Small and midsize businesses continue to see benefits from the adoption and use of social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and Google+, according to a new survey.
However they are also experiencing frustration as they try to overcome the challenges inherent in getting the most from their investment.
So says the survey of 400 SMB decision makers by Vocus, a provider of cloud marketing software with a social media focus, and Duct Tape Marketing.
Despite the challenges the survey indicates social media use among SMBs is here to stay, with 84 percent of respondents planning to increase their use of social media at least a little in the future.
“Overall sentiment in this study is right on target and it’s a very positive message,” John Jantsch, marketing consultant and creator of Duct Tape Marketing, said in prepared remarks. “What I’ve been noticing more and more is there’s finally this acceptance that social media not only isn’t going away, it’s an essential element of the marketing mix and the real challenge now is to figure out how to integrate it into the total online and offline marketing presence.”
On the platform side, Facebook ranked as the top social site currently used by SMBs, but ranked second to last on future intent, which the report said suggests Facebook usage is at near saturation.
Struggling rival Google+ proved to be the surprisingly robust platform for small businesses, with 44 percent of respondents saying they currently use Google’s social network. It also topped the list in terms of future plans, tying with Instagram – recently bought by Facebook for a cool $1 billion (£618m) – at 14 percent.
More than one-third (36 percent) of SMBs surveyed said they spend a median amount of $845 (£522) a month on software tools for social media management – but 32 percent of that group also spends $1,000 (£618) or more per month, while 22 percent of SMBs said they use consultants to aid with their efforts.
The report also noted 73 percent of SMBs have just added social media to the list of existing duties of marketing employees. Overall, more than three quarters (77 percent) of SMBs surveyed indicated social media makes up a quarter or more of their total marketing efforts.
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