Surveys show that 80% of U.S. SMEs use Facebook for marketing

Small business owners are often thys resource-thy-resourced because of the limited resources available to meet a variety of needs. However, a new survey by G2 Crowd found that despite limited resources, marketing remains a priority for these small business decision makers.

G2 Crowd surveyed small business owners and executives in the United States, companies with no more than 250 employees. About 24 percent of respondents said they plan to focus on marketing and advertising in 2017, more than sales, new facilities, software and other IT systems.

According to G2 Crowd, social media platforms have become the most popular marketing channel for small businesses. Eighty percent of respondents use Facebook for marketing, and more than half (51 percent) use Twitter. While it is possible for small businesses to buy ads on these platforms, they are more likely to use low-cost or cost-free features such as Facebook Pages and tweets to stay in touch with customers directly.

Small businesses, such as Google's search marketing tool AdWords and banner ads, use fewer of the more expensive online marketing channels. In addition, a small number of respondents liked traditional media such as newspapers, television and radio. Less than 10% of small businesses use advertising agencies.

Small business owners use Facebook for a number of reasons. G2 Crowd found that nearly a quarter (38 per cent) of respondents described Facebook as the most successful marketing channel. However, a further 29 percent of respondents said Facebook was the least successful marketing channel. This may reflect the fact that more small businesses use Facebook than any other channel.

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