Social Media, Influence and Small Businesses

Does size matter when it comes to followers? According to a recent SMB social media study from Vocus and Duct Tape Marketing, it does not.

Two in three SMBs favor quality over quantity. 40% prefer very active, engaged followers and only one in four small to mid-size businesses think the number of followers is more important than level of engagement.

The main challenge that SMBs face is the perception that social media is free. Like any other marketing initiative, social media takes time and resources. 

The study shows that SMBs are active in social media, they see its value, and they measure progress through connected business outcomes.

From the study:

• 77% of SMBs say that social media accounts for 25% or more of their total marketing effort
• 87% of SMBs say social media has been somewhat helpful or helped a great deal
• The top two measurement metrics are 1) traffic (76%) and 2) # of new customers

"Path to influence.  One of the most fascinating findings of the study was the divergent views of online influence. For example, 40% of SMBs prefer a smaller but highly engaged audience, while 27% would prefer a huge following with little engagement. What’s important to note is the 27% that prefer a large following are also more likely to report social media has been very helpful to their efforts." 

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Path to Influence: A Study of SMBs and social media from Vocus