UK technology companies are using social media to push content and not engage with customers, according to technology PR firm EML Wildfire.
The report, which analyses the social media activity of the 2010 Deloitte Fast Tech 50, revealed of those brands using Twitter, only 14 per cent of tweets were replies or retweets. Blogs also lacked customer engagement, only 20 per cent of companies received comments on their blog and only one company replied to comments received.
While brands may not be making the most of social media, its use has increased. Despite many claiming Facebook has no place in B2B, the report revealed 70 per cent of B2B companies were present on the platform, in comparison to 40 per cent last year. LinkedIn remained the most popular network for B2B companies with 92 per cent and Twitter slotted into second place with 80 per cent of companies using the micro-blogging site.
Debby Penton, director at EML Wildfire, said, “The vast majority of businesses we speak to now accept that social media is something they should be doing. But we are still seeing confusion about how to approach these new channels and get the best out of them.
“Social media gives companies a unique opportunity to reach their audience directly. But without the right strategy in place and the skills required to execute, brands could actually risk damaging their online reputation rather than harnessing the positive commercial impact that social media should and can deliver.”
