Understand how social media fuels SMB growth, Learn from the results of a research in India on the challenges and opportunities for SMBs utilizing the social channel.
This presentation was unveiled at Finance Connect in Mumbai on 10th June 2014, presented to the
1. #inFC14 1
The role of social media
in driving SMB growth
Market Report: India
Full Research Results
2. #inFC14#inFC14 2
SMEs surveyed across India
168
Influence
Primary decision maker
or strong level of
influence in financial
decisions
This report explores the way in which SMEs in
India make use of social media
Small/Medium
1 to 1000 employees
INR 5 to 500 crore
revenue
3. #inFC14#inFC14
SMEs in India are currently experiencing widespread growth
3
Base: 168 small and medium enterprises
46%
57%
67%
73%
79%
Number of employees
Number of products or services
Overall profitability
Number of customers or clients
Overall revenue
SMEs Experiencing Year Over Year Increase in…
4. #inFC14#inFC14
11%
6%
16%
32%
35%
More than 3 years
India SMEs are seasoned social media users
4
Base: 168 small and medium enterprises
Plan to use in the future
Just getting started
Less than 12 months
Business Experience with Social Media
1 to 3 years
5. #inFC14#inFC14
The #1 challenge facing SMEs in today’s market is attracting new
customers
5#inFC14
Base: 168 small and medium enterprises
Attracting new
customers
72%
Finding/hiring
employees
71%
Reducing
costs
57%
Increasing
profit margins
54%
Training, etc.,
employees
54%
Retaining cur.
customers
46%
Keeping up
w/technology
46%
Understanding
social media
45%
Managing
business ops.
44%
Marketing and
advertising eff.
44%
Managing
cash flow
42%
Time-saving
solutions
41%
Assessing
competition
40%
Finding
answers to Qs.
35%
Getting
credit/financing
33%
Understanding
gov. regs.
21%
Challenges SMEs Face in Next 12 Months
6. #inFC14#inFC14
Social media is one of the top three forms of advertising driving
revenue growth
Advertising Contributing to SME Revenue Growth
6
Base: 133 small and medium enterprises experiencing revenue growth
Redirecting
websites
Online ads
not social Offline ads Direct post Events
Social
media/
social ads
Email
marketing
17%
22% 24% 25%
38% 39%
46%
7. #inFC14#inFC14
Financial Uses of Social Media by
SMEs
Keep up-to-date on
financial trends
01 60%
02 Gather preliminary
financial information
39%
03 Seek advice on a
financial decision
34%
04 Evaluate or re-think a
previous financial
decision
23%
05 Recommend a financial
product to others
21%
Base: 168 small and medium enterprises
7
69%Discovery
44%Consideration
21%Recommendation
80%
20%
Gender
Use for Any Financial
Purpose
The vast majority of SMEs use social media for financial purposes
8. #inFC14#inFC14
More than six in 10 SMEs are open to receiving financial content
from LinkedIn
Openness to Receiving Financial Content on Social Media Sites
8
of growth businesses are receptive to
receiving financial content on LinkedIn
67%
62% 33% 29% 12%33%
Base: 168 small and medium enterprises
9. #inFC14#inFC14
This allows LinkedIn to drive action through the content provided
to businesses
9
Base: 168 small and medium enterprises
5%
7%
13%
15%
16%
22%
24%
25%
27%
29%
31%
Closed a financial account
Opened a new financial account
Purchased an insurance policy
Purchased an investment product
Contacted a financial representative
Discussed a financial product/policy
Shared information about financial trends, etc.
Asked a financial professional for information
Learned of a financial product/policy
Conducted research on a financial product/policy
Learned about a financial company/institution
SeniorityActions Taken by SMEs as Result of Social Media Use
10. #inFC14#inFC14
1/3 of SMEs activated by social media purchased a financial
product or service
Path to Purchase
10
DISCOVERY
Gather info / stay up-
to-date
CONSIDERATION
Seek advice/info to make a
purchase
DRIVEN TO PURCHASE
ON LINKEDIN
(Insurance policy and/or
investment product)
34%
Base: 109 small and medium enterprises that actioned a response
Notas do Editor
As part of a larger global study, we surveyed 168 SMEs – Small and medium enterprises fall between INR 5 to 500 crore
Fieldwork Dates: 18 May to 27 May, 2014
Recruit was filtered by
Individuals who own or who are currently employed in a senior role in a businesses with a total annual revenue of INR 5 to 500 crore
The business had to currently make use of social media or plan to use it in the future
Had to be the primary decision maker or have a strong level of influence over financial decisions in their business
Had to make financial decisions that influenced the entire business or their division/business unit
Survey targeting:
Company Size 1-1000 or SMB Inferred
50+ connections
CXOs, Small Business Owners and Partners seniority
QUESTION TEXT (‘CHANGE’): For each of the following statements, please indicate whether your business has increased, decreased or stayed the same this year compared to last year?
QUESTION TEXT (‘SM_USE’): How long has your company been using social media?
Businesses not currently using or not planning to use social media were excluded from the survey.
Just getting started 6%
Less than 12 months 16%
1-3 years 32%
More than 3 years 35%
Do not currently, but plan to use social media in the future 11%
Do not currently, and not planning to use social media in the future 0%
QUESTION TEXT (‘CHALLENGES’): We would like to better understand the range of challenges you face as a financial decision maker or influencer. Which of the following challenges will your company face in the next 12 months?
Attracting new customers 72%
Finding and hiring good employees 71%
Reducing costs 57%
Increasing profit margins 54%
Training, motivating, and retaining employees 54%
Retaining current customers 46%
Keeping up with technology 46%
Understanding how social media can impact my business 45%
Efficiently managing business operations and back office work 44%
Marketing and advertising effectively
44% Managing cash flow 42%
Finding and implementing time-saving solutions or processes 41%
Learning how my company is doing relative to competitors 40%
Finding answers to my questions about how I can improve my company’s business 35%
Getting credit/financing/access to funding for my company 33%
Understanding how to work within government regulations 21%
None of these 1%
QUESTION TEXT (‘CAUSES’): Which of the following forms of advertising would you say has contributed to the growth that your business has experienced over the past year?
Email marketing 46%
Social media and social ads (e.g. Promoted tweets, Sponsored updates, Display/text ads on social media) 39%
Events 38%
Direct post 25%
Offline ads (e.g. TV, Print, Radio, Outdoors) 24%
Online ads not on social media (e.g. Display, Video, Ad words, Search, etc.) 22%
Redirecting websites (e.g. Yellow pages) 17%
Other (please specify) 12%
None of these 12%
QUESTION TEXT (‘REASONS’): For which of the following purposes have you turned to social media?
Consideration (54% use social media for financial ‘Consideration’ purposes)
Use social to seek advice or gather info to make a financial decision or/and
evaluate or re-think a financial decision
QUESTION TEXT (‘OPEN’): How open are you to receiving financial content and information from companies you do business with on the following media sites/services?
LinkedIn was also the most popular network amongst those experiencing revenue growth (full stats below, Base: n=108 SMEs experiencing revenue growth)
LinkedIn - NET open 67%
Facebook - NET open 35%
Google - NET open 35%
Twitter - NET open 32%
Pinterest - NET open 13%
QUESTION TEXT (‘RESULTS’): Which of the following actions, if any, have ever occurred as a result of your hearing or reading something on social media?
FULL BREAKDOWN OF ACTIONS ON LINKEDIN
Learned about a financial company/institution I/my company was not previously aware of 31%
Conducted additional research on a financial product/policy or account type 29%
Learned of a financial product/policy or account type I/my company was not previously aware of 27%
Asked a financial professional for additional information about a financial product/policy or account type 25%
Shared information about financial trends, products/policies/solutions, or financial institutions/ companies 24%
Discussed a financial product/policy or account type with a family member, friend, or colleague 22%
Contacted a financial representative 16%
Purchased an investment product 15%
Purchased an insurance policy 13%
Opened a new financial account 7%
Closed a financial account my company previously owned 5%
Other (please specify) 1%
None of the above 35%
QUESTION TEXT (‘RESULTS’): Which of the following actions, if any, have ever occurred as a result of your hearing or reading something on social media?
Value Chain Questions:
QUESTION TEXT (‘REASONS’): For which of the following purposes have you turned to social media?
Discovery (86% use social media for financial ‘Discovery’ purposes)
Use social media to gather preliminary information or/and
Stay up-to-date on financial trends/ products/ companies
Base: 135 small and medium enterprises who used social media for financial purposes
Consideration (54% use social media for financial ‘Consideration’ purposes)
Use social to seek advice or gather info to make a financial decision or/and
evaluate or re-think a financial decision
Base: 135 small and medium enterprises who used social media for financial purposes