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November 3, 2008
The Number of Small Businesses Using Social Media to Double in 12 Months
The number of small businesses using deeply integrated social networking services will double in the next year, according to projections by Access Markets International (AMI) Partners, Inc. Currently, there are about 300,000 small businesses engaged in social networking, which is 5% of the total number of small businesses in the U.S. AMI expects that number to reach 600,000 in the next 12 months.
“As social networking evolves, we can see the emergence of targeted offerings for business users,” says Nikki Lamba, New York-based analyst at AMI Partners. “In order to attract a greater share of SBs, social networking services must provide customized services that SBs can leverage in order to realize their business goals.”
Social media might be an increasingly attractive option for small businesses in their advertising and marketing efforts. The current economy has businesses scrambling for affordable marketing methods and social media is a possible option, depending on how its leveraged.
Posted by Nathania Johnson on November 3, 2008 11:13 AM
Comments
Danny Brown November 3, 2008 11:01 PM
This is certainly positive news, but can be a bit daunting for a small business owner. The range of social media tools and technologies is daunting and can be overwhelming to someone who plays the role of CEO, head of operations, sales person and head cashier all at once!
Focus for a business getting into social media needs to be around extending their brand as a business to create stronger connections with their customers to build long term loyalty. Identifying the appropriate SM platforms is critical for small businesses to be successful in social media.
Peter December 19, 2008 8:47 AM
While it's great to see such a positive step by small business owners in embracing all social media has to offer, it needs to be done properly.
Too many business owners jump in and then drop their social media strategy a month or two later, complaining about lack of any ROI. It can't be judged physically - social media needs a different approach.
As long as business owners realize this, they should benefit greatly.