More SMBs considering social media marketing

4/17/2011

When it comes to marketing, small businesses aren't usually the most proactive - they prefer to use channels they know can get the returns they want. However, a new report from Techaisle suggests that more small companies are cautiously eyeing social media as an advertising tool.

Nearly half of the SMBs polled (40 percent) said they were very likely to adopt social media over the course of 2011, while another 30 percent said they were considering the marketing channel. Still, as many as 45 percent of companies were a bit skeptical of how exactly social media could benefit their marketing operations.

"Among the companies that already use social media, ‘increasing awareness of the business' was the top reason given for climbing onto the social media bandwagon, followed by 'increasing the number of inquiries or leads for product or service information.' Other reasons cited included 'increasing referrals from existing customers,' 'improving your company's image with customers,' and 'improving customer satisfaction with your product or service,'" explains TechZone360.

If entrepreneurs are unfamiliar with social media, they may want to outsource their marketing efforts. Commercial loans can help SMBs afford third-party marketing experts.