IAB UK and LBi have released a study uncovering a mistrust of social media among UK businesses. YouGov carried out an online survey of 600 managers at consumer businesses in various sectors across the country to determine the extent to which they had embraced social media.

Results pointed to continued confusion about where social media management falls within an organisation, though 55% of respondents said that changes had been made to accommodate social media into their company’s structure. Results on social media adoption prove most telling about corporate attitude toward the medium. A third of respondents do not know how success is measured for social media efforts.

“Our research findings show that there is still a huge opportunity for brands to become social businesses, with nearly half admitting that they have not done anything in the last 12 months to become more social,” LBi’s head of social business design, John Monks, says. “While some brands make the use of social channels look effortless, it’s usually because they have invested in creating the necessary structures, processes and internal relationships. We believe that investing in becoming inherently social is crucial to the future success of any business.”

On the consumer-facing end of the survey, nearly half of marketing and sales departments use social to raise brand awareness but only 28% said they engage customers digitally. At the IAB conference this week, speakers said that engagement online, particularly on Twitter, must be authentic and personal and have a consistent tone.