A recent survey by the University of Maryland’s Smith School of Business showed that the rate at which small businesses are using social media doubled from 2008 to 2009 (12% to 24%). There's a great article about it posted
here on Mashable and another
here on Marketing Pilgrim.
As this graphic suggests most small businesses that are using social media use Facebook and LinkedIn. Twitter usage is relatively small, even smaller than blogging.
Interestingly 50% of small businesses complained that using social media takes more time than they expected. 17% believe social media gives customers an forum for complaining, and 6% believe social media has hurt their business's image.
The main takeaway from this data: Social Media is a great resource for small businesses, but it isn't magical. Any marketing campaign takes effort and planning, and that includes social media.
