Social Networks do little to generate leads for a small business

Social Networking sites may have appeared to interweave itself into today’s advertising fabric; however, it’s possible that it isn’t always a key component to a campaign.

Citibank partnered with GfK Roper and recently released survey results of 500 American small business executives’ views on social media driving leads and/or expanding his/her businesses.

In contrast to the perceived norm, most respondents noted that networking sites like LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter did not benefit the company in expansion or generating leads. The Center for Media Research reports that only 3% of executives felt that social networks were “very helpful.” Sixty-three percent of those polled felt that networks were “not at all helpful.”

It has been stated that a reason behind these findings may be because the small business owner might not have the manpower or extra time needed to invest in social media.

The research survey did find that 61% of small business owners regularly seek out business advice or information from general search engine sites like Yahoo! and Google rather than small business-focused sites and the Wall Street Journal website.

Small business owners can utilize these findings to create a more effective venture in generating leads. Meaning, while social media may become a very useful part of anyone’s business, it should not be the only aspect to a campaign.

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