Social media is a vital asset for any organisation, especially as businesses increasingly becoming digitised and customers interact with companies in new ways. But how active are Australian small businesses when it comes to leveraging the power of social media?
Small business owners here may want to get a move on if they don't already have a web presence - just over a third (39 per cent) of online small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) said they use social media for business.
This insight comes from the Sensis e-Business Report 2014: The Online Experience of Small and Medium Enterprises, released as part of the June 2014 Sensis Business Index. Additionally, the survey found that well over half (57 per cent) of SMEs that do use social media reported that it had a positive impact on business.
These benefits included, good customer feedback, increased sales and good advertising opportunities.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, Facebook came out as the clear winner when it came to popularity of platform, with nine in 10 businesses (91 per cent) having a profile on the site. Twitter came next, with more than a quarter (27 per cent) of businesses using the microblogging channel. The same proportion had a presence on LinkedIn, while fewer than one in 10 (8 per cent) used Google+.
So how active are Australian companies on these social media channels? Almost two-thirds (61 per cent) said they updated their social media at least once a week, while a quarter did it every day. Around one in 10 (12 per cent) only posted updates "a couple of times a year".
No matter which platforms you use, what you use it for and how active you are on it, having some sort of social media presence is a necessity for most businesses today. From running promotions to simply fielding questions from customers, social media allows you to have conversations and build relationships with consumers.
If you'd like to learn how Earlypay's Invoice Finance & Equipment Finance can help you boost your working capital to fund growth or keep on top of day-to-day operations of your business, contact Earlypay's helpful team today on 1300 760 205, visit our sign-up form or contact [email protected].