The last year has seen a rise in Canadian companies using
social networks, blogs, microblogs and forums to win new business, according to
Regus.
According to the survey, 34 percent of firms are
successfully using social networking
to win new customers, up six percentage points from last year’s survey.
The research also reveals globally more firms are using
social media to engage with existing customers than a year ago. 43 percent of businesses in Canada use websites such as
Twitter
to engage, connect with and inform existing customers.
In Canada, 50 percent of firms encourage their employees
to join social networks such as Linkedin
and Xing. 43 percent of Canadian companies dedicate up to 20
percent of their marketing budget to business social networking activity
Globally, the survey reported a seven percent increase in
the proportion of businesses successfully recruiting new customers through
social networks such as Facebook.
Social networking has fully evolved from a nice-to-have
to a necessity as the majority of businesses in Canada (67 percent), and
internationally (74 percent) agree that social media activity is playing a
bigger role in their marketing strategy. Canadian (69 percent) and global firms
(61 percent) are also emphasizing the need for a balance of marketing media.
The global Regus survey findings are based on the
responses of over 17,000 managers and business owners across 80 countries.
As businesses emerge from the downturn they are
increasingly reconsidering pre-recession working practices and opting for more
flexible, competitive strategies. From supply chain management, to leaner
working practices, to cloud computing, to increased use of video communications
and mobile working – no area of business is being overlooked,” said Wes Lenci,
Regus regional vice president for Canada.
By TelecomLead.com Team
editor@telecomlead.com
