A quarter (28%) of small businesses in the UK are now generating more sales from social media than from any other channel, including e-commerce and brick-and-mortar stores, according to research from BT.
The research explored social media strategies used by over 500 small businesses in the UK and found that Meta-owned platforms, particularly Facebook (30%), Instagram (18%), Twitter (10%), and TikTok (9%), were crucial for revenue generation.
Interestingly, social media is gaining popularity compared to other marketing tools for sales generation. A quarter (25%) of businesses use organic/non-paid social media, and 22% use paid social media posts, which are more widely utilized than traditional tactics like direct email marketing (18%), SEO (15%), partnerships (11%), and leafletting (11%).
However, not all entrepreneurs feel confident about using social media effectively. Some feel overwhelmed by constant changes to rules, algorithms, and consumer habits. Among them, 21% feel “behind the times,” 16% feel “stressed,” and others feel “anxious” and “confused.”
More than half (58%) of small business owners express a desire for digital skills training, with 60% wishing they had received such support during their school years. They seek assistance in areas such as targeting the right audience online (24%), understanding social media and creating an online brand (21%), and grasping cyber security concepts (19%).
Following the research, BT has collaborated with business influencer and YouTube star, Patricia Bright to provide expert guidance on digital marketing and tailor strategies for impactful social media usage.
Patricia Bright’s 5 Top Social Media Marketing Tips
Be yourself! Having an original and authentic tone of voice will help to naturally engage a wider audience and communicate your brand values.
Ensure your content can reach across all social platforms – don’t be afraid to edit your style so it’s appropriate for different audiences. Vary tone across Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.
Be receptive to community feedback – try to nurture relationships and better understand your target audience.
User-Generated Content is great – encourage your true fans or customers to make their own content that shares what you do. This also helps foster a greater sense of community.
Get organised. Schedule and put systems in place to ensure you’re posting regularly. Being consistent will help to ensure your following grows organically.
BT’s efforts align with their support for entrepreneurs through the Skills for Tomorrow program, offering free digital skills training, courses, resources, and mentoring to small businesses in the UK.
Chris Sims, MD of Small and Medium Enterprise at BT, said: “Some of today’s most successful businesses were built on social media. Over three-quarters (76%), of today’s business owners rely on social media platforms or an online presence to drive sales.
“At a time when business owners face rising costs, social channels can offer small businesses a competitive advantage: helping them reach, and engage with, new audiences – and ultimately drive sales. As well as providing the digital foundation to help them grow.”