Small Business Marketing News

SMBs And Corporations Use Social Tools In Very Different Ways

Written by Tim Morral
Published: 7/19/2013

Study shows that small and medium-sized businesses use social tools more, but larger companies are more likely to leverage intranet tools.

From large enterprises to small retailers, nearly all businesses are using social technology to improve productivity and streamline communication with both customers and internal stakeholders. But SMBs and large corporations don't use social technology the same way, according to a recent study by Microsoft and Ipsos.

Small Company Social Use Versus Big Company Social Use

In a survey of approximately 10,000 U.S. respondents, 61 percent of executives at large companies said that they rely on intranets on a regular basis. On the other hand, just half of SMBs indicated that they use intranets during the normal course of business.

When it comes to the use of social technologies, SMBs significantly outpace larger organizations. While only 36 percent of SMB leaders reported that their IT departments frustrate their efforts to make use of Facebook, Twitter and other social tools, 41 percent of corporate executives indicated that their IT departments obstruct their ability to leverage these resources.

SMBs and corporations appear to use VoIP in equal measure. About half of all survey respondents said that their companies use Skype, Rebtel and Viber to provide teleconferencing between staff members or other business associates.

The importance of social networking is a key realization for growth-minded companies. With consumers and workplaces fervently embracing social technologies, it's critical for all businesses to evaluate how online and intranet strategies can be leveraged to improve operational efficiencies, communication and market reach.

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