A survey of 3340 largely small business managers and owners finds the respondents believe social media has helped them close business. Some 72 percent of marketers who have been using social media for more than three years report it had helped them close business. More than half who spend 11 or more hours per week also believe they have gotten the same results.
Of course, that likely is a self-selecting sample. Almost by definition, a business that continues to invest energy and time in social media believes it works.
About 48 percent of the self-employed and small business owners with two or more employees believe they have closed business because of social media.
Even with a minimal time investment, the vast majority of marketers (81% or higher) indicated their social media efforts increased exposure for their business. Owners of small businesses (2 to 100 employees) were more likely than others to report greater exposure was a direct result of using social media. (89 percent of respondents reported benefits).
By spending as little as six hours per week, 52 percent of marketers reported lead generation benefits with social media.
Small businesses were more likely than others to strongly agree that qualified leads were generated (21% strongly agreed, compared to 14% or less with other types of businesses).
Also, a significant percentage of participants strongly agreed that overall marketing costs dropped when social media marketing was implemented. The self-employed (59 percent) and small business owners with two or more employees (58 percent) were more likely than others to see reductions in marketing costs when using social media marketing.
The largest group who took the survey was self-employed (33 percent) followed by people working for a company with up to 100 employees (30 percent). Some 19 percent of people taking the survey worked for businesses with 100 or more employees.
Social Media Marketing Industry Report 2011 from Michael A. Stelzner on Vimeo.
read more here
Monday, April 18, 2011
Social Media Works for Small Business
Labels:
business social media,
small business
Gary Kim has been a digital infra analyst and journalist for more than 30 years, covering the business impact of technology, pre- and post-internet. He sees a similar evolution coming with AI. General-purpose technologies do not come along very often, but when they do, they change life, economies and industries.
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Marketing for small businesses on the internet has truly become extremely affordable. With the rising cost of tradition marketing and with competition competing with each market many businesses can not keep up with the costs.
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