With reports suggesting more than 56 per cent of the Canadian population uses social networks, those networks are becoming top destinations for small business owners to find customers.
But while most consumers rave about social media, it seems very few small business owners know how to use it to grow their companies.
In a recent national survey conducted by BizLaunch.ca (http://bizlaunch.ca), small business owners identified which social media applications they have embraced as part of their marketing strategy. The most popular choices, in descending order, were Facebook, Twitter, Linked-In, blogs and YouTube.
However, when asked which social media application is contributing to sales, only 14 per cent identified Facebook, followed by Twitter at five per cent, Linked-In at seven per cent, blogs at four per cent and YouTube at one per cent. Across all online marketing activities, a majority of business owners said their website remains the most effective tool for generating sales.
“Building business through social media is not something most small businesses are doing very well right now,” says small business expert Andrew Patricio, co-founder of BizLaunch.ca.
“Like a lot of new inventions, social media holds plenty of promise yet it is failing to deliver sales for small business owners.”
To help entrepreneurs learn skills needed to utilize social media sites, BizLaunch is partnering with Bell Alliant to host a free seminar called How to Market Your Business, Wednesday, Nov. 11, from 8-9:30 a.m., at The Ramada Inn, St. John’s.