UK SMB's Spends on Social Media on the rise, as traditional media spends slow down

UK Small and Medium Bushiness is increasingly spending their monies on social media, along with the traditional media. However that the media mix in terms of allocating budgets clearly seems to be changing. The diverse mix of different media being used is reflected in a Local Commerce Monitor UK study reveals UK SMBs use more than 5 different types of media to engage with customers.

 Social Media channels have registered big gains in usage among UK SMBs during the past 12 months, according to the second wave of the BIA/Kelsey Local Commerce Monitor UK™ (LCM: UK), the company's ongoing study of the advertising behaviors of small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs).

Over 40 percent (41.3%) of respondents to the online survey reported using Facebook, while LinkedIn (26.7%) and Twitter (22.3%) have also gained in penetration. Benefitting from the maturing technologies of social platforms, more than one half of UK SMBs say they are “extremely” or “very engaged” with customers on social media.

“This second wave of the survey reveals US and UK usage of new media — various online formats, including social — has become more aligned than disparate,” said Rick Ducey, managing director, BIA/Kelsey. “In 2011, for instance, UK SMBs used more traditional media, such as classified directories, newspapers and magazines compared with SMBs in the US. Since then, UK SMBs have increased their digital media budgets, with social channels gaining in importance.”