Social Networking: What Has It Done for You Lately?

A study released this week from Internet2Go and MerchantCircle found that 45 percent of small-business owners use Facebook and Twitter to promote their businesses.

Yet, as more and more home-based travel agents are turning to social networking to market their services, many are also beginning to question the usefulness of this strategy. The study also found that social networking websites showed the largest gap between adoption and perceived effectiveness as a marketing platform.

Another study released last week by Citibank and GfK Roper echoed this sentiment, finding that three-quarters of small businesses do not find social networking websites to be helpful in generating business leads or for expanding their business.

Still, marketing through social networking can be a useful resource for small businesses because of the low cost of adoption, experts say.

What has your experience with social networking been? Let us know by participating in our poll to the right or sharing your comments below.