Constant Contact Survey of Small Bus. Owners Finds Increasing Numbers Now View LinkedIn & Twitter as Effective for Their Busi...
March 26 2013 - 9:00AM
Business Wire
Despite much debate over the value of social networks to small
business marketing, recent data from Constant Contact®, Inc.
(NASDAQ: CTCT) indicates that small businesses are increasingly
seeing the value of social media platforms across the board, and,
in particular, LinkedIn and Twitter. Eighty percent of respondents
surveyed in December 2012 said they conduct social media marketing
and, when asked which social media platform was the most effective
for their organization, the always-dominant Facebook won out at 82
percent. More notable was the fact that 29 percent said LinkedIn
was effective for their business, an increase of 19 percentage
points compared to a similar Constant Contact Small Business survey
last spring, and 25 percent said Twitter, a rise of 18 percentage
points from last spring.
When asked which social media platform is the most effective for
their organization:
- Facebook: 82 percent (vs. 75 percent in
May 2012)
- LinkedIn: 29 percent (vs. 10 percent in
May 2012)
- Twitter: 25 percent (vs. 7 percent in
May 2012)
- YouTube: 15 percent (vs. 3 percent in
May 2012)
- Pinterest: 9 percent (vs. 1 percent in
May 2012)
- Yelp: 6 percent (vs. 2 percent in May
2012)
- Google+: 5 percent (vs. 1 percent in
May 2012)
“The sharp increase in effectiveness ratings for both Linkedin
and Twitter is significant,” said Mark Schmulen, general manager,
social media, Constant Contact. “While Facebook remains the
dominant platform, small businesses are successfully expanding
their engagement to reach audiences across multiple networks. This
indicates another positive step in the social media adoption curve
for SMBs.”
Social Media S.O.S.
While small business interest in, and appreciation for, social
media is on the rise, small business owners continue to lack
confidence in their social media skills. More than half (54
percent) chose social media marketing as the marketing activity
they need the most help with, which might explain why their
frequency of use with social media is not where it needs to be.
Only 13 percent of survey respondents post to Twitter daily and ten
percent post weekly to LinkedIn.
“Twitter just celebrated its seventh birthday, but the reality
is that social media marketing is a relatively new practice for
most small businesses,” commented Schmulen. “While the majority of
small businesses are ‘experimenting’ with social, those who have
found success have learned that social media marketing requires a
commitment to engaging their audience on a consistent basis.”
Business Snapshot
Small business year-end revenue reports did not match their
mid-year 2012 optimism.
2012 Year-End Revenues:
- 38 percent said revenue increased by
more than 10 percent. (Predicted by 52 percent in May 2012.)
- 21 percent reported revenue increased
by less than 10 percent. (Predicted by 27 percent in May
2012.)
- 23 percent said revenue remained flat.
(Predicted by only 13 percent in May 2012.)
- 8 percent said revenue decreased by
less than 10 percent. (Predicted by only 4 percent in May
2012.)
- 10 percent said revenue decreased by
more than 10 percent. (Predicted by only 3 percent in May
2012.)
Hiring, on the other hand, stayed in line with mid-year
predictions. In the spring of 2012, 66 percent of small businesses
said they were not planning to hire and that bore out – 62 percent
reported in December 2012 that employee levels stayed the same.
For a full report, please visit
http://news.constantcontact.com/research.
About the Survey
This Constant Contact-sponsored survey was administered in
December 2012 to 1,100 participants in the Constant Contact Small
Biz Council, a research panel of US small businesses and nonprofits
recruited from the Constant Contact customer base. This is the
third installment of an ongoing study about the state of small
businesses and the ways they connect with and grow their audiences.
Results include responses from respondents across a range of
business-to-business and business-to-consumer industries.
About Constant Contact®, Inc.
Constant Contact wrote the book on Engagement Marketing™ – the
new marketing success formula that helps small organizations create
and grow customer relationships in today’s socially connected
world. More than half a million small businesses, nonprofits and
associations worldwide use the company’s online marketing tools to
generate new customers, repeat business, and referrals through
email marketing, social media marketing, event marketing, local
deals, digital storefronts, and online surveys. Only Constant
Contact offers the proven combination of affordable tools and free
KnowHow®, including local seminars, personal coaching and
award-winning product support. The company further supports small
organizations through its extensive network of
consultants/resellers, technology providers, franchises and
national associations.
Constant Contact and the Constant Contact Logo are registered
trademarks of Constant Contact, Inc. All Constant Contact product
names and other brand names mentioned herein are trademarks or
registered trademarks of Constant Contact, Inc. All other company
and product names may be trademarks or service marks of their
respective owners.
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