For the third consecutive year, social media is the top marketing channel used by small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs), according to BIA/Kelsey’s Local Commerce Monitor™, Wave 20 (LCM20). Among 1,000 SMBs surveyed, 77.6 percent (up from 73.2 last year) say they use social media to promote their businesses.
“SMBs are sophisticated in their use of social media as key way to target and continue conversations with customers. They have moved beyond social presence to social ads and video,” said Celine Matthiessen, VP of Analysis and Insights, BIA/Kelsey. “Video on social is becoming more popular and our SMBs see the highest ROI of social channels from Snapchat and Video on Facebook and Twitter.”
As social media has become its own ecosystem, LCM now measures usage of 14 different social media platforms, including four within Facebook and three within Twitter. SMB Facebook pages continue to dominate as the most popular social channel used by SMBs. However newer social entrants are growing quickly, especially Snapchat.
LCM 20 at BIA/Kelsey NEXT – Free Report for Attendees BIA/Kelsey analysts will present data from LCM 20 to attendees of BIA/Kelsey NEXT: The Future of Local Digital Advertising and Marketing, which takes place December 5-7, 2016, in Boston. Social media will be leading topic at the conference and LCM data will inform numerous conversations. Sessions of note include, “Case Study: How U-Haul is Moving Customers Through Social Media and Listings,” “Local Investment is Trending Up… Way Up-Will It Pay Off?,” and the BIA/Kelsey analyst session, “NEXT in Focus – Forecasting the Future & Setting the Stage for BIA/Kelsey NEXT.”
Conference attendees will receive a free copy of a brand new LCM 20 report titled, “Planning and Budgeting for 2017: Guidance from BIA/Kelsey’s Local Commerce Monitor™ (LCM) Study.” This report includes data and top-level recommendations for specific functional areas within SMB service provider organizations.
