CHICAGO, Nov. 29, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Sixty-five percent of organizations pile social media on top of other duties, while only 27 percent employ someone who focuses exclusively on social media, a new Ragan/NASDAQ OMX Corporate Solutions survey reveals.

The survey, which aims to uncover the factors impacting how social media teams are structured, found that organizations are cautious about dedicating resources to social media, and adding social media to the list of tasks traditionally assigned to communicators.

"They're doing events, they're putting out newsletters, they're writing press releases, and now they're handed this task of overseeing Twitter accounts, Facebook and Pinterest pages," says Mark Ragan, CEO of Ragan Communications, of communicators today.

The results of the survey, a joint effort by Ragan Communications and NASDAQ OMX Corporate Solutions, are summarized in a whitepaper that allows organizations to benchmark their social media efforts against organizations of similar size and industry.

"It is becoming more important than ever for communicators to pause to evaluate the role of social media within their organizations," said Demetrios Skalkotos, senior vice president, NASDAQ OMX Corporate Solutions. "The Ragan/NASDAQ OMX Corporate Solutions survey provides insight to help communicators fully understand the current impact and potential of social media as a marketing and communications tool that can drive their business, deliver a positive client experience, create and sustain a positive brand and reputation."

This 18-page white paper reveals findings from a survey of more than 2,700 social media professionals:

• Sixty five percent of organizations pile social media on top of other responsibilities, while only 27 percent have someone who focuses exclusively on social media.
   
• Social media budgets remained flat in 2012, and are unlikely to increase in 2013.
   
• Seventy percent of respondents are either "dissatisfied" or only "somewhat satisfied" with how they measure their social media efforts, compared to a mere 31 percent who are "satisfied" or "very satisfied."
   
• And much, much more!

A six-part article series on Ragan.com will explore the data in depth, focusing on staffing, measurement, budget, popular platforms, and the question of who owns social media in organizations.

The white paper and article series will prove invaluable aids to communicators, marketers, public relations professionals and others seeking how to get a handle on how others staff, budget and run their organization's social media efforts.

Download the white paper "Structuring a Social Media Team."

About Ragan Communications

Ragan Communications operates two of the top news and information sites for the PR and corporate communications industry: Ragan.com and PRDaily.com. Together, these daily news sites attract more than 800,000 global visitors monthly.

The Chicago-based company also covers the health care and HR communication industries (HealthCareCommunication.com and HRCommunication.com). Ragan is the leading provider of conferences and online training to PR, media relations, and corporate communications professionals.

About NASDAQ OMX Corporate Solutions

NASDAQ OMX Corporate Solutions fuel better business, brand and board decisions. Forward-thinking public and private companies rely on NASDAQ OMX to turn investor relations, communications and governance into a source of competitive advantage. For more information on NASDAQ OMX Corporate Solutions, please visit http://www.nasdaqomx.com/services/corporatesolutions/.