Small businesses utilising social media to compete with bigger rivals

Dec. 15, 2011 - PRLog -- According to research commissioned by BlackBerry - maker Research In Motion (RIM), leaders who regularly use mobile social networking are much more likely to be growth-oriented and optimistic about small business’ role in the economy than their counterparts who do not use the technology.

Digital communications tools, mobile computing and social networks, are an important part of business operations for three quarters (74%) of all respondents, with a quarter (24%) positioning digital as an ‘integral part’ of business operations.

Seven out of 10 (67%) agree that these tools have allowed them to build closer relationships with their customers and partners. Interestingly seven out of 10 (72%) of business that don’t use social networks stated that winning new customers and partners is a key business priority for the next 12 months, but six out of 10 (59%) of these businesses don’t see the value in mobile social networking.

These digitally-native businesses are more likely to be growing than their competitors. Over half of those leaders using mobile social networking (53%) are pursuing a growth strategy.

In comparison, 70% of leaders who have not adopted social media tools are focused solely on cash management during this period of economic uncertainty. In addition, almost one-third (31%) of enterprise mobile social networkers have expanded into new business lines to help strengthen their product or service offering compared to only one in 10 (12%) of those not taking advantage of mobile networking.

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