The Business Web 2.0
As CEO of business-based social networking site WeCanDo.BIZ, read my take on the role Web 2.0 technologies can play helping businesses to grow.
Thursday 23 October 2008, 2:56 PM
Social media a valid route to new customers, say UK SMBs
WeCanDo.BIZ Business Networking Trends Survey reveals 92% would recommend their contacts network online.
The results of our recent survey on business networking trends reveals UK-based small business are avid supporters of online networking through sites, although some of the best known business-focused social networks aren’t doing enough to support the needs of the small business owner.
The survey was supported by over 250 participants, 83% of which were board level or proprietor, with 92% from firms with fewer than 50 staff, mainly in the UK (92%).
The most interesing findings:
- “Getting more business” was ranked most important reason for starting to network online
- 82% have a presence on business-focused networking sites like LinkedIn, Xing, Ecademy and WeCanDo.BIZ
- Two thirds say that networking online has brought them closer to their customers/intended market
- 59% have won customers or otherwise done business as a direct result of online networking sites
- 78% are open to purchasing from contacts made on such sites
- 92% would recommend their contacts network online
- More than half plan to increase their online networking activities, almost exactly the number who said they will increase their face to face networking going forward
Two VERY interesting pieces of information came out which I didn’t expect to see however. The first is that “Career advancement” was seen as the least important aspect of online business networking, directly conflicting with the core focus of professional networking sites LinkedIn and Xing. Both these sites represent members through a virtual CV and hiring or being hired are central to their offerings and key to why many people join. LinkedIn, with 25 million members, recently reported a surge in membership from staff being made redundant as a consequence of the recent banking crisis, presumably hopeful that new connections could be made through the site to get them back into employment quickly. LinkedIn seems not to offer the same hope for small business owners looking for new customers however.
The other interesting statistic is that business networking online is perceived as more effective in winning new customers than telephone sales cold calling, the backbone of new business lead generation campaigns since Alexander Graham Bell first stole the patent application. Telephone cold calling was ranked as sixth most important in generating new business, way below online networking, face to face networking and, indeed, web site optimisation.
The full report of results can be downloaded from the WeCanDo.BIZ website at http://www.wecando.biz/surveyresults.php.
Ian Hendry
CEO, WeCanDo.BIZ
http://www.wecando.biz
The results of our recent survey on business networking trends reveals UK-based small business are avid supporters of online networking through sites, although some of the best known business-focused social networks aren’t doing enough to support the needs of the small business owner.
The survey was supported by over 250 participants, 83% of which were board level or proprietor, with 92% from firms with fewer than 50 staff, mainly in the UK (92%).
The most interesing findings:
- “Getting more business” was ranked most important reason for starting to network online
- 82% have a presence on business-focused networking sites like LinkedIn, Xing, Ecademy and WeCanDo.BIZ
- Two thirds say that networking online has brought them closer to their customers/intended market
- 59% have won customers or otherwise done business as a direct result of online networking sites
- 78% are open to purchasing from contacts made on such sites
- 92% would recommend their contacts network online
- More than half plan to increase their online networking activities, almost exactly the number who said they will increase their face to face networking going forward
Two VERY interesting pieces of information came out which I didn’t expect to see however. The first is that “Career advancement” was seen as the least important aspect of online business networking, directly conflicting with the core focus of professional networking sites LinkedIn and Xing. Both these sites represent members through a virtual CV and hiring or being hired are central to their offerings and key to why many people join. LinkedIn, with 25 million members, recently reported a surge in membership from staff being made redundant as a consequence of the recent banking crisis, presumably hopeful that new connections could be made through the site to get them back into employment quickly. LinkedIn seems not to offer the same hope for small business owners looking for new customers however.
The other interesting statistic is that business networking online is perceived as more effective in winning new customers than telephone sales cold calling, the backbone of new business lead generation campaigns since Alexander Graham Bell first stole the patent application. Telephone cold calling was ranked as sixth most important in generating new business, way below online networking, face to face networking and, indeed, web site optimisation.
The full report of results can be downloaded from the WeCanDo.BIZ website at http://www.wecando.biz/surveyresults.php.
Ian Hendry
CEO, WeCanDo.BIZ
http://www.wecando.biz
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