Social Media Activity on the Rise for Small Businesses in 2011

It’s hard to believe that just a few years ago, Facebook access was limited only to college students and Twitter didn’t even exist. Fast forward to present day, where Twitter is drawing 300,000 new profiles per day and Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg is worth billions. People and businesses alike are trying to wrap their heads around the term “Social Media” as it continues to take over the online landscape. The sheer popularity of Social Media for small businesses has exploded and in turn has become a prime focus for businesses looking to get noticed online.

A new survey provides some intriguing figures as to how much businesses plan on upping their Social Media activity in 2011, plus how they plan on doing it. With 75% of small businesses stating that they plan on performing more Social Media marketing than they did in 2010, users are obviously becoming more aware of the correlation between Social Media activity and small businesses success.

The survey also serves to silence the naysayers who think that Facebook and Twitter are wastes of time, with 63% of participants stating that social networking actually increased their revenue last year. Perhaps the most surprising stat from is the survey is that most of the businesses surveyed plan on spending between 26% and 50% of their time and budget on Social Media in 2011. It’s difficult to fathom so much being spent on outlets that didn’t even exist for businesses a few years ago, but small businesses are obviously seeing the benefits of these sites that are, for the most part, absolutely free.

Of course, with these numbers also come some talking points. A business looking to effectively “up” their Social Media activity depends heavily on how they execute their strategy. Sitting on Twitter and retweeting news articles or “liking” every link you see on Facebook isn’t going to do much to drive your sales. Without proper engagement of your customers or promotion of your products, it’s easy to see your Social Media efforts quickly disintegrate into time wasted.

What does this mean for your business? If you haven’t gotten on board with Social Media, it’s really never too late. Platforms such as Facebook and Twitter are always evolving, and you’re often learning the ropes of modern Social Media alongside those who’ve been plugged in for years. Knowing and engaging your followers is an aspect of Social Media that hasn’t changed, however, and is the focal point of any effective Social Media strategy. If you’re using your time wisely, you’ll see results.

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