Small Business Owners and Social Networking
February 14, 2008
Salesconx, a growing online business referral company, recently surveyed 700 small business owners across North America in an effort to understand how they value new client relationships, approach lead generation and how they utilize the Internet’s networking features.
Survey findings indicated that word-of mouth and client referrals are the main source of new client acquisition for small businesses. Most small businesses are slow at implementing new marketplace techniques. Why?
Small business owners are concerned about the expense and they mistrust unfamiliar marketing methods. While Facebook has 50 million users and LinkedIn has 14 million users, only 11% of survey respondents noted that they belong to either of these communities. 79% of the participants do not belong to social or professional network.
Referral and word of mouth account for nearly 50% of all new business for surveyed small business owners, however, only 9% are using online lead generation. I could not find any data about the age of the small business owners who were surveyed, but I know several small business owners who are 45 or older and need help understanding or learning Web 2.0. They state they don’t have time for social networking. They view social networks as popularity contests as well as question the importance of online networking . Many of them still don’t have websites.
I keep learning and teaching them in the process….
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