Oct 12th 09 Posted by Randy in Site Owners

Social Media and Small Business Not Connecting — Social Media Optimization

Really interesting findings in a Citibank/GFK Roper small business survey that was released on Friday.

The survey of 500 small businesses (less than 100 employees) found that found very few small businesses in the U.S. are using social media sites like Facebook and Twitter for business uses:

* Three-quarters of the small business owners surveyed say they have not found sites such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn helpful for generating business leads or expanding business in the past year

* 86% said they have not used social networking sites for information or business advice

* 25% said they’re using more online advertising to generate business leads and sales

* 10% said they have sought business advice and information on expert blogs

“Our survey suggests that small business owners are still feeling their way into social media, particularly when it comes to using these tools to grow their businesses,” said Maria Veltre, Executive Vice President of Citi’s Small Business Segment. “While social media can provide additional channels to network and help grow a business, many small businesses may not have the manpower or the time required take advantage of them.”

What I found really interesting from the survey was the difference in social media marketing efforts by geographic region as well as age of business.

What you see is that newer businesses (less than 10 years old) are more likely to be focusing more on social media sites than companies that have been in business longer. I would hazard a guess that the newer businesses are run by a younger generation and are more likely to use sites like Facebook and Twitter.

page12

Worst part of the country for trying social media sites? The North East which consistently lagged behind the rest of the country in their willingness to try social media sites. The most social areas of the country? The South edges out the Midwest slightly across the responses.

page16

The one area of social media that older, more established companies use over younger companies is that they are more likely to read expert blogs for advice.

page21

via Social Media and Small Business Not Connecting — Social Media Optimization.