CorpComms Magazine

More than half of small businesses are planning to invest in their social media strategies this year, according to a recent survey by email bulletin firm Inbox Insight.

Almost one quarter of respondents said customer engagement was their main incentive for using social media, while just over one quarter said that they use it to improve brand awareness.

Almost three quarters of the 500 small businesses surveyed use social media, but the research claims three per cent of small businesses still shy away.

The research found that Facebook is the favoured social media platform for small businesses, with more than half of respondents using the site. Professional social network LinkedIn is the second most popular among small businesses with 48 per cent using the site. Twitter is used by 40 per cent, while YouTube and blogging sites were used by just 17 per cent.

Of the companies not currently using social media, one quarter cite explain that they do not have enough knowledge to do so while another quarter blame their inactivity on lack of time.

Less than one per cent of those asked spent more than half of their marketing budget on social media, while 85 per cent spend ten per cent on social media activity.

David Clark, managing director at Inbox Insight, said: 'Small businesses have begun to realise how important social media is to organisations. Customers want businesses to interact with them, whether that's via email, phone or social media platforms. It's a great example of how small businesses can take advantage of their smaller scale and make a bigger impact through the use of these online tools.'

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