Finally capturing up on some links and reading… a chunk of interesting research here about trust in social networks:

• Professional decision-making is becoming more social
  • Traditional influence cycles are being disrupted by Social Media as decision makers utilize social networks to inform and validate decisions
  • Professionals want to be collaborative in the decision-cycle but not be marketed or sold to online; however online marketing is a preferred activity by companies.
• The big three have emerged as leading professional networks: LinkedIn, Facebook & Twitter
  • The average professional belongs to 3-5 online networks for business use, and LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter are among the top used.
  • The convergence of Internet, mobile, and social media has taken significant shape as professionals rely on anywhere access to information, relationships and networks
• Professional networks are emerging as decision-support tools
  • Decision-makers are broadening reach to gather information especially among active users
• Professionals trust online information almost as much as information gotten from in-person
  • Information obtained from offline networks still have highest levels of trust with slight advantage over online (offline: 92% – combined strongly/somewhat trust; online: 83% combined strongly/somewhat trust)
• Reliance on web-based professional networks and online communities has increased significantly over the past 3 years
  • Three quarters of respondents rely on professional networks to support business decisions
  • Reliance has increased for essentially all respondents over the past three years
• Social Media use patterns are not pre-determined by age or organizational
  affiliation
  • Younger (20-35) and older professionals (55+) are more active users of social tools than middle aged professionals.
  • There are more people collaborating outside their company wall than within their organizational intranet

There is more information here on Don Bulmer’s blog: Everyday Influence: SNCR Research Reveals Social Media’s Impact on Business and Decision Making