A new survey from global workspace provider Regus shows that nearly half (49%) of firms in Manchester are successfully winning new customers through social networking activity, compared to an average of 41% across the UK. The research also reveals that a greater proportion of Manchester-based firms are using social media to connect and engage with existing customers (55% compared to UK average of 48%).

Manchester firms are shown to have a forward-thinking attitude in many areas of social media. Above-average proportions of local firms (37%) devote up to 20% of their marketing budget to business social networking activity - and half encourage their employees to join business networks.

Overall, the report demonstrates that social networking has fully evolved from a nice-to-have to a necessity, with nearly three-quarters of businesses in Manchester (72%) and two-thirds in the UK (66%) agreeing that without social media activity their marketing initiatives cannot hope to be successful. Nevertheless, firms are also emphasizing the need for a balance of marketing media, confirming their belief that without a combination of traditional and digital techniques marketing campaigns will not work (61% nationally, 64% locally).[1]

The global Regus survey findings are based on the responses of over 17,000 managers and business owners across 80 countries, including over 4000 respondents in the UK.

Greg Lunn, Regional Director at Regus comments: “Social networking has finally come into its own in the commercial world, and it seems firms in Manchester are leading the way. More and more local companies are leveraging the channel not only to increase the loyalty of existing customers, but as a successful acquisition tool.

“As businesses emerge from the downturn they are increasingly reconsidering pre-recession working practices and opting for more flexible, competitive strategies. Among these, the use of business social media is proving extremely successful and suited to the fast pace of recovery. Particularly in the UK where one in three social network users is a fan, follower or friend of a company page or profile, firms should expect to see an increasing proportion of marketing budget being destined to this activity.”[2]