of those post regular updates – and all but one of that number merely use the channel to broadcast corporate information, not engaging fully with the platform’s potential.

At a presentation of the results, Richard Coope, head of digital at Radley Yeldar, discussed the gap between the traditional online corporate presence and new forms of digital communication. 60% of the companies surveyed – well over half – show no sign of their social media presence on their corporate websites, and only 9 out of the 31 corporate YouTube channels were recognisably branded with their company’s identity.

Coope points towards the inherent cautiousness of large cap companies as restraining commitment to new media. “The survey begs the question as to whether companies are really committed to open and trusted dialogue,” he comments. “The research strongly indicates that there is a level of caution when it comes to social media due to the uncontrollable nature of the medium.”

There is good news, however, when it comes to LinkedIn, as 98% of the FTSE100 has LinkedIn pages. This indicates that LinkedIn has become a standard tool, perhaps due in part to the sense of greater control the professional network allows users and corporations.