Are Small Businesses Willing to Invest More in Social Media?

Nearly 70 percent of small businesses now use some form of social media to promote their products and services, and of those that don't currently, some 41 percent say they plan to start within the next three months, according to a new survey released by Webs.com.

Leading the pack is Facebook, claiming 89 percent of small-business social media users, with 68 percent of those claiming it's the outlet they use most.

Although usage continues to grow, business owners are still learning the ropes. Experimental usage of social media tools has led 59 percent of users to feel at a loss, as social media has only somewhat met their expectations. Why the poor customer response? Small businesses cite several excuses, with 36 percent updating only once a week or less and 10 percent posting less than once a month, mostly due to poor social media budgets in their marketing plans.

Despite the trial and error process, 62 percent of businesses say social media is a good method to communicate with customers and recognize that the more time they give to social media, the better the results. Nonetheless, nearly 78 percent plan to spend more time on social media efforts in 2011 than they did in 2010.

As social media usage becomes more widespread, so do the age brackets using it. Although young business owners -- ages 21 to 34 -- still rule online presence, older generations, especially those between ages 55 and 64, are making a surge, with 64 percent reporting usage. The majority of users attract new customers with social media, while others cite brand promotion, company news and relationship upkeep as other draws.