Small Business Marketing News
LinkedIn And Twitter Use Surges In Small Businesses
Written by Tim Morral
Published: 4/2/2013
Constant Contact reports that the successful use of LinkedIn and Twitter in small businesses has more than tripled since May 2012.
Social media has long been touted as an efficient and cost-effective way for cash-strapped entrepreneurs to promote their businesses. The problem is that small business owners have historically found it difficult to convert social media engagement into new business or measurable revenue.
When small businesses do find success on social media, it's usually on Facebook, mostly because owners are already familiar with Facebook based on their personal social media behaviors. Leveraging their personal familiarity, many owners have invested time and effort in learning how to market a small business on Facebook.
But according to a new report by the marketing company Constant Contact, small businesses are now seeing real results from LinkedIn and Twitter. While 82 percent of small business owners cite Facebook as an effective marketing tool, 29 percent report success from LinkedIn and 25 percent indicated that Twitter has been effective for their companies.
The rise of LinkedIn and Twitter is significant and represents a dramatic increase from a year ago. In May 2012, just 10 percent of business reported that LinkedIn was useful to their companies. At that time, Twitter fared even worse with a mere 7 percent approval among entrepreneurs.
The Constant Contact study also showed that small businesses are embracing YouTube with 15 percent of respondents indicating its effectiveness, compared to just 3 percent a year ago. This reflects the growing value of video as a marketing tool as well as the importance of using proven social mediums for sharing high quality media content with consumers and other key audiences.
Share this article
About Our Small Business News
Our small business writers cover everything related to entrepreneurship. Our perspective is all about giving you news you can use to be a successful entrepreneur.
Additional Resources for Entrepreneurs