A new survey reveals SMEs are increasingly using social networks, such as Facebook, for business purposes. Image courtesy of: Franco Bouly/Flickr.com
A new survey has found that 91 percent of SMEs are using social networks for business purposes, an increase of 31 percent from last year’s survey.
The survey, which questioned 1300 SMEs and was conducted by freelance marketplace
PeoplePerHour.com, revealed that the majority of small firms use social networks to market their services, find work and recruit new staff members.
Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn were identified as the most popular social networks, with Facebook ahead of the other two.
This survey backs up a recent
Deloitte report, commissioned by Facebook, that suggested the social networking site adds around £2bn to the UK economy every year.
Facebook’s Chief Operating Office Sheryl Sandberg, commented: "The report shows that Facebook is about a lot more than sharing pictures or keeping up with friends. Increasingly, social media means growth and jobs. Social media is proving particularly valuable for small- and medium-sized businesses, which form the backbone of the European economy."
PeoplePerHour.com founder and CEO Xenios Thrasyvoulou said that the growing use of Facebook by SMEs will be great news for the social networking site ahead of its planned initial public offering (IPO).
"Those analysts questioning the predicted $100 billion valuation of Facebook should take note of the fact that Facebook is much more than just a social network.
"There’s a perception that Facebook is almost exclusively used for personal relationships, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. As our survey findings demonstrate, Facebook is an increasingly crucial technology for businesses as well."