The research provider announced that during April, users spent nearly 14 million minutes on Facebook - an increase of around 700 percent from April 2008.

Statistics such as these provide excellent news for small businesses who may have considered setting up a Facebook ad or page to advertise their services

Writing for USA Today, entrepreneurial expert Rhonda Abrams offers this and other news for small businesses who may worry that over the summer months, their clients will stray while on vacation.

Taking time over the summer to get online with Facebook or Twitter may also allow smaller companies to set plans for their fall marketing campaigns, Abrams suggests, for this allows them to get ahead of competitors.

Plus, the current economic uncertainties mean that smaller companies can benefit from an early start in this area.

Furthermore, a recent report highlighted the importance of direct email campaigns, in that digital marketing is becoming a more popular tool for all companies.

The Center for Exhibition Research found that 87 percent of corporate brand marketers employed email marketing as a promotional tactic.